catalan gastronomy

Chef Mercè Brunés is invited to China to present Catalan dishes on local media.

The Catalan Chef Santi Santamaria died of a heart attack this February. Last Autumn he gave this video interview in which he depicts his view on cuisine, the importance of local quality products, his own career and the new generation of the Catalan chefs.

Thanks to exports, 2010 was a great year for the Catalan cava industry. The total revenue reached 1,031 million euros, 10.87% more than 2009.

Top chefs such as Ferran Adrià, Carme Ruscalleda and the Roca brothers gave talks at the cuisine and gastronomy congress. The Fòrum Gastronòmic held in Girona is one of the top fairs of its kind in Europe.

The famous Catalan chef Ferran Adria was speaking at the Gastronomic Forum in Girona today. He said he would not be participating in conference for the next three years as he will be concentrating on his own brand new foundation. The Gastronomic Forum is a leading congress on cuisine that brings 30,000 people from all the world together.

Santamaria was at his Singapore restaurant when he died. The actual causes of the death are still unknown, but the family talks about a heart attack. Santamaria was a defender of the Catalan traditional cuisine. He had two restaurants close to Barcelona and one in Madrid, Toledo, Dubai, and Singapore. He was the first Catalan chef to get three Michelin Stars for his main restaurant, ‘El Racó de Can Fabes’.

According to the President of the Associació Territori del Sénia, the olive oil has a smooth and balanced flavour. 12,000 bottles of olive oil were produced this harvest. They will be sold in speciality stores.

The World Cheese Awards, one of the most important awards in the world, recognised 9 Catalan cheeses, almost double the amount from last year. These are the most important awards in the cheese-making sector. They confirm the growth of Catalan cheese’s international projection.

Thanks to a new generation of creative professionals, the confectionery sector in Catalonia has experienced a boom despite the economic crisis. Chocolate makers are particularly recognised internationally, with upfront names such as Oriol Balaguer and Enric Rovira.

The prestigious red guide will add three Barcelona restaurant hotels to its 2011 edition. Paco Pérez’s Miramar Restaurant was awarded its 2nd Michelin star. The 4 3-star restaurants keep all their stars.

Every kilo of truffles will cost the consumer around 400 euros. There are 350 hectares in Catalonia where one can find this delicacy

For chef 7 Michelin-star, Santi Santamaria, with 2 restaurants in Catalonia, 1 in Dubai and 1 in Singapur, tapas are for tourists. “We prefer more to deeply experience dishes”, he states.

People who love this particular nutty liqueur had an opportunity to go to one of the main tasting fairs in Santa Coloma de Farners (La Selva County). In December, Ratafia fans will have another chance at the Besalú (Garrotxa County) fair.

The passion for mushrooms among Catalans contributes to economic dynamism in pre-Pyrenees counties such as Berguedà, Bages and Ripollès. Many fairs and festivals are held, as well as especial dishes at the restaurants. Catalonia is one the world’s corners that is more into mushrooms degustation but also search.

The Salone de Gusto Food Expo begins today in Turin, Italy. The expo will offer Catalan wine tasting paired with cold cut meats and cheeses.