The Spanish Society for International Exhibitions presents at the Spanish Pavilion a gastronomic program with worldwide outstanding chefs as ambassadors of Spanish products.
Gastronomy is the most representative expression of cultural fusion. And there can’t be a better occasion than the Universal Expo Shanghai 2010 that it will count with the participation of 127 countries and 70 million of potential visitors for showing the world the status of excellence of the Spanish chefs and products.
Along the six months that the Expo will be going on, the Spanish Pavilion will present every week a gastronomic menu built up by two chefs: one of them will be Spanish (belonging to the Spanish region that will be celebrating its week) and the other one will be foreign, becoming a tasteful symbol of cultural integration and interaction. 38 renowned chefs of 15 nationalities will be willing to prove that sitting at a table is the best way to build an encounter between cultures.
The gastronomic menu will be elaborated with the excellence products of the region to which each week will be devoted and will be served all week (lunch and dinner) at the restaurant of the Gran Meliá Shanghái.
This way, 17 different gastronomic menus will be offered, prepared with ingredients of the maximum quality coming from each Spanish region and moreover cooked by the best possible ambassadors: the best chefs in the world. Among all the outstanding professionals in culinary arts that will meet in this gastronomic program we can find 49 Michelin Stars.
At the Gran Meliá Shanghai kitchen four of the main members of the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) will be Juan Mari Arzak, Martín Berasategui, Pedro Subijana and Andoni Adúriz, Galician Pepe Solla; from Madrid, Paco Roncero, the andalucian chef Dani García and from Navarra, Pedro Larumbe, Elena Arzak from Basque country … but also the highly renowned Chinese Chef Da Dong (Roast Duck), from the Ritz in Paris Michel Roth and the head of the MOMA restaurant in New York, Gabriel Kreuther, along with long list of prestigious chefs.
It is High Cuisine festival, a gastronomic fiesta, a metaphor of the gigantic cultural exchange that will take place in Shanghai 2010 where Spain, its cuisine and its products will open up to the world.
For further information: Patricia Ortega Dolz (Directora de Comunicación Shanghai). patricia@vivendiproducciones.com
TIMESCALE
*Week of Galicia. From May 17 to May 23
Gastronomic couple: Alvin Leung (China)/Pepe Solla
Alvin Leung (London, 1953) is the new icon of the oriental cuisine. From 2003, his restaurant Bo Innovation in Hong Kong is the laboratory where he elaborates the succulent creations that arise from the merger of the oriental cuisine with the western one. He possesses two Michelin stars.
Pepe Solla was born in Pontevedra, in 1966. His technology, sophisticated and minimalist, defines him. His restaurant, House Solla (Pontevedra), has one Michelin star.
*Week of Cataluña. From May 24 to May 30
Gastronomic couple: Zhenxiang Dong (China)/Ramón Freixas
Zhenxiang Dong. Born in China (Pekin-1952), he is known as, Da Dong, Big Dong. He is vice-president of the China Master Chef Association and specialist in some of the most emblematic cuisines of China.
Ramón Freixa was born at the beginning of the 70. His childhood happened between Igualada and Barcelona. His passion for the burners is born of the hand of his mother grandparents, bakers of profession, doing his first incursions in what later it would be his great passion: the patisserie. He possesses two Michelin stars.
*Week of Cantabria. From June 5 to June 11
Gastronomic couple: Toshiro Konishi (Perú)/Oscar Calleja
Toshiro Konishi. Inventor of the tiradito and diffuser of the Japanese food, Toshiro Konishi was born in 1953 in Miyazaki (southwest Japan). He arrived to the Incas land more than 30 years ago, when he was 22 and when the Creole and Japanese gastronomy were in their first courtships. He is a great agent of Nikkei food.
Oscar Calleja. Considered the future of the ‘cantabrian cuisine’, the young Óscar Calleja has been awarded with the prize “Young businessman 2009” granted by the Cántabra Association of Catering Trade. This man, 30 years old, from Santander, was formed in Madrid in the shade of a great prestige cook as Pedro Larumbe.
*Week of Asturias. From June 21 to June 26
Gastronomic Couple: Carlo Cracco/Pedro Morán
Carlo Cracco, born in Vicenza in 1965, attended the Istituto Professionale Alberghiero (Professional Hotel Institute) in Recoaro Terme (North Italy). While attending the Institute, he also worked for the restaurant Da Remo (Vicenza). Since that moment, his professional career has been a star (Michelín) tour and today he can show off two Michelin stars.
