Catalan cuisine asserts itself as a global reference in gastronomy

Millenary recipes, local products, and experimentation. These are some of the ingredients that make Catalan cuisine one of the best in the world, as certified by its 77 Michelin stars and the fact that three of its restaurants have been considered among the best in the world ---El Bulli, El Celler de Can Roca, and Disfrutar---, figures that endorse the quality of this gastronomy. Furthermore, Catalonia has been chosen as World Region of Gastronomy for the year 2025, becoming the first European region to receive this distinction. "The fusion of tradition and innovation means that Catalan gastronomy is currently experiencing the best moment in its entire history," considers the director of the Catalan Tourism Agency, Arantxa Calvera.

"As Catalans, we lack a bit of self-esteem because we are not aware of the richness of our cuisine and our restaurateurs," laments the president of the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition, Carles Vilarrubí. He trusts that the distinction as World Region of Gastronomy will become "an opportunity to project our history and our gastronomy, which are an intrinsic part of our identity."

The international jury of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT), which granted this recognition to Catalan cuisine, valued the quality of the raw materials, as well as the dedication and passion of its restaurateurs. To celebrate this distinction, the Government, with the collaboration of the three promoting partners ---El Bulli Foundation, Fundació Alícia, and the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition--- will deploy more than fifty initiatives throughout this year. With an initial budget of 15 million euros, the objective is to disseminate Catalan agri-food heritage both within the territory and internationally.

Among the battery of actions, encounters with international experts and chefs, educational programs to promote healthy habits, or the creation of fiction series about Catalan cuisine are included. In addition, through the initiative 12 months - 12 gastronomic landscapes, the richness of Catalan ingredients and landscapes will be highlighted. In January, for example, calçots and nuts were the protagonists, and this February the focus is on traditional cured meats. "We have a great diversity of country; in very few square kilometers we have sea, delta, dry land, orchards, fruit trees, mountains… Without this own product, there is no own and quality cuisine," expresses Vilarrubí.

"In addition to these exceptional zero-kilometer ingredients, we also have revolutionary restaurateurs, who transformed not only Catalan cuisine but also many cuisines around the world, introducing the tasting menu, spherification, or low-temperature cooking," emphasizes Calvera. The director of the Catalan Tourist Board believes that one of the characteristics that make Catalan gastronomy live the best moment in its history is the fact that there is generational succession and transmission of knowledge among restaurateurs, and that "the new generation of young chefs still revolutionize cuisine, betting on tradition but with constant experimentation."

An example of this new generation of restaurateurs is Marta Minoves, best young chef in Europe at the Young Chef Award 2024 for her interpretation of grandma Marta's "patatas enmascaradas", an innovative recipe, but with respect for tradition and its roots. "Patatas enmascaradas are part of the Catalan recipe book, although it is an increasingly less known dish; I wanted to pay homage to my territory, Berguedà, as well as to the farmers and producers of the area," says Minoves.

During the celebration of the World Region of Gastronomy, new infrastructures will also be created to disseminate the characteristics of enogastronomy, such as l'Espai Vi - Centre d'Interpretació Enogastronòmica de Falset or the Espai Cuina i Mar in l'Ametlla de Mar, a center for the dissemination of fish and seafood-based cuisine. In addition, 2025 will also be the year of the launch of Canal Aliments, a digital platform to publicize the work of the Catalan agri-food sectors.

The purpose of these actions is to disseminate the differentiating features of Catalan cuisine but also to achieve, in Calvera's words, that "Catalonia is considered a reference destination and enogastronomy is an added value when traveling to our territory." For this reason, an intense communication campaign and the international tour Som Gastronomia World Tour will be deployed to present Catalan cuisine in international markets with the help of 30 renowned ambassadors such as chefs or producers. The tour will focus on those regions and countries that can attract potential visitors, as it is a type of tourism that "generates 20% more spending than the conventional traveler, and can also travel out of season," explains the director of the Catalan Tourism Agency.

This dissemination campaign already began in Madrid within the framework of the international tourism fair Fitur, and will stop this year in San Sebastián, Vigo, Valencia, Seville, but also in China, Japan, Mexico, Germany or the United Kingdom. This tour will not only disseminate gastronomy but also the attributes of Catalan wines, as more than 400 of the 920 wineries in Catalonia have already opened to tourism.

From the Government, they trust that these fifty initiatives to celebrate the distinction of World Region of Gastronomy this 2025 will achieve "the international recognition of a reality that no one denies, and that is that Catalan cuisine is a world reference," expresses Vilarrubí, who adds that "in turbulent times, gastronomy is a point of dialogue and an extraordinary transversal element." "We are a very powerful territory, with exceptional gastronomic, cultural and landscape richness, we have all the ingredients to place our cuisine in a prominent place throughout the world. We must foster this pride, support local producers and continue transmitting our legacy to new generations," concludes Minoves.