Latest news with #FerranAdrià
Korea Herald
01-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Around one hundred Michelin-starred chefs and traditional cuisine chefs vindicate Catalonia as the region with the best gastronomy in the world
BARCELONA, Spain, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferran Adrià, the Roca brothers, Carme Ruscalleda, Nandu Jubany, Cocina Hermanos Torres... This is the first time that all the representatives of Catalan cuisine have been portrayed together with a common goal: to make Catalonia known as home to the best gastronomy in the world. A campaign was launched to vindicate Catalonia's global leadership in the gastronomic world at an event held at the emblematic Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, with more than one hundred chefs present, including those awarded Michelin stars and those producing traditional cuisine, as well as other prominent professionals in the sector – maitre Ds, sommeliers, producers, farmers, fishermen, winegrowers and restaurateurs. What began 30 years ago with the elBulli revolution, and chefs such as Carme Ruscalleda and Joan Roca, has now peaked: the region has one of the most internationally recognised cuisines, with 62 restaurants totalling 77 Michelin stars and three establishments ranked among the best in the world, according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants (Disfrutar, El Celler de Can Roca and elBulli). In addition, Catalan Albert Adrià was recognised as the second-best chef in the world in 2024, according to The Best Chef Awards. Catalonia also stands out as an agri-food powerhouse with 12 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), 13 Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) and 12 Designations of Origin (DO) for wines. This global success is not only the result of a consolidated culinary tradition, but also of its strong link with the agri-food sector: an ecosystem that generates 20% of the GDP of the Catalan region and is driven by more than 573,500 professionals. The sector also invests over 85.7 million euros in R&D annually, positioning Catalonia as a reference point in agri-food and culinary innovation. Consolidating Catalonia as a food and wine destination Located in Spain, Catalonia is among the main tourist regions in the world, with visitors travelling to the region throughout the year and showing a great interest in the food and wine. This tourist profile spends 20% more on average than the conventional tourist. In this context, and with more than 500 food and wine experiences active throughout the territory, Catalonia wants to consolidate its leadership as a preeminent culinary destination in Europe and the world, and to attract new visitors by linking culinary culture to the productive economy and international appeal. With the slogan "Catalonia, the best gastronomy in the world," the campaign launched by the Catalan Tourism Agency (Generalitat de Catalunya), it projects Catalan cuisine as an engine of economic development, territorial cohesion and tourist appeal, within the framework of the distinction "Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy 2025." In fact, it was the first European region to receive this distinction from the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). There have been 140 actual protagonists from the gastronomic world participating in the centrepiece of the campaign ad, shot in seven representative locations of the Catalan region: the city of Barcelona, Peratallada and l'Escala (Costa Brava), Valls (Costa Dorada), the muscle farms of the Ebro Delta, the city of Lleida, La Vall de Boí (Pyrenees) and Penedès (Barcelona Landscapes).