Pedro Moran. This great chef from Asturias (Gijon, 1953) has obtained the major qualifications in the catering trade history of Asturias. The known Guides Campsa-Repsol, have granted 3 Suns to him. Pedro Morán has received the National Prize of Gastronomy Marquess of Desio. He has one Michelin star.
*Week of Aragón. From June 28 to July 4
Gastronomic couple: Frank Camorra (Australia)/Josetxu Corella
Frank Camorra was born in Barcelona in 1971, and grew up in Cordoba (Andalucía) until he was five years old. To this age, his family changed their residence and went to live to Australia. Later, he travelled around Spain and, on having returned to Australia, opened his restaurant in Melbourne: MoVida. He was cook of the year 2008 in Melbourne.
Josetxu Corella (Zaragoza, 1969) can show off a Michelin star. He manages Bal d'Onsera restaurant since four years ago, jointly with his wife, Carmen Arregui. A reference place to palate Aragonese food with modern dyes.
*Week of La Rioja. From Del July 5 to July 10
Gastronomic couple: Patrick Jeffroy (France)/Francis Paniego
Patrick Jeffroy (France, 1963) has been recognized by the Michelín guide with two stars. He has a restaurant hotel by the sea in the French Brittany. He surprises with dish as the pressing sea ox with lobster frothy cream.
Francis Paniego was born in 1968 in Ezcaray, La Rioja. He studied cuisine at Catering Trade and Tourism High School in Madrid. Later he worked with Pedro Larumbe, Arzak, Fermín Arambide (France) and Ferrán Adriá. Since 1993 he leads Echeurren restaurant, with his mother Marisa (National Prize of Gastronomy in 1987), it accounts with a Michelin star since 2004.
*Week of Valencia. From July 12 to July 18
Gastronomic couple: Mauro Colagreco (Argentina)/Rafael Morales
Mauro Colagreco (Río de la Plata, Argentina, 1978) was named Cook of the Year when he was 32 by the GaultMillau Culinary Guide 2009 of France that had proclaimed him Revelation Cook of the Year in 2007. The same year, his restaurant Le Mirazur had obtained the first Michelin star turned him into the first Argentine chef with this distinction.
Rafa Morales (Puertollano, Ciudad Real, 1972) is an outstanding disciple of Ferrán Adriá, with whom he has worked nine years. He obtained in 2003 and 2005 paths Michelin stars for the Restaurant La Alquería (a Gastronomic Restaurant in Benazuza, Sevilla).
*Week of Madrid. From July 19 to July 25Gastronomic couple: Michel Roth (France)/Paco Roncero
Michel Roth, Lasserre's excellent chef (two Michelin stars), returns to his house, the Ritz Hotel in Paris, specifically to L'Espadon's kitchens. He is “Better Worker of France” and Bocuse d'Or in 1991, when he had already the prize Taittinger. Roth was born in Lorraine (France) 41 years ago.
Paco Roncero was born in Madrid in 1969, in the 90 years he ‘landed’ in his first stage in Zalacaín and later in the Ritz Hotel in Madrid. In 1991, he got to be part of the staff in the Madrid Casino. Three years later, he obtains the second place in the Championship of Young Cooks from Madrid region and the third place in the Championship of Spain. With two Michelin stars, he is considered the most surpassed disciple of Ferrán Adriá in Madrid.
*Week of Andalucía. From July 26 to July 31
Gastronomic couple: Michael Hoffmann (Germany)/Dani García
Michael Hoffmann (Dillemburg, 1967) grew up in Frankfurt and, in spite of being very German, he must take French blood as some side. He is the ambassador of the vegetables in Germany like it is possible to see in his last cuisine book with herbs, which was published in 2007. He has a Michelin star.
Dani García was born in Marbella (Malaga) in 1975. At the age of 18 he started his catering business studies in The Cónsula School of Malaga. In 1996 he worked with Martín Berasategui. He use to experiment with new technologies like Ferrán Adrià, looking for the only flavours. In spite of his youth, he obtained the Gastronomy National Prize in 2008 and he has two Michelin stars, one in his restaurant Calima and another one in Tragabuches, both located in Malaga.
