The Stars of the New Catalan Cuisine

Catalan cuisine has never shone so brightly as it does right now. Catalonia currently has one of the most dynamic and renowned gastronomic scenes in the world. Between them, 50 Catalan restaurants have accumulated 65 Michelin stars, the recognition awarded by the 100-year old tourist guide, Michelin.

Stretching from the Pyrenees of Catalonia to the Terres de l’Ebre and the Costa Brava and Barcelona to the Terres de Lleida, there is a wide variety of Michelin-starred restaurants. In addition, among those selected, there are three which have been awarded three stars, the highest score on this scale: the Celler de Can Roca, the ABaC and the Lasarte.

Fish, meat and vegetables, together with rice or olive oil, have been given back the value they deserve by these innovators. Each one has stood out for a special skill that has been reflected in their cooking style. Some of the chefs with the most stars include Jordi Cruz, Paolo Casagrande, Fina Puigdevall, Paco Pérez, Sergio and Javier Torres, Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas, Eduard Xatruch and Raül Balam Ruscalleda.

There are chefs who have seduced the whole world throughout their careers, such as Ferran Adrià, with his passion for innovation; Carme Ruscalleda for her exquisite taste for the product, or the Roca Brothers, Joan, Josep and Jordi who are loyal to traditional cooking. Their cuisine brings together the essence of the Catalan gastronomic tradition and reinvents it.

The Origin of the New Catalan Cuisine

The turning point was in 1990, when two restaurants which would go on to change the course of Catalan restaurants received their second star: El Bulli and Can Fabes. The first took the award with a young Ferran Adrià as its chef; the second, with Santi Santamaria at the helm. They were two of the pioneers from a revolutionary generation that gave rise to the new Catalan cuisine, firmly committed to the product and the freedom of creation.

These chefs have taken gastronomy to another level, and they have made the experience of sitting down and enjoying Catalan cuisine a sensory journey.