14-10-2019
Some of the speakers at Gastronomika, the cooking congress in San Sebastian. In the photo, left to right, standing, there’s Joan Roca, Roser Torras, Josean Alija, Eneko Atxa, Elena Arzak, Andoni, Martin Berasategui, Hilario Arbelaitz and Pedro Subijana. Sitting, Juan Mari Arzak and Carme Ruscalleda
Luca Iaccarino collaborated to the editing of this article
The 10th edition of Gastronomika ended a couple of days ago. In 2009 the congress took the helm from Lo Mejor de La Gastronomia, the first roof in the world to give shelter to chefs and ideas on cooking, back in 1999. Judging by the audience this year at the Kursaal, the room being often crowded, the format is not affected by the tiredness that many have been showing for a long time. Of course, you must have some ideas, and this year the theme chosen by the curators of Gastronomika, Roser Torres and Xavier Agullo, was a success: they celebrated Juan Sebastian Elcano, the Basque who five centuries ago was the first to circumnavigate the world. The story started from Getaria, the village which, since then, has been devoted to parrilla (see below) and touched many countries where the explorer arrived in his roaming. The talks covered candomblé influences, Indonesian techniques, zero waste Filipino-style, animals roasted in one-piece, Chilean alchemies… With many speakers less known to the larger public, which is always enjoyable. Then there was the usual committee of Basque chefs, a smiling group that always shows a unique unison (by the way, there was no sign of Italy in San Sebastian). Of course, Spain is awaiting a very hot phase: political elections are scheduled on the 10th November, and before then there’s the sentence for the people responsible for the independence revolts in Catalunya, a severe sentence could lead to the region exploding once again. But at the Kursaal they talked about cooking, even pop cuisine («Viva la Hosteleria», Joan Roca cheered at one point from the stage). Here’s a summary of the most significant moments. DANI GARCIA. The speech of Dani Garcia, soon to close his restaurant, despite the 3 Michelin stars received on the 21st November 2018, was much awaited. «There’s no such thing as a life without goals», he pointed out, «Hence the 22nd October 2019 [in fact it will be on the 16th of November] will be our last day of service». This was followed by a melodramatic video with the chefs and his collaborators in tears. Then, the coup de theatre: «Once you get into the wheel of the Michelin guide, the pressure keeps on growing; fine dining speaks to few people. Fine dining is just a grain of sand in the kitchen: next year – he announces without giving details – we’re opening 8/10 restaurants seating 300/400 people each, so as to have many clients (and develop a big business, one can expect). This is surely my last speech at a fine dining congress, and I wanted to give it at Gastronomika because it gave me everything». Cheers from the crowds. The curtain falls. And off towards thousands of guests.
Dani Garcia
Carme Ruscalleda
Joan Roca
Leonor Espinosa
Eneko Atxa, Josean Alija, Elena Arzak
The Kursaal, the historic location of the congress
Torrija caramellata in the ancient way, with café con leche ice cream from Pablo Loureiro, Casa Urola
RUSCALLEDA 2. In the evening, we all went to the Basque Culinary Center for the tribute dinner to the female chef worth 7 Michelin stars. Jordi Cruz, Angel León, Elena Arzak, Pedro Subijana, Joan Roca, Eneko Atxa and Martin Berasategui worked in turns. The dish of the night was the sea bacon (made from scraps of fish) from Angel León. The chef del mar later opened his talk with a revelation: ocean sugar (we have fun times ahead). At the end of the dinner, the director of the BCC Joxe Mari Aizega was rejoicing: «It was the most incredible dinner I’ve ever been to». DINING ROOM. Josep Roca awarded Denis Courtiade, director at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, with the golden gueridòn for best maître. The reason given by the dining room master of Celler de Can Roca was: «Denis managed to transform luxury into comfort, an example that our world needs very much» INDONESIA. Of all the international talks, the one from Canadian Kevin Cherkas, for 7 years now in Bali, left an impression. «I work in the most magical of the 13,807 islands of Indonesia», he explained convincingly to the crowds in the Auditorium. «At first», the chef from Cuca recalls, «I cooked western food for Asian palates. They hated it, it was a disaster. So I decided to change, to take the challenge of Indonesian food. But adding a deeper thought that would give a significant soul «to ingredients that everyone in the world considers as boring and cheap». Discussions on chilli pepper, papaya and a spice called kluwekfollow, 3 ingredients he has turned upside down and made sexy. WEATHER. Aside from climate change, in the last 7 editions of Gastronomika, we rarely found such a lovely weather: sun, 23°C, Atlantic breeze. What better conditions to enjoy some pintxos (the local tapas)? Our Nobel prize among the bars on Fermin Calbeton Kalea goes to the double foie gras from Bar Sport (two layers, 3.70 euros) and to Torrija caramellata from Casa Urola, a French toast with no egg, with café con leche ice cream.
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
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born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt