Catalonia - Art and Culture 2018

Gastronomy and oenology A country to be savoured The place where the simple and delicious tomato-rubbed bread was born is also the cradle of the most sophisticated and innovative cuisines. To explore its geography is to discover a world of flavours.

Food and drink in Catalonia

The objective: a Catalan cuisine that respects its roots and is innovative. Restaurants with Michelin stars, hotels, and collectives watch over it.

© Albert beltran. GZ

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atalan cuisine is influenced by its lands, history, and culture. Trying and enjoying the products of a country brings us closer to its tra-

fruit, exquisite vegetables, top-quality meats, and drinking water that deserve in- ternational recognition. In addition to all of these products, there is a real tradition of Catalan cuisine , with remarkable leading products already famous in mediaeval times. In the final years of the 20th century, the Catalan chefs gave added value to the raw ingredients and achieved recognition around the planet. The Roca brothers, Fer- ran Adrià, and Carme Ruscalleda are high- ly-regarded names in the universe of haute cuisine . The wines deserve their own chapter, as Catalonia started out as an international supplier of wines in Roman times. Today, Priorat wine is served in the best glasses on the planet and following the example of the pioneers, the Catalan producers have wagered on the quality and promotion of their products.

From the Pyrenees to the Delta de l’Ebre, and from the Costa Brava and Barcelona to the west- ern lands, Catalan cuisine is cared for and highly valued. The Marca Cuina Catalana (MCC) project arose to guarantee the continuity of the cuisine and in 2006 published the Corpus de la Cuina Catalana , which includes more than 1,000 reci- pes, many made with local and seasonal goods. The establishments of the Cuina Catalana Brand incorporate products regulated by specific dis- tinctions (Designation of Origin, Protected Geo- graphic Indication, Guaranteed Gastronomic Speciality, etc.). The different Catalan cuisine groups also act as protectors of the roots of their gastronomy, thanks to the constant work of the restauranteers, who are active agents of this heritage. There are now around twenty groups that represent the va- riety of culinary styles around the whole country. They organise events to promote local ingredi- ents, with rice from the Delta de l’Ebre, truffles, beans from Collsacabra, and pork as the main bases, and wager on the recovery and protection

of the local product and innovation. The Slow Food group, which was founded to find a remedy for the problems derived from ‘fast food’, aims to promote the philosophy of eating seasonal and local products. Over 45 gastronomic hotels in Catalonia also promote an authentic, traditional, and creative Catalan gastronomy. Fifty-five restaurants in Catalonia have a total of 65 Michelin stars, a good sign of the course Catalan cuisine has taken in recent decades.

Carme ruscalleda, chef of the sant Pau restaurant, and her son, also chef, RAÜL balam.

ditions and customs. Experiencing Catalo- nia means diving in the sea, discovering the villages and countryside, interacting with nature, and more. From north to south and from east to west, Catalonia is a coun- try to be savoured. The diversity of Catalonia’s landscapes results in the availability of a wide variety of ingredients: excellent fish and shellfish,

ingredients for making TOMATO-RUBBED BREAD.

Rice paddies on the delta de l’ebre.

© Pere Pons

© Oriol Llauradó