*Week of Baleares. From september 6 to September 12 (coinciding with the week of Cervantes Institute)Gastronomic couple: Gabriel Kreuther (EEUU)/Tomeu Caldentey
Gabriel Kreuther, executive Chef of the The Modern restaurant, in the MOMA of New York, is from Alsace (France). He has a Michelin star, and three stars in the New York Times; and it was named “The Best New Restaurant” in 2005 by The Miami Herald and by the magazine Esquire… He was born in 1969 in Niederschaeffolsheim, in the north of Strasbourg, where he was always surrounded with the fresh products and the season hunt.
Tomeu Caldentey was the first Majorcan in receiving the Michelin star. He was born in San Llorenç des Cardessar 38 years ago, where he remains at the head of his restaurant: Es Molí d'en Bou, a classic one already, with a little more than one period in Mallorca east coast.
*Week of Canarias. From September 13 to september 17
Gastronomic couple: Moshik Roth (Holand)/Armando Saldanha and Mario Hernandez Lagerblad
Moshik Roth is always thinking in technological inventions. This Dutch man born in Overveen devours experiments. He cook like an alchemist, with a playful and naughty spirit. Among his several mentions stand out two Michelin stars.
Armando Saldanha (Tenerife). His name sounded laud last year among the names of the great chefs at Madrid Fusion, the Spanish gastronomic fair. This Mexican chef settled down in Tenerife surprised with a sandwich: Red Hot Tuna Peppers.
Mario Hernandez Lagerblad (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1972) is the owner of the Ágape restaurant and a very good chef in any culinary area.
*Week of Navarra. From September 20 to September 26Gastronomic couple: Lea Listern (Luxembourg)/Pedro Larumbe
Lea Linster, a woman cook of vocation, has two recognized awards in her career: she is the only winning woman of the Bocuse of Gold (1989), the Nobel Prize in this profession; and one Michelin star since 1987. She manages two restaurants and she is going to open a lounge bar shortly.
Pedro Larumbe was born in Lerín (Navarre) in 1953. He begun in this profession at the age of 16. He obtained The Gastronomy National Prize in 1984 and he is the president of Europe Young Cooks Association (1990-1995). In 1990 he opened other two restaurants: in Sotogrande (Cadiz) and Osaka (Japan). And later he promotes the catering services in Juan Carlos I Fairground Park in Madrid.
*The Week of the Basque Country. From September 27 to October 3
Basque Culinary Center (BCC) Presentation
In March, 2009, Mondragon University and the Basque cooks created the Basque Culinary Center (BCulinary) Foundation, with public institutions support. The center, which will begin to work in 2011 and will be located in San Sebastian, will have a Gastronomic and Culinary Sciences Studies and a Research and Innovation Center.that will develop six lines of investigation:
• Education and Eating habits
• Social Feeding Responsibility
• Eating Trends
• Innovation management for companies in this sector
• Technological Development
• Elaboration, presentation and food conservation
The Chefs quality is one of the most important things that must be translated in a good formative offer. Thus, the main cooks in Basque Country are part of the Foundation, most of them are integrated in it, which is one of the principal values to take into account in the future of BCulinary. For this reason, in the week dedicated to the Basque Country there will be four of these great chefs who will come to the Expo Shanghái 2010 appointment, ready to enjoy the palates of everybody.
The ‘squaring’ of this gastronomic circle only could come on behalf of a very very Basque quartet.
Juan Maria Arzak was born in 1942 in San Sebastian (Spain). He and his restaurant, Arzak, represents the new Spanish cuisine. His restaurant has three Michelin stars since 1989.Pedro Subijana was born in San Sebastian in 1948. In 1975, he took the reins of the Coven restaurant, getting the highest mentions: a punctuation of 9'5 in Gourmetour 2002, 3 Suns in the Guide Campsa of 2002 and three Michelin stars in 2007.
Martin Berasategui was born in 1960 in San Sebastian. He is considered one of the best of the world. He has six Michelin stars among his three restaurants in Spain.
Andoni Aduriz was born in San Sebastian in 1971. In 1998 he begins his own way alone in Mugaritz, which has two Michelin stars.
*Week of Castilla y León. From October 4 to October 10
Gastronomic couple: Björn Frantzen (Sweden)/ Gil Martinez Soto
Björn Frantzen (Sweden, 1973) can to show off two Michelin stars since this year. His elegant restaurant Frantzén/Lindeberg, to Katrineholm's suburbs, is very intimate, only for 18 people.