Cision Canada
01-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Around one hundred Michelin-starred chefs and traditional cuisine chefs vindicate Catalonia as the region with the best gastronomy in the world
With 62 Michelin-starred restaurants and three establishments ranked among the best in the world, Catalonia aims to reinforce its leadership as a preeminent culinary destination in Europe and the world BARCELONA, Spain, July 1, 2025 /CNW/ -- Ferran Adrià, the Roca brothers, Carme Ruscalleda, Nandu Jubany, Cocina Hermanos Torres... This is the first time that all the representatives of Catalan cuisine have been portrayed together with a common goal: to make Catalonia known as home to the best gastronomy in the world. A campaign was launched to vindicate Catalonia's global leadership in the gastronomic world at an event held at the emblematic Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, with more than one hundred chefs present, including those awarded Michelin stars and those producing traditional cuisine, as well as other prominent professionals in the sector – maitre Ds, sommeliers, producers, farmers, fishermen, winegrowers and restaurateurs. What began 30 years ago with the elBulli revolution, and chefs such as Carme Ruscalleda and Joan Roca, has now peaked: the region has one of the most internationally recognised cuisines, with 62 restaurants totalling 77 Michelin stars and three establishments ranked among the best in the world, according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants (Disfrutar, El Celler de Can Roca and elBulli). In addition, Catalan Albert Adrià was recognised as the second-best chef in the world in 2024, according to The Best Chef Awards. Catalonia also stands out as an agri-food powerhouse with 12 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), 13 Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) and 12 Designations of Origin (DO) for wines. This global success is not only the result of a consolidated culinary tradition, but also of its strong link with the agri-food sector: an ecosystem that generates 20% of the GDP of the Catalan region and is driven by more than 573,500 professionals. The sector also invests over 85.7 million euros in R&D annually, positioning Catalonia as a reference point in agri-food and culinary innovation. Consolidating Catalonia as a food and wine destination Located in Spain, Catalonia is among the main tourist regions in the world, with visitors travelling to the region throughout the year and showing a great interest in the food and wine. This tourist profile spends 20% more on average than the conventional tourist. In this context, and with more than 500 food and wine experiences active throughout the territory, Catalonia wants to consolidate its leadership as a preeminent culinary destination in Europe and the world, and to attract new visitors by linking culinary culture to the productive economy and international appeal. With the slogan "Catalonia, the best gastronomy in the world," the campaign launched by the Catalan Tourism Agency (Generalitat de Catalunya), it projects Catalan cuisine as an engine of economic development, territorial cohesion and tourist appeal, within the framework of the distinction "Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy 2025." In fact, it was the first European region to receive this distinction from the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). There have been 140 actual protagonists from the gastronomic world participating in the centrepiece of the campaign ad, shot in seven representative locations of the Catalan region: the city of Barcelona, Peratallada and l'Escala (Costa Brava), Valls (Costa Dorada), the muscle farms of the Ebro Delta, the city of Lleida, La Vall de Boí (Pyrenees) and Penedès (Barcelona Landscapes).
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘My grandmother never used yuzu': global gastronomy is out as Catalan chefs celebrate tradition
They revolutionised cooking worldwide with radical techniques and a highly technical cuisine of playful trompe l'oeil – but now many disciples of Catalonia's iconoclastic chef Ferran Adrià believe it's time to get back to their roots. Catalonia has been named World Region of Gastronomy 2025 by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism and later this month 60 Michelin-starred chefs will launch a campaign to position Catalonia as a unique and exceptional gastronomic destination. While not rejecting the techniques of so-called molecular gastronomy introduced by Adrià at his restaurant El Bulli, with its foams, spherification and liquid nitrogen, the emphasis will be on local produce and the region's gastronomic culture. El Bulli closed in 2011. 'Copying El Bulli is over. Now it's become a huge repertoire of techniques that each person can apply to their cooking,' said Jordi Artal, chef at the two-starred Cinc Sentits in Barcelona. 