Calasparra is well known in Spain and was the first rice to be awarded with the Denomination of Origin, a guarantee of the finest quality. Calasparra rice is a short grained rice, also called pear rice because the center of the grain has a white mark that contains extra starch. It retains its body and bite while absorbing three times its volume in liquid and expands in width rather than length. Bomba ice has a mild flavor that is not too sweet or nutty. This is the ideal rice for paella.