site.btaWorld Paella Championship in Valencia Features Bulgarian Team for Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year, Bulgaria was represented in the final of the World Paella Day Cup, an annual competition bringing together chefs from different countries to present their interpretations of the traditional Valencian dish. The event took place on September 20 at La Marina de Valencia, Spain, the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Valencia said.

In 2026, Bulgaria was represented by chef Nikolay Genchev and his assistant Todor Panayotov. Genchev was selected to represent Bulgaria in the final in Valencia after winning the national qualification for the World Paella Championship. The competition was a key highlight of the third and final day of the 2nd International Sole Festival in Burgas on June 21.
Representatives from 12 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas took part in this year’s final. They included Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Japan, Romania, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom and Ecuador.

During the competition, the Bulgarian team was supported by Bulgarian Consul General in Valencia Nadya Krasteva and Consul Iliyan Iliev, who attended the event. Members of the Bulgarian community in Valencia were also present.

The Consulate General said that Genchev’s interest in paella began in 2017 during his stay in Spain, where a meeting with a local chef inspired him to develop his skills in preparing the traditional dish. He is the third Bulgarian to reach the World Paella Day Cup final, following Nikolay Todorov and Kaloyan Kolev.

The diplomatic mission said the competition is part of the international World Paella Day initiative, which celebrates paella as a key symbol of Valencia and the region’s cultural identity. Participants present their own versions of the dish while demonstrating their cooking skills and knowledge of its traditions.