'I wouldn't say there's a backlash; it's part of the natural ebb and flow. We use modern techniques but in ways that hark back to Catalan gastronomic history. That's the ideal.' Artal said there had always been a schism between those who believe you should only cook what's in season and Adrià saying: 'I'm an artist, find me the world's best cherry in January so I can make my dish.' Carme Ruscalleda said: 'The concept may have changed but my cooking has always been based in the Mediterranean and its produce.' The chef was speaking in her home town of Sant Pol de Mar, next door to the restaurant where she won the first of seven Michelin stars. 'We must embrace new ideas without losing sight of who we are. Catalan cuisine has Roman and Greek and medieval roots. We make many dishes that are basically medieval but with modern techniques.' This year chefs such as the Roca brothers in Girona and Jordi Vilà in Barcelona have opened – running alongside their flagship restaurants – more modest establishments where they offer more traditional dishes. 'We are taking a broad but not a simplified view of Catalan cuisine,' said Joan Roca about Fontané, the brothers' latest venture, where prices are well below those of El Celler de Can Roca, twice voted the best restaurant in the world. Vilà, chef at one-starred Alkimia and the more homespun Al Kostat del Mar, said: 'Joan Roca and Carme Ruscalleda have always cooked Catalan food but what happened was that what became important was what we call cocina vanguardista [avant-garde cuisine], when what really matters is to use local produce and express yourself in your cooking. 'Many young chefs don't aspire to be Joan Roca or Ferran Adrià but want to cook the dishes their mothers or grandmothers made.' Tradition doesn't always come cheap, however. The tasting menus at high-end restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca cost upwards of €200 (£170), without wine. Oriol Castro, one of three chefs – all ex-El Bulli – behind Disfrutar, voted best restaurant in the world last year, said no one expected people to pay those sorts of prices for basic Catalan dishes. 'In Disfrutar we offer many dishes based on traditional recipes, with new techniques but traditional flavours, such as a suquet de peix [fish and potato stew] or mar i muntanya [seafood and rabbit or chicken casserole],' said Castro, who insists there is no backlash against the El Bulli school of cooking. 'People come here to eat modern, creative versions of traditional dishes. What's important is the combination of creativity and tradition. There isn't a war. All of us want to preserve this tradition.' Artal said that while he was no purist, in keeping with his principles there were only Catalan and Spanish wines on his wine list. 'I can't explain to a customer that a dish was inspired by my great-grandmother and that we're using locally sourced ingredients and then serve a wine from Bordeaux,' he said. 'I love yuzu but there's no yuzu on the menu because I couldn't say my grandmother used yuzu.' Everyday Catalan cuisine may be in good health outside Barcelona but in the capital it's far easier to find ramen, sushi, hamburgers or pizza than traditional fare. 'I'm not against ramen or hamburgers, I'm against globalization,' said Vilà, who has published a humorous 'self-defence manual' for Catalan cooking. 'Here there are 50 ramen places and none that serve escudella,' a traditional Catalan stew containing pasta or noodles. Ruscalleda said: 'Young people are attracted to the new, so they order sushi or ceviche but they don't know about their own culture.' She shares the view that the biggest threat to traditional cuisine everywhere is that people have stopped cooking at home. In the meantime, it seems it is up to the culinary elite to maintain tradition, a paradox that Vilà accepts. 'We're in a transition because the grandmothers of the future don't want to stay at home cooking, they want to be out in the world,' he said. 'Obviously, a top chef is no substitute for a grandmother, but it's up to us keep the tradition alive.'
Condé Nast Traveler
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
elBulli1846 — Museum Review
Zoom out. What's this place all about? If you missed elBulli the first-time round—when over a million reservation requests a year competed for just 8,000 dining spots—here's its second serving. elBulli1846 is the museum dedicated to the restaurant crowned the world's best five times, before the ovens were switched off for good in 2011. The key ingredient in its success? Boundary-breaking chef Ferran Adrià, who, alongside brother Albert, used culinary alchemy as a palette cleanser from French Nouvelle Cuisine. Adrià pioneered molecular gastronomy—though he prefers the term 'techno-emotional cuisine'—and popularized the supersized tasting menu, whereby dishes became concepts and meals became multi-hour epics. (Case in point, the '1846' in the museum's name refers to the total number of recipes invented in elBulli's kitchen-lab). Today, the former restaurant building serves up food for thought: audio-visual installations deconstruct its backstory, before deeper questions are posed—where does cooking come from, and why do we eat the