Tenerife participates one more year in the prestigious congress San Sebastian Gastronomika, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in this edition, with a display of its best local product in the extraordinary showcase of a large stand and at the same time a 200 square meter restaurant. For three days next week, from Monday to Wednesday, the Kursaal Palace in the capital of San Sebastian will be the Spanish and world capital of the sector. In this unique framework, the Island will showcase its gastronomy, and, linked to it, also its landscapes. You will do it together with chefs, journalists and prescribers from all over the planet capable of generating enormous influence on their audiences through simple reviews or recommendations.
This year, the Tenerife Town Council also joins the long list of official sponsors of the event. It is the novelty in a participation already traditional in this half century that has a relevant impact. An example is the report this week in the official magazine of the congress on the island’s artisanal fishing. The great central post of Tenerife will have, as on other occasions, an attached wine tunnel, a meeting point for a great professional tasting with the best product from the vineyards in volcanic soil. The Island will also have double prominence at the big 25th anniversary dinner, where it will present a tapa based on the native goat and a dish with selected cheeses and their contrasts.
“The perfect setting”
The vice president and advisor of Tourism of the Cabildo, Lope Afonso, underlines: “Tenerife could not miss the opportunity to show itself to the world as a top-level gastronomic destination through the showcase that Gastronomika represents.” He delves into the fact that “even more so in its 25th anniversary, the perfect setting to promote our original gastronomy, capable of uniting avant-garde and tradition, with a determined commitment to sustainability.” Afonso adds that the sector “proudly shows off the local product, which it pairs with unique wines that testify to the character of our land.” The advisor concludes: “All this from the hand of authentic leaders of the island’s kitchens, who will delight professionals, critics and the public at this great event.”
The Primary Sector advisor, Valentín Gonzalez, values ”very positively” the presence of the Island in “this unique showcase to show our products, the basis of quality gastronomy, converted into an element that adds attractiveness to the tourist destination.” The area brings to Gastronomika a total of 298 bottles of wine from the six Denominations of Origin of Tenerife, which will be tasted in the tunnel, through tastings, snacks and workshops.
The CEO of Tourism of Tenerife, Dimple Melwani, highlights, for her part, that “gastronomy is consolidated as a key element to diversify the tourist offer and stimulate local economic development.” She highlights the key factor of “sustainability values based on the territory, the sea, the landscape, local products and the authenticity of our Island.” This year’s concept is Tenerife, territory and gastronomy, where, says the counselor, “we will be able to relate the three natural parks of the Island, the Teide, Anaga and Teno with sustainable tourism, consumption of local production and the circular economy. With products that, he explains, “although similar, are different in their cultivation, which gives rise to different recipe books and with peculiar traditions.”
“An immersive and emotional experience”
Melwani says: “In this edition we intend to make the experience of attendees at the stand increasingly more immersive and emotional.” Hence the recurrent use of video with ambient sound and even perception of smells. A set will allow “smell, feel and taste Tenerife in all its essence.” Melwani adds that “under the motto Tenerife awakens emotions’ We are accompanied by a team of great professionals from both the private and public spheres, I recognize and appreciate their work for months with an enthusiasm that really awakens emotions.” Everything, he concludes, to face with full guarantees “the most important bet that Tenerife and its gastronomy has done in recent years.
The great stand-restaurant of TenerifThis historic year proposes a dizzying gastronomic and geographical tour in audio-aromatic-visual immersion through its protected territories. They will star in each of the days of the congress under the themes The two faces of Teide, Anaga, soul and tradition and Teno, an ancient giant” A gastronomic and educational program has been designed that adds active tourist proposals, workshops and round tables to breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Furthermore, for the first time the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be present at this important event with the project Taste Santa Cruz-Anaga Smart Destination that promotes the attractions of the capital of Tenerife within the framework of the actions contemplated in the Sustainable and Integrated Urban Development Strategy Anaga in the heart of Santa Cruz de Tenerife,
National and international chefs, journalists from around the world and professionals in the sector will be able to experience with all their senses, in audiovisual and aromatic immersion, the traditions and gastronomic avant-garde of the Island. Guided by the expert hands of Rafael de Lion, Isidro Álvarez, Diana Marcelino, Judith Hernández, Alexis García, Pedro Nel, Nacho Solana, Alberto Margallo, Pawel Antoni Lisowsky and Rubén Saborido, all of them directed by Juan Carlos Clemente. Sommeliers, tourism prescribers and Cabido technicians complete the Tenerife embassy in the XXV San Sebastián Gastronomika Congress.
