Right across from the church in Riudarenes, a town of just over 2,500 inhabitants, stands a farmhouse with stone walls and a beamed ceiling, over 300 years old, proudly displaying the flags of Girona and Catalonia. This is Restaurante Can Cordons. "We try to make dishes respecting traditional cuisine, but with a modern touch," says Pau Turon (Riudarenes, 2000), its owner for the last eight years. "We met at the Girona Hospitality School," replies Gerard Picard (Girona, 1995), the chef. "Even though I'm now in the dining room, I'm also a cook," Turon asserts. That's not all they share, as they are also big Girona fans, although Picard has a bit of a Barcelona side. "Now I'm a little more of a Girona fan than a Barça fan," he admits. Míchel's team visits Osasuna this Saturday (6:30 p.m., Movistar LaLiga).

I've been able to see and hear, on social media, the speech given by TV3 sports journalist Xavier Bonastre to say goodbye to his colleagues on the day he retired (for months now I've only been seeing people from my own circle). fifth (who are retiring, and it's a somewhat unsettling reminder). From here, I congratulate Xavier Bonastre on his retirement and for so many years of good work, and, especially, I congratulate him on the words he spoke at his moving farewell.

EasyJet has launched an advertising campaign to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the airline's first Barcelona-London flight. To attract tourists, in addition to a discount on flight prices, three main reasons to visit the city are listed: its light, Gaudí's buildings, and, as expected, the gastronomy. But in this case, the company hasn't chosen bread with tomato or a frying pan, but rather a sandwich that earned its name in Barcelona: the bikini.

It made a lot of sense for the guest of honor at the Barcelona Restoration Guild's party to be actor Alberto San Juan, who has just been nominated for a Goya for his performance in La cena. And it was precisely this film – which humorously recreates a fictional dinner of Franco two weeks after winning the Civil War – that led the Madrid-born actor to use the podium of the mythical La Paloma venue in the Catalan capital to launch a forceful "no to war." San Juan received a standing ovation from the five hundred attendees at the meeting, including actors, politicians, and restaurateurs, with his call "against this new world order where those with the greatest capacity to impose violence now lead." He reviewed the bombings in Iran and the "genocide of Gaza," among other things, and delivered a harsh criticism of the European Union and its "renunciation of defending the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

The celebrations began on Sunday in Reus, continued in Tarragona, and will conclude in Alcanar in a few weeks. The Tarragona region hosted the Repsol Suns gala, marking the culmination of Catalonia's designation as a World Region of Gastronomy. In a striking photo, the Roman amphitheater hosted a gathering on Monday at midday, bringing together all the chefs in Spain with the highest distinction, the Three Suns. The weather was perfect, and those unfamiliar with the site were amazed to see this relic overlooking the sea. Later, at a red-carpet gala attended by more than 200 chefs, the new additions to the list were announced. This list is intended as the oil company's answer to the French guide.

The European eel (Eel eelThe eel is critically endangered, and the Spanish government, pressured by some chefs, scientists, and the public, wants to stop the capture of both the eel and its juvenile, the elver, which is highly prized and sought after in gastronomy. Last autumn, the Basque Country banned its fishing, while neighboring regions, such as Asturias, continue to catch them despite complaints from the Basque fishing sector. In Spain, scientists like Arnau Subías, who runs the Instagram account @Gastrobio, have been warning about the situation for years, and points out that fishing has been prohibited in Andalusia since 2010. "Finally, there seems to be more awareness, but action should have been taken a long time ago by prohibiting fishing and regulating pollution in reservoirs," he says.

Arnau Pérez de Tudela Guasch is from Valls and runs a communications agency in Altafulla. A few years ago, Gerard Cañellas Prades, from Riera de Gaià, joined the agency. They both always said they had to do something to bring together everything in the world of calçots (where to make them, where to buy them, where to find the sauce...) and one day they had a lightbulb moment. Inspired by the hit app where people noted where to make hearty breakfastsThe CalçotApp has arrived.

About fifteen subscribers to ARA newspaper's Premium Club They enjoyed a guided tour of Casa Navàs in Reus. Located in the heart of the Baix Camp capital, on Plaça Mercadal, this house designed by Domènech i Montaner is one of Catalonia's modernist gems. Many elements are reminiscent of the Palau de la Música Catalana, also by the same architect.

Joan Font (Barcelona, ​​1961) takes on the challenge of presiding over the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition when it has only been a month since the death of Carles VilarrubíThis Wednesday, at the traditional game luncheon that the Academy holds at the La Venta restaurant, he will officiate his first act as president, a position he will hold until 2030.

Girona will once again become the epicenter of gastronomy in February. From the 9th to the 11th, the 12th edition of the Fòrum Gastronòmic Girona will take place, a must-attend event for the restaurant, gastronomy, and Horeca sectors. It will bring together more than 200 companies and 150 speakers at the Palau de Fires and in the Devesa Park area. This year, escudella and carne de olla—one of the great symbols of Catalan cuisine—will be the focus of an edition that will celebrate tradition as a driving force for innovation and the future of cooking.