way we do? If Adrià is, as The New York Times once wrote, 'the Picasso of food,' then elBulli1846 is his culinary art gallery. A museum's permanent collection is its defining feature: How was this one? Sixty-nine exhibits trace the surprising evolution of elBulli—from a 1960s beachside shack named after a pair of bulldogs to a three-Michelin-starred powerhouse with its own publishing house. The kitchen is the natural highlight: A big screen plays archive footage of Adrià choreographing his cooks, while once-revolutionary tools, such as freeze-dryers, are displayed like surgical equipment. In the dining areas, which appear frozen in time as if in service, look for table 25; it was the most asked-for spot (once you see the ocean views, you'll get why). Beyond progressive culinary techniques, another revelation is the almost scientific precision to elBulli's operations—a tantalising insight into how a fine-dining experience was engineered from the inside out. Exhibits keep us coming back. What can we expect? Sixty-nine exhibits trace the surprising evolution of elBulli—from a 1960s beachside shack named after a pair of bulldogs to a three-Michelin-starred powerhouse with its own publishing house. The kitchen is the natural highlight: a big screen plays archive footage of Adrià choreographing his cooks as they bring a recipe to life, while once-revolutionary tools, such as freeze-dryers, are displayed like surgical equipment. In the dining areas, which appear frozen in time as if in service, look for table 25—it was the most asked-for spot (once you see the ocean views, you'll get why). Beyond progressive culinary techniques, another revelation is the almost scientific precision to elBulli's operations—a tantalising insight into how a fine-dining experience was engineered from the inside out. What did you make of the crowd? Gourmands geeking out; coming here really is a pilgrimage for those in the restaurant sector. Though the installations are inspiring whether you're a passionate home-cook, love fine dining, or are intrigued by the systems that make ground-breaking projects happen. On the practical tip, how were the facilities? The indoor-outdoor space is well engineered with wide paths and ramps. There's also a wheelchair available to borrow, plus lockers. Any guided tours worth trying? An audio guide can be downloaded to your smartphone (bring headphones), while in-person guided tours in English, which last for 2.5 hours, can be pre-booked in advance. It's obvious that elBulli1846 is a real passion project for staff, whose enthusiasm, knowledge and hospitality live up to that three-Michelin-star hype. Gift shop: obligatory, inspiring—or skip it? The shop runs heavy on reading material, most of which crosses that glorious intersection of beautifully aesthetic coffee-table books that you can actually sit down and read. There's also a quirky-but-nerdy selection of branded items, from postcards of iconic dishes annotated with the various elements, or a notebook with a flowchart of Adrià's creative process on the cover. You need none of it, but you'll want everything. Is the café worth a stop? Devastating but true: There's no café. Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged? Top-line advice? Don't turn up hungry. Over two hours, you'll work your way through an academic tasting menu of food-as-art—without a morsel of the edible exhibits you were hoping for. While the visit won't satiate the regret of never having eaten at elBulli, it still offers a moreish experience. Fabulously curated, warmly hosted, and set beside a beach, it's a day trip worth savoring—just not on an empty stomach.
CNN
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
14 Spanish dishes everyone should try – from churros to jamón
(CNN) – It's fair to say Spain was late to the table when it came to recognizing the global superpowers of food. While Italy and France have spent years in the limelight, Spain was biding its time. In recent years, however, people have come to celebrate the extraordinary flavors and variety of produce the cuisine has to offer. High-profile chefs such as Ferran Adrià, mastermind of the now-closed El Bulli restaurant, and the Roca brothers, founders of the El Celler de Can Roca, have brought Spain's alta cocina international acclaim. And in 2023, Spain had more restaurants on the World's 50 Best list than any other country. But the heart of Spanish cooking remains its rustic, homespun nature, a legacy of a time when hard-pressed Spaniards had to work the land for everything it would offer. These 14 dishes – from seafood and meat to rice and pastries – are essential to sample when you travel to Spain. Paella is perhaps the most famous Spanish dish of all, and certainly one of the most abused. Authentic paella originates from the region around Valencia, and comes in two varieties: Paella Valenciana, with rabbit and chicken; and seafood paella. Saffron gives the rice its color, and the base should be left to crisp into a mouth-watering black crust, called the socarrat. Spaniards only eat it at