Gil Martinez Soto manages the Virrey Palafox restaurant in Burgo de Osma (Soria) that opened his doors in 1970. He is a member of prestigious gastronomic associations: The good table restaurants, Cuisine Masters from Castilla y León and Eurotoques, among others. Thirty years ago, he promoted a big fair, The slaughter fair, and other culinary activities with high gastronomic level. That’s the reason why he created in 1975 the Slaughter Gastronomic Conferences, that were awarded with the Tourist Silver Medal and later this conferences were declared like an Interesting Tourist Fair by the Tourist Ministry in 1992.
*Week of Extremadura. From October 11 to October 17Gastronomic couple: Paul Cunningham (Denmark)/ Antonio Granero
Paul Cunningham was born in Essex (England) in 1969. Since 1998 he lives in Denmark. He is the owner of The Paul (one Michelin star), where he had obtained an other three stars in the Denmark Guide Restaurants (2003 y 2009).
Antonio Granero was born in Villafranca de los Barros (Badajoz) 36 years ago. He always knew that cuisine was his vocation following his family tradition. He studied in the Catering College of Orellana La Vieja (Badajoz) and completed his studies in several of the most prestigious restaurants of Spain, by the hand of masters like Ferrán Adriá or Juan Mari Arzak. He has been awarded with several National Gastronomic Prizes.
*Week of Castilla la Mancha. From October 19 to October 24
Gastronomic Couple: Alberto Herráiz (France)/ Adolfo Muñoz
Alberto Herraiz was born in Cuenca 40 years ago and he went to France 12 years ago. He is the owner of El Fogón Saint Julia restaurant, a real embassy of Spanish gastronomy in Paris, located in front of Notre Dame. His restaurant had been awarded with a Michelin star in 2009.
Adolfo Muñoz was born in Belvís de la Jara (Toledo) in 1953. He leads, jointly his family, the Adolfo-Toledo Group, integrated by Adolfo restaurant, La Perdiz restaurant, Adolfo Collection, Cigarral Santa María vineyards (a restaurant and a winery where is elaborated the Pago de Palma wine), the Cuisine and Wine Toledo School and the Obrador (Cake shop and bakery). His restaurant (Belvís) is a real gastronomic enclave. Adolfo Muñoz is ‘Marqués de Desio’ Nacional Gastronomy Prize.
*Week of Spain. From August 30 to September 6.Gastronomic couple: Elena Arzak (Spain)/Fina Puigdevall (Spain)
One of the best hidden secrets in the Spanish gastronomic panorama. It has a woman name: Fina Puigdevall that quietly has achieved two Michelin stars for her restaurant, Les Cols, in only 10 years it has been working. In 1997, Les Cols received the Medal to the Tourist Merit of Cataluña Autonomous government.
Elena Arzak is an outstanding cook, and Juan Mari Arzak daughter, one of the most famous cooks in the world. Elena Arzak (San Sebastián, 1969) leads, jointly his father, the Arzak Restaurant, with three Michelin stars. In 2000 she receives the Chef de L’avenir Prize and in 2001 the International Gastronomy Academy Prize.
Week of Tapas
The presence of TAPAS is something essential in this universal appointment like is the Expo of Shanghai 2010 with a clear goal: to show the world a typical Spanish tradition that is directly connected with a way of life and with a way to enjoy it in our cities and, in that sense, it is as well connected with the Expo slogan: Better city, better life.
As well as Pedro Larumbe bar of tapas in Spanish Pavilion, it’s going to be a week of tapas in the best possible stage like is the Gastronomic Program from the Spanish Society for International Exhibitions (SEEI) that will be developed during six months at the Gran Meliá Shanghai hotel.
This week will includes a master lesson by great cooks to talk about, among others, of the tapa concept like an element incorporated in others countries cuisine (the example of US with their “small plates”, in fashion now). They will talk about of the origin of the Tapas too, and about of this habit of “eat little portions of too many dishes”.
These tapas will be presented, supported and guaranteed by the best possible ambassadors: the best chefs of the world. One of them will be the international ‘guru’ of ‘small plates’ in USA, Gabino Sotelino.
Gastronomy is the most representative expression of cultural fusion. And there can’t be a better occasion than the Universal Expo Shanghai 2010 that it will count with the participation of 127 countries and 70 million of potential visitors for showing the world the status of excellence of the Spanish chefs and products.
