Catalonia claims its gastronomy as the best in the world

Grams of creativity, grams of innovation, grams of tradition, grams of talent... All these ingredients have been simmering over the years until we can proudly state that Catalonia has one of the best cuisines in the world.

Yesterday, the Palau de la Música Catalana hosted the presentation of the campaign Catalonia, the best cuisine in the world, an initiative promoted by the Catalan Tourist Board and the Generalitat de Catalunya, as part of the events of Catalonia World Region of Gastronomy. The campaign, which seeks to project Catalan cuisine internationally, but with a special focus on the local public, celebrates the recognition of Catalonia as the best gastronomic region on the planet.

Bonart was present at the event, as this area is part of one of its editorial lines this year, which will culminate this summer with the publication of the monograph Food Cultura , dedicated to vindicating food as a creative and cultural tool, highlighting its social, symbolic and aesthetic impact and revaluing the relationship between art, food and culture. The event brought together the big names of Catalan cuisine —with and without a Michelin star—, as well as prominent figures in the gastronomic sector, to highlight the excellent moment that Catalan gastronomy is experiencing, especially from a cultural perspective. Journalist Agnès Marquès hosted the event, which began with the words of Joaquim Uriach , president of the Palau de la Música, who vindicated the importance of the connection between roots and creativity. Uriach highlighted how this relationship is very present both in the modernist graphics of the interior of the Palace and in the essence of Catalan cuisine, understood as a living cultural heritage.

Then, Arantxa Calvera , director of the Catalan Tourist Board; Olga Cid , from the Women Rice Farmers' Cooperative of the Delta de l'Ebre; and Elisabet Farrero , chef and owner of the restaurant El Ventador in Barruera, spoke. All of them stressed the value of Catalan cuisine and the importance of focusing on the primary sector, claiming nature as the origin of the products and highlighting the work of oenologists, head waiters and chefs. A global vision where gastronomy is presented as a fundamental cultural vector.

During the event, the Catalonia, the best cuisine in the world campaign was presented, which captures the intangible dimension of gastronomy: the emotion of harvesting food, the aromas that escape during cooking, the pleasure of sharing a dish at the table, the creativity of avant-garde cuisine and the memory of traditional cuisine. Also participating on stage were prominent figures such as Nandu Jubany , chef of the Can Jubany restaurant; Cristina Caparrós , shipowner; Christian Betoret , sommelier of Mas de la Sala; and Mercè Sumarroca , director of Public Relations and Enogastronomy of Sumarroca. They emphasized the emotional nature of the campaign, the connection with the territory through grandmothers, and the central role of wine as an element that unites people, landscape and identity. Fishing, understood as cultural heritage to be protected, was also vindicated. Nandu Jubany highlighted the need to continue working to believe in the campaign slogan, and reaffirm that Catalonia has reached a gastronomic level that places it among the best cuisines in the world.

One of the highlights of the day came with the arrival on stage of the great names of Catalan cuisine: Ferran Adrià , Carme Ruscalleda , Carles Gaig , Joan Roca , Eduard Xatruch , Mateu Casañas , Oriol Castro , Sergio Torres , Javier Torres , Paolo Casagrande and Fina Puigdevall . Joan Roca highlighted that Catalan cuisine is at its best and encouraged the emergence of emerging talent. For his part, Carles Gaig emphasized the need to continue innovating from the basis of tradition, taking advantage of the territory as a “pantry” of extraordinary products. The chefs of Disfrutar , in turn, highlighted the importance of the spirit of teamwork. Paco Pérez , another key figure in Catalan gastronomy with international projection, was also present.

The event served to remember the figure of Paco Soler Perallada , who recently passed away and was a reference in Catalan cuisine from the restaurant 7 Portes . Carme Ruscalleda defined him as a "sage of the kitchen and a great person". The closing was given by the honorable president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Salvador Illa , who highlighted the good times of the Catalan gastronomic sector and put it as an example of creativity and excellence for other areas of the country.