lunchtime. A staple among the small dishes that make up a classic tapas menu, patatas bravas – 'brave potatoes' – is named for its spicy sauce, rare in a land that generally shuns fiery food. The potatoes are cubed and shallow fried and served the same everywhere. The sauce can come in any number of ways, from spicy ketchup to garlic mayonnaise with a dusting of pimiento (smoked paprika), or both. One theory holds that the dirtier the bar, the better the bravas. This tomato-based Andalusian soup is most famous for being served cold. This can be quite a shock for those who aren't expecting it, but in the searing heat of a Seville summer, the attraction becomes clear. Its principal ingredients, aside from tomato, are peppers, garlic, bread and lots of olive oil. A common dish on tapas menus, pimientos de Padrón are green peppers that hail originally from the town of that name in Galicia, in Spain's lush, rainy northwest. Pimientos de Padrón are fried in olive oil and served with a deep sprinkling of salt. Though generally sweet and mild, their fame stems from the fact that the occasional pepper will be fiery hot – lending a Russian roulette element of surprise to eating them. Less well known to tourists, fideuà is a type of Spanish pasta similar to vermicelli. It's popular in Catalonia and Valencia in seafood dishes that rival paella for their taste and intricacy. Fideuà is typically cooked in a paella dish. Jamón, or cured ham, is the most celebrated Spanish food product. Legs of ham were traditionally salted and hung up to dry to preserve them through the long winter months. Jamón Serrano (of the mountain) is the most common kind and comes from white pigs; the more expensive Jamón Iberico (pictured) comes from black pigs. The best ham should be enjoyed in thin, melt-in-your-mouth slices on its own, with a little bread. 'Jamón is the staple of the Spanish table,' says chef José Pizarro, the brains behind José Tapas Bar, Pizarro and José Pizarro restaurants in London and a handful of other eateries. 'We eat it before we eat; its salty, acorn-laden taste is the perfect accompaniment to sherry and Cava, and it gets your juices flowing for the meal that is yet to come. 'It's brilliantly good value and a leg can last ages as long as you cover and store it properly. Look for 'waxy' fat: when you rub it, it should melt into your skin like candle wax.' The humble Spanish omelet can be made with chorizo, peppers and onions, among other ingredients, but purists will tell you it should only contain potatoes and eggs. The potatoes are diced and lightly fried before being added to the egg mixture and fried on a high heat; the trickiest part is when you have to flip the pan over to turn the tortilla. If you get it right, someone should shout 'Olé!' Get it wrong and you'll have gooey half-cooked tortilla everywhere. Churros are a popular snack made from fried dough, cut into sausage shapes and doused in sugar. They're a favorite at fiestas, or street parties, when they're sold by roadside vendors. Dipping them in hot melted chocolate is pretty much the law. Another typical item on a tapas menu, croquetas are tubes of bechamel sauce encased in fried breadcrumbs, but a lot more tasty than that sounds. Jamón croquetas and salt cod croquetas are common varieties. They're tricky to make and are perhaps best enjoyed at a tapas bar, along with a cold beer. A classic tapas item, albondigas, or meatballs in tomato sauce, are served all over Spain. A tasty variation serves up the meatballs drizzled in an almond sauce, minus the tomatoes. A legendary dish spoken of in almost hushed tones by Spaniards, migas is a good example of how much of Spain's cuisine has evolved from peasant food. It's essentially dry breadcrumbs torn up and fried in a variety of combinations – often served with chorizo or bacon. Migas, handed down from agricultural laborers who had to be thrifty with their ingredients, is comfort food supreme – and in recent times has found its way onto fancy restaurant menus. A prized dish in Spain, bacalao, or salted cod, was brought back for hundreds of years by Spanish fisherman from as far afield as Norway and Newfoundland. The fish is not found in local waters, and it was salted to preserve it on the journey. It has to be left to soak in water for at least 24 hours to remove all but the slightest tang of salt. Bacalao is served in all manner of dishes; one of the most popular is with pil-pil sauce, made of olive oil, garlic and the juice of the fish, and typical in the Basque Country. A favorite of the northwestern Asturias region and based around the white fabe bean, fabada is a one-pot feast usually served with a mixture of pork meats. Chorizo, pork belly and bacon are common accompaniments, as is morcilla, Spanish blood sausage, which tastes far better than it should. Think it's impossible to fry milk? Think again. Leche frita, or fried milk, is a popular dessert made by whipping up milk, egg yolks and flour. This is left to chill and solidify, before being coated in breadcrumbs and fried. It can be served hot or cold.
