It might be a passing fad, but Iberian gastronomy has taken over the roles of "Flamenco" and "bullfights" as ambassadors of Spain's image outside its borders. Because, beyond the usual "clichés," what Spain is selling today around the world is an image of "modernity."
The Spanish Gastronomy Today
The father of the "new cuisine" Spanish gastronomic trend of the late 20th and early 21st centuries is undoubtedly the Basque Juan Mari Arzak; his restaurant Arzak in San Sebastián has been among the top 10 restaurants in the world for several years. It could be compared to Bocuse or TroisGros.
The one who no longer cooks, Ferran Adrià, is the driving force of Spanish gastronomy. From his generation, another Catalan, Joan Roca of Can Roca restaurant in Girona (currently considered the second-best restaurant in the world), is also an iconic figure. He has developed several techniques that are now widely used worldwide, such as the creation of the Roner device, which allows cooking at a consistent temperature. Among the great chefs, there’s also another Catalan, Carme Ruscalleda; the Basque Pedro Subijana; the late Catalan Santi Santamaría (1957-2011); and the self-proclaimed king of traditional anti-molecular cuisine.
The "young" Basque Andoni Luis Aduriz is considered the future Ferran Adrià; his restaurant Mugaritz in Errenteria (Guipuzcoa) was named the third-best restaurant in the world (San Pellegrino ranking).
The Spanish Gastronomy of Tomorrow
To ensure the future generations and maintain the image of their culinary tradition, a gastronomic university was inaugurated in San Sebastián in September 2011.
The influence of the cuisine developed by Ferran Adrià over the last 20 years is easy to evaluate: today, five of the top ten chefs globally (Redzepi, Roca, Aduriz, Bottura, Achatz) have trained in his kitchens, and almost all Spanish chefs have done their internship year at El Bulli.
Technico-emotional cuisine exists worldwide, and the influence of Spanish gastronomy is significant in this realm. Gourmet Spanish cuisine was previously quite difficult for people with lower purchasing power to enjoy, but this new trend of more accessible and popular Spanish haute cuisine has gained recognition without losing its fine dining essence. Tapas and pintxos have developed, each region has created its own style of technico-emotional cuisine rooted in its traditions. This marks the beginning of the Gastro-Bistro era.
Just like gastro-entrepreneurs and Ferran Adrià himself, Spanish gastronomy is expanding toward South America, aiming to develop and especially to innovate. And as Ferran Adrià predicts, the future of Spanish cuisine lies in tapas and informal meals, as it has always been.