When at the end of the year Carlos Vilarrubí diedSources within the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition (ACGN) had already announced a swift and smooth transition to ensure uninterrupted work on the institution's various objectives. And so it was. Lawyer Joan Font i Torrent, who was already serving as ACGN vice president alongside chef Carme Ruscalleda, has taken over. With a clear commitment to continuity, he was the only candidate and will lead the board until 2030. According to a statement released by the ACGN itself after the appointment took effect, the new president faces the challenge of "defining the entity's new strategic direction, consolidating its position, and continuing its commitment to serving society." Upon being sworn in, Font expressed his desire to "work intensively to build a strong Academy that is a true benchmark of excellence within the world of Catalan cuisine and restaurants, leaders in global gastronomy." He added: "The world evolves, and we must evolve with it. We must continue on the path, begun and followed by the previous president, that will lead us to enjoy an influential, modern, active Academy that is useful to society."

Perhaps these dates, so prone to overeating and heavy digestion, aren't the most appropriate to talk about this. But it has to be done sometime. I'm referring to good food and the few people who taught us to appreciate it. In a country that had suffered much hunger, and where frequenting restaurants was a privilege, the word began to gain popularity half a century ago. gastronomy to define a matter about which we knew nothing.

Long meals, abundant portions, and a feeling of overindulgence that often lingers well beyond the official holidays. This is the recurring theme year after year at Christmas, but the problem isn't so much what we eat on December 24th, 25th, or 26th, but rather how we approach the entire Christmas period. "We have this idea that it's three weeks of eating a lot, when in reality, special meals are occasional," reminds nutritionist Bárbara Romano. The risk, she says, is accumulating leftover nougat, constant snacking, and a routine that deviates from our usual eating habits.

Catalan Christmas cuisine is much more than a collection of dishes associated with this time of year. It's a shared history of essential recipes that spans centuries, territories, and families, many of which weren't learned from books or cooking schools, but at home, by observing. Watching a grandmother stir a pot without a clock or a mother know the roast is ready just by the smell.

The market isn't just for buying; it's also for asking questions, comparing prices, and making decisions. At a time of year often marked by overindulgence, market vendors become key influencers for cooking with purpose, respecting tradition, and staying within budget without sacrificing quality.

To ensure healthy aging, the Mediterranean diet is a powerful ally. According to Gemma Salvador, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at the Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT), "this dietary pattern has been recognized by the international scientific community as one of the healthiest in the world," and therefore can improve quality of life and longevity. In fact, it is listed as one of the elements on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Spread across 14 municipalities, from El Prat de Llobregat through Sant Boi, Viladecans, and El Papiol, the park is a vibrant area where dozens of farmers and ranchers work daily to provide fresh produce to the community, keeping agricultural and livestock traditions alive alongside the city. Among the many crops that thrive there, the El Prat artichoke stands out, having become a symbol of the area's agricultural identity and a gastronomic ambassador for the Baix Llobregat region. All of this takes place on highly valued, fertile soil irrigated by the Llobregat irrigation network. Livestock production (poultry, pigs, and sheep) is also present.

In a country where fast food has gained ground, municipal markets are asserting themselves as spaces of trust, quality, and community. From the stalls of the Mercat del Léon in Girona to the aisles of the Mercat Central in Tarragona, the vendors demonstrate that these markets are much more than just places to shop: they are vital hubs of neighborhood life. We spoke with young and veteran stallholders who embody the present and future of these iconic spaces.

In Catalonia, landscape and gastronomy are almost inextricably intertwined. "The cuisine explains what our land is like: it speaks of our fields and forests, of our flocks and orchards, of the changes in light and temperature throughout the year," Josep Sucarrats, food journalist and editor of the magazine, explained to ARA. RootsThis direct connection with the environment has shaped a culinary tradition that is both seasonal and regional, with dishes that vary not only according to the calendar, but also according to the specific area. "Catalonia is impossible to summarize with just four recipes, because the differences between regions are very pronounced and they are the birthplace of very distinct recipes," he notes.

Around Deltebre, the rice fields create a mosaic of water and mud. The river meanders between canals and banks, and the Delta's light floods everything with a metallic sheen. It is in one of these wetlands that a unique rice variety is born: the only long-grain, aromatic rice cultivated in the Ebro Delta, known as Essència del Delta. It is grown, managed, and marketed by the Women Rice Growers of the Ebro Delta, a cooperative of five women who have made the land their livelihood. The result is a fine, fluffy, and versatile rice—perfect for salads, stir-fries, and celebratory rice dishes—but also a product imbued with values: respect for the environment, a deep connection to the land, pride in being women who preserve the craft, and the dedication that rice cultivation entails.