I am interviewing Jaume Balaguer (Gratallops, 1971) at his family shop in Gratallops, the Bon Viure wine shop. He has just been proclaimed president of the DOQ Priorat after the death of Salus Álvarez, and he will be in office for a year and a half, because elections will be called then. Jaume had been working at the Regulatory Council for seven years in different working groups, and years ago he had run for president in a different candidacy from Salus Álvarez's, although over time they worked together.

The world is divided between supertasters and non-tasters. The former, due to genetics, have up to sixteen times more taste buds on the front of their tongue than the latter, the non-tasters, and this allows them to better perceive the bitter taste of food and drinks. These latter are the ones who, from a young age, eat all kinds of vegetables without a problem. So much so that there was a moment in history when some scientists believed that paternity tests could be done by checking who in the family liked the bitter taste, says the English psychologist from the University of Oxford Charles Spence. If the child did not like broccoli, because vegetables are bitter and, on the contrary, the father loved it, it could be that he was not the biological father. Fortunately, all this was an idea that science had in the thirties of the last century; today, it is the food industry that benefits from the distinction of humans between supertasters and non-tasters. So, currently, if the child at home likes vegetables and the father does not, the only possible thought is that the new generations are wise.Let's focus on the industry. What does the industry do to profit from the known distinction between those who like bitter taste and those who don't? It brings two versions of the same product to market. Have you ever gone to buy a package of cookies and found that the same brand has different types? The name or color has changed, but you can't quite figure out what the difference is.The tag, not very specific

“On the label it doesn’t say and companies simply let the market segment itself”, says Charles Spence, who also comments that the industry knows that the phrases zero fat or low sugar make food perceived as having less flavor. Storytelling is basic in life in general, and when eating, too. Even in the dishes we prepare ourselves at home, because this makes us believe that what we eat is better. Tell people at home that you have cooked the best meatballs in the world because you have put effort and love into them, and you will see how they eat them more happily.We return to the cookies. There are so many types that it's hard for us to choose some, but the same thing happens with jars of tomato sauce, guacamole, hummus, aioli, pesto, and many other processed foods that the industry has rushed to produce because it believes it makes people's lives easier. I pause: think that making them at home means we will use few ingredients (sometimes only four) and, therefore, they will be healthier. If you are, then, among those who don't know which cookies to choose because you don't see any difference beyond the packaging changing minimally, think that the industry is looking for its niche in your choice. It hopes that one day you will choose some and, the next day, others, and that you will then compare which ones you liked best. They seek to know if you are supertasters, with a genetically developed bitter taste because your ancestors could quickly distinguish if a food was bitter and, therefore, poisonous. If the dilemma overwhelms you, remember that to make cookies at home you just need to mix these ingredients: flour, sugar, egg, and yeast. If you want chocolate and hazelnut cookies, add these two ingredients. Give them the characteristic round shape and then put them in the oven at 150 °C or 170 °C for a few minutes. And that's it. A cookie shouldn't sour our lives.

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Very few people know that oil was produced in Collserola. In the middle of the last century, owners of farmhouses in this mountain range surrounding Barcelona owned olive trees, made self-consumption oil from them, and sold the surplus. But with the abandonment of the countryside throughout Catalonia, all this productive activity was also lost and the olive trees of Collserola, some centuries old, were swallowed by the forest. If in 1956 21.5% of Collserola were cultivated land, now it is only 6.4%. This not only represents a loss of the typical biodiversity of the area, but also has a dangerous collateral effect: it increases the risk of fire.

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On the avenue of the Paris Opera, there is a daily queue of people, organized with security guards and elastic tapes, who patiently wait to buy sweets. The two adjacent establishments of the pastry chef Cedric Grolet have pains au chocolat (napolitanas), croissants, and frozen fruits on display. They are arranged like jewels, on fine ceramic plates with small golden signs indicating the price. They appeal to the eyes and the stomach, and make people wait an average of twenty minutes, or more depending on the time of day. I am one of them, and when I get my pain au chocolat –which costs me seven euros– I realize it makes me think of one of the sweets that sparks passion in our home: the xuixo from Girona.

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Although she has been living in Vilafranca del Penedès for ten years and has established deep ties there, Anna Roig (Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, 1981) does not feel entirely like a Vilafranca native, and that is fine with her. The singer, who was the voice of Anna Roig i L'Ombre de Ton Chien, assures that she will never be what in local slang is known as VTV –Vilafranca from all her life–, because the place from which she knows stories and genealogies is her native Sant Sadurní. A place where she not only discovered her artistic vocation, but where she also participated in the family business.

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Chef Josep Bullich has passed away in Barcelona at the age of 78. Born in Oliana (Alt Urgell) in 1948, he is a key figure in understanding the leap in gastronomic quality experienced in Barcelona, as he worked in the kitchens of some of the city's most renowned restaurants: the seafood restaurant Carballeira, El Reno, Agut d'Avinyó, Via Veneto, or, at the end of his career, at the restaurant La Dama. In fact, it was thanks to him that Ramon Cabau obtained the Michelin star for his popular restaurant Agut d'Avinyó, where they served, among other dishes, cold soups and seasonal produce. He was also at Via Veneto when it obtained the star in 1974, an award that the establishment on Ganduixer street still defends.

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After a series of twists and turns, and enjoying the beauty of Priorat, both humble and exuberant, I arrive at the Clos de l’Obac winery. Carles Pastrana receives us at the entrance. He is an affable and amusing man. We joke, because by profession he was also a journalist, but life had other plans for him: to be part of the revolution that the region would experience. A region that went from misery to creating some of the most valued wines in the world. To achieve this, the blend was as follows: many years of work and doing things according to his criteria, a pinch of recklessness, and two strokes of luck.

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If you enter Mundana (c. Aribau, 34) for the first time, after crossing a shop window where you will find sardine cans, shoes, and a bottle of cologne that smells like pencil, you will find everything you need to have a vermouth or an aperitif with the best brands from Catalan artisans and from other towns. And whoever says aperitif and vermouth, also says knives from the Pallarès brand from Solsona. If hunger can wait, at Mundana you might find that artisan, Catalan-brand piece of clothing that suits your taste: take note of the sweaters from the IAIOS brand, from Granollers, by designer Gemma Barbany Arimany. And if you are interested in the cologne you saw in the shop window, know that it was created by Barcelona designer Oriol Montañés. And that the scent is cedar, that is, the one that makes the freshly sharpened pencil: sweet, dry, and warm at the same time.Behind the store that sells everything design-related in food, clothing, and decorative objects are siblings Anna (Barcelona, 1964) and Jaume Colomer (Barcelona, 1979). One, a molecular biologist by training, specialized in cancer studies; the other, an industrial designer, specialized in industrial creativity. One day they decided to reinvent themselves and six years ago opened their dream, which was to illuminate what local designers create. After having been in the Gràcia neighborhood, they have been installed for two years on Aribau street, near the restaurants Mont bar (with two Michelin stars), Mediamanga, and the indispensable La Valenciana.

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“It is very important for me to be here”, said Ferran Adrià. “Today we have become a family again”, affirmed the chef. We are at Can Jubany, at an event in tribute to Santi Santamaria, organized by his son Pau, fifteen years after his death. Everyone has come today. “How nice that we are all here”, said Roser Torres, the woman who has organized the biggest gastronomic events of recent decades. She is known as Mama by many chefs. And like a good mother, she looked happy today that, finally, a battle that was hard and bloody for those who lived it and that time has finally reconciled was being brought to a close – posthumously, of course. has ended up reconciling.

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I interview the chef Romain Fornell (Toulouse, 1976) at the Hermanos Torres restaurant, hours before he dines on turbot and sole from the aquaculture brand Neptura. He is a chef with a calm appearance despite the volume of work he has. He leads the Goût Rouge group, which has restaurants in Barcelona especially (the last one he opened is Casa Tejada), and four more in Paris. Fornell arrived in Barcelona in the late 90s to work as a chef at the now-defunct Maison du Languedoc Roussillon. In 2003 he opened the restaurant Caelis, which is now located inside the Hotel Ohla Barcelona and obtained a Michelin star.How did it come about that you are the chef of four restaurants in Paris? In the last interview I did with you, you told me that you didn't want to take any planes to have to go to work.

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Open a bag of potato chips. With your hands it's very easy: you only need your thumbs and index fingers. With these two fingers on each hand, pinch and stretch the bag in opposite directions. And then you'll hear the sound: metallic, unmistakable. It's not shrill, but a pleasant, crunchy click-click. And the adjective is not in vain: if you opened the bag with your eyes closed, you would know perfectly well that you will find potato chips inside. The day the food industry thought about increasing the sale of potato chips, “the marketing specialists intuited that it would make sense to make the sound of the packaging congruent with the sensory properties of the content”, explains psychologist Charles Spence in the book GastroPhysics. The Science of Food (Paidós). It makes sense: if the food industry wanted to sell crunchy potato chips, which make a crunch-crunch when bitten, the packaging had to make the same sound, because that way all the body's senses prepare to intuit that what they are about to eat is a gift from the gods.

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To improve muscle strength, to increase endurance, to have more energy, to have better performance, to recover faster from a tough training session... The growing interest in the gym and the obsession with perfect bodies have increased the consumption of a series of products designed to perform better and more during workouts and achieve better results. It is a fever for supplements such as protein shakes, creatine, magnesium, omega-3, or vitamin D, among others, which have become popular in recent years, especially through social networks like Instagram or TikTok. In some cases, the recommendation comes from users who do not have the training or expertise in nutrition or sports medicine, and experts warn that before starting to take any of these supplements, one must consult a professional.

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On the Costa Brava, between secluded coves, fishing villages, and farmhouses near the sea, the gastronomic offering swells every summer until it becomes very difficult to choose where to have a good lunch or dinner. There are restaurants for all tastes and budgets, but not all that glitters is worthwhile: between tourist pressure and summer opportunism, there is a range of establishments where cooking is done with judgment and verve.

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Joan Raventós (Vilafranca del Penedès, 1978) has returned home. After five years as a correspondent for 3Cat in Brussels, the editor and presenter of Telenotícies cap de setmana has made the journey back to his native Vilafranca, a city that allows him to escape the daily grind and which is the cradle of two of his passions: human towers and wine. What was the relationship with wine like at your home, as a child?

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Robert Serna i Mundet is a guy from El Raval. He was born there, lives there, and has his business there. He is self-taught. Talent and effort opened the doors to the world of restoration for him at just twenty-two years old. Since then, he has participated in his own and others' projects, always at the forefront of prestigious kitchens.One day, walking through the old Barri Xino, he discovered a small corner on Requesens street and decided to turn it into his refuge to be happy. Cal Robert opened its doors in 2014. At first it was more of a bar than a restaurant, but eight years ago, with David's arrival in the kitchen, the project found its definitive direction: traditional Catalan cuisine with a touch of Iberian flair. Starters to share and main courses to each one's liking. A simple formula that works if the product and execution are good. The team is as important as the food, and with Marc in the dining room, a small but very efficient team is completed.There are fixed dishes and others (those on the blackboard) that change according to the seasonality of the product. Thus, neither they nor the clients get bored: every day there is something new to taste. We start the meal with some black pudding bags and some chard fritters. We continue with a dish of tripe and some meatballs that comfort us from the outside cold and confirm our success in visiting Robert. Before dessert, a hake tail in the Donostiarra style reconciles us with product cuisine. A cream millefeuille, a meringue and lemon tartlet, and a cheesecake fulfill the purpose of ending the meal.Wine deserves a very remarkable separate chapter. The menu is oral and changing. Robert explains it to us: “We only work with local wines and none cost more than nineteen euros. It makes no sense to spend twenty euros on food and order a seventy euro wine. We are looking for a wine profile with good value for money to be able to offer them at a reasonable price.” We choose a bottle of Un Onzè black wine from the Cal Cabo winery, in Sant Martí de Maldà. They have vineyards in the Corb valley. Sometimes, oil can be as important as food and drink. In the case at hand, we highlight it for its quality. It is from Nalec, the smallest town in Urgell. “My father-in-law is from Nalec. In the mornings I make breakfasts and I try to give an outlet to the oil, the wine and the sausages from there. They are very good!”The universe of Raval

Cal Robert is much more than a bar-restaurant: it is a service to the neighborhood. It collaborates with neighborhood associations and NGOs based in the neighborhood, especially with Pallapupas, the beloved hospital clowns. It has also unofficially become the bar for the Taller de Músics. The clientele comes mainly from Sant Antoni and L'Eixample, as the population of Raval is increasingly diverse and does not always match its gastronomic proposal or the establishment's budget. The average bill is around thirty-five euros per person.Robert is a Raval resident who loves his neighborhood. El Raval has life and color, but this particular universe of Barcelona is often underestimated and feared in equal measure. We take advantage of its geographical location to walk through these streets in the heart of the city. El Raval and Cal Robert show us two of the realities of our country: the diversity of our fellow citizens and the good health of Catalan cuisine. We can be happy.

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“Have you visited the wine cellar yet?” is the first thing the chef Fran López says to me when I step into Villa Retiro, the hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant in Xerta. He is referring to the Celler Cooperatiu del Pinell de Brai, one of the Cathedrals of Wine, which exemplify López's project very well, a project that transcends the walls of his restaurant and shows the chef's commitment to the territory. Now that Villa Retiro is 20 years old, it is a good time to focus on it and also celebrate it with the menu he has designed for the occasion, which could be nothing else but a tribute to the Terres de l'Ebre.

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Emili Feliu (Barcelona, 1968) says that he follows to the letter the recipe written down by the baker Eduard Crespo, from the Balmes bakery, the creator of Sant Jordi bread. And with this recipe, and mastery, he has won, for the third time, the competition for the best Sant Jordi bread organized by the Panàtics association. "I have adapted the bread dough, because we prepare it with sourdough, the same one we use to make our breads," he explains on the first day of Sant Jordi week. As Sant Jordi is on Thursday, Emili has decided to dose the amount of Sant Jordi breads he will be making: Monday and Tuesday, about thirty; Wednesday, about two hundred, and Thursday, the big day, about eight hundred. He works with the intention of selling a thousand, which they sell for €28.50 per kilo. That is, it is a bread they sell by weight, which varies between two hundred and fifty and three hundred grams. Therefore, the price will be around six to seven euros.

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I interview the cook Ada Parellada (Granollers, 1967) one afternoon after she has finished recording recipe videos. She offers me a piece of a blueberry pie, delicious, which she has prepared with nine ingredients. Only nine ingredients, because that way everything is easier, she says. We start the interview by talking about the last one I did with her, in which she told me the story of her family, and how it was that she decided to open the restaurant Semproniana with her partner. Ada Parellada has just written the book Els plats del dia (Rosa dels Vents), in which she vindicates set menus, like the ones she prepares at her restaurant daily for 23 euros, and which are dishes made from start to finish, and elaborate Catalan cuisine.

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Neither sardines nor anchovies. The most sold fish in our country is farmed salmon, which, for this reason, is gray and is dyed a range from pale orange to orange-red depending on the country where it is sold, because it is known that every land fights its war in colors. The popularity of salmon is probably explained because its nutritional benefits have been spread: as it is oily fish, it provides readily available omega-3. Sardines and anchovies from our ports also provide it. And you will say that salmon has no bones, and it is true, because they are removed with industrial machinery, and I counter-argue: the nutritional benefits of salmon, that is, the polyunsaturated fatty acids that regulate blood cholesterol levels and help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, are only achieved with sardines, anchovies, and oily fish in general with a short lifespan. And with wild salmon. Farmed salmon is another story, and I will explain why.To begin with, in floating cages there is a large number of salmon with a relatively small volume of water, states marine biologist Anna Bozzano, and this fact leads to all sorts of disadvantages. First: medicines have to be used because they are all together and a disease would be easily acquired by all of them. Second: the excrement they form there is organic matter that ends up at the bottom of the sea and suffocates marine life: "There is no animal that can eat it, and that is why the seabed under salmon aquaculture cages are deserts." Fattened with soy feed

To continue, farmed salmon is fattened with feed, made from small caught fish, processed into meal and with soy. “Until a few years ago, to grow one kilogram of salmon, five kilograms of small fish were needed. With soy, it has been balanced to one kilogram of small fish per kilogram of aquaculture; the rest is done by soy”, says Bozzano, who warns that if the proportion of soy with which they make the feed is higher than what the fish can absorb, they get sick because their system is not designed to feed on it. In this fact, the data must be highlighted: small fish and soy are needed to feed aquaculture, and these foods create consequences in the entire system. The small fish used to fatten salmon can come from other areas where the cages are located, such as Africa or South America.And, to finish, let's talk about the color of salmon. Wild salmon eat shrimp that contain a natural pigment, astaxanthin, but there are no small shrimp in the feed, which is why farmed salmon have gray flesh, which the market would not accept if it were put up for sale. So they dye it at the source before putting it on the market. Depending on each country, a different Pantone color. In our country, orange; if you travel and find other shades, lighter, redder, remember that it depends on the final pigment they have given it because it is the color that is liked in that country. A detail: the pigment can be natural or synthetic, which is allowed, but in the latter case, the exact amount that is healthy for the human body is measured, informs marine biologist Anna Bozzano.Despite all this, salmon is the best-selling fish. In 2023, eight thousand tons were sold; in 2024, nine thousand. The second best-selling fish, monkfish, is six thousand tons behind. It is clear, then, the abundance of salmon, but perhaps there is a way to save it: in a growing world population, with an emptying sea, is it perhaps the fish that can provide us with animal protein? But if the sea runs out of small fish, will farmed salmon also not be able to be fed? Perhaps we should eat small local fish and not a distant one, farmed crowded and fed with fish caught on the other side of the world. It is the (dyed) fish that eats its tail.

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The Ninot cheese from the Sant Gil d’Albió cheese factory is the best in Catalonia, according to the Làctium contest in Vic, which chose it from a total of sixteen, from different categories, that had passed a previous elimination phase. A specialized jury, made up of ninety people, met this morning at Casa Ricart in Vic to choose the best of each specialty so that they could advance to the final. In one of the categories, the most popular in recent years, that of cheesecake, the winner has been Jon Cake, a name that refers to the producer Jon García, who started with a shop in El Born in Barcelona and is currently in full expansion, with shops in other neighborhoods of Barcelona and also in Girona. The cake contains three types of cheese: buffalo blue and Garrotxa, both from Muntanyola, and cream, from L’Esquella. García will donate 10% of the sales of this cake to the Fundació Ampans, the non-profit organization that manages the Muntanyola cheese factory.

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