Romesco is the star of an international congress
It will be held in Tarragona on October 1 and 2 and will bring together up to nine Michelin-starred chefs.
TarragonaOn October 1 and 2, Tarragona aims to become the culinