There are more than a dozen names across different cultures for the crispy, scorched or sizzling rice that might be wrongly dismissed as an inexperienced home cook’s mistake: faan ziu in Cantonese, tahdig in Farsi, socarrat in Spanish or nurungji in Korean, among many others.

Scrappy home cooks found creative ways to use what was seen as a cooking byproduct and turn it into something delicious. Sometimes a bit of oil was all that was needed to lift the thin, caramelized layer of rice from the bottom of the pot. And just like a warm, crispy bread heel or a juicy chicken oyster from the underside of a roast chicken, it was a treat to be savored by the cook before dinner.

Eventually, these beloved scorched rice variations made their way into restaurants, becoming prized delicacies across different cultures. Each version of the golden, caramelized crispy rice is executed with different techniques, seasonings and toppings. And more often than not, made to be enjoyed with others.

“Paella is a form of giving love, sharing with family and friends,” said chef Edu Torres.

In June, the Spanish Embassy hosted a paella demonstration at Old Fourth Ward restaurant Buena Vida Tapas. The purpose was to share Spanish culture via culinary experts during Atlanta’s World Cup festivities. Spanish chefs Luis Valls, Edu Torres and Ismael Fernández each made their own paella and discussed their cooking processes.

During the demonstration, Torres said through a translator, “A paella doesn’t necessarily need a crispy bottom, or socarrat, but it is prized and people enjoy it.”

Torres first built a flavorful base (called a sofrito) by searing a tomahawk steak in oil, then removed it before adding aromatics and broth. The rice was sprinkled in an even layer among the meat juices and oil, and remained undisturbed until thoroughly cooked, forming a crispy socarrat underneath. The tomahawk was added back on top at the tail end of the cooking process.

Unlike rice pots, paella pans are wide and shallow, enabling an equal balance of seasoned rice, toppings consisting of various proteins, and, of course, more surface area for the socarrat. The striking presentation is not just for show — in seafood paella, whole prawns and chunks of lobster require different cook times, so they are arranged aesthetically on top of the rice after every individual component is perfectly cooked.

🥘 Read more: Other restaurants where you can find some of the best crispy rice dishes in metro Atlanta.

Local menus are currently stacked with sweet and savory tributes to peaches, ranging from heirloom salads and crudos to inventive desserts and cocktails. The harvest’s fleeting nature means the window to catch these seasonal delights is closing, so pull up a seat before the season makes its inevitable exit.

📍 Hamachi tiradito at Tio Lucho’s

A Peruvian take on crudo, this dish features sashimi-thin slices of hamachi paired with fresh peach wedges and charred cherry tomatoes swimming in a bright, milky leche de tigre. The addition of chalaca (an onion, tomato and pepper relish) adds punch, while crunch from popcorn bits and a kick of minty, tarragon-like huacatay leaves complete the plate.

675 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-343-0278, tioluchos.com

📍 Peach pizza at Ecco

Wood-fired heat brings out the sweetness of Georgia peaches on Ecco’s summer pizza. Built on a foundation of smoked mascarpone, the pie balances the fruit’s charred edges with thin folds of salty prosciutto, crisp peppery arugula and a dark balsamic drizzle.

Three locations. ecco-atlanta.com

📍 Salade de peches at Brasserie Margot

Velvety, pull-apart burrata melts into a bed of fresh arugula, offset by the deep sweetness of roasted peaches and caramelized pecans. A drizzle of sharp balsamic vinaigrette ties it all together, delivering a refined, French-bistro take on peak-season comfort flavors. Located in the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta.

75 14th St. NE, Atlanta. 404-253-3840, brasseriemargot.com

🍑 Read more: 7 other local establishments offering peach-inspired dishes, desserts and drinks.

Instant ramen doesn’t have to be served as a soup. Think of the noodles as an ultraquick shortcut ingredient to any noodle bowl you can dream up.

Take this seasonal, spicy noodle bowl made with zucchini and chili crisp, for example. The soft zucchini forms an umami-rich, vegetable-packed sauce for the springy noodles when tossed with chili crisp and ramen seasoning mix.

It’s a far cry from what you’d get following the ramen’s package directions, and still comes together in less than 30 minutes.

💡 Turn pounds of grated zucchini into a saucy noodle topping in about 20 minutes

Cooking zucchini transforms its texture from firm to silky and soft, melting down 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of the vegetable into a more reasonable couple of cups, the perfect amount for four servings of noodles. Instead of slicing and dicing the zucchini, grate it on the large holes of a box grater or the grater attachment of a food processor. Grating the zucchini into small pieces speeds up the cooking time a bit, making it possible to finish the saucy topping in about 20 minutes.

💡 Chili crisp does double duty as both a cooking oil and flavor booster

Most of the flavor in this recipe comes from chili crisp, which does double duty. First, use two tablespoons of the oil (without the solids) to cook the zucchini. Once the zucchini is fully softened, stir in the solids to add more heat and complexity. If you want even more heat, drizzle each bowl of noodles with additional chili crisp before serving.

💡 Use ramen seasoning packets instead of salt for deep umami notes

While you could certainly use salt to season the zucchini, there’s an umami-packed element hiding in the ramen package — the soup seasoning packet. No matter the flavor, these are loaded with ingredients like bouillon that immediately add a depth of flavor to the zucchini. If you’d like this dish to be vegan or vegetarian, make sure to read the label on the ramen package before using; many contain animal or fish ingredients.

Keep in mind that there is usually so much salt in each packet that one of them should be plenty for the entire skillet. Season to taste with additional packets if you’d prefer.

💡 Lime and mint add zippy, bright flavor to ramen noodles

To balance out the heat and richness of the chili crisp, add zippy acidity from lime zest and juice and bright, cooling flavor from fresh mint. Stir the lime zest and juice directly into the zucchini, then serve the noodles with additional wedges at the table. Mint should be generous — a packed quarter cup — and added right before serving to maintain its freshness.

🍜 Get the full recipe for these 30-minute chili crisp zucchini ramen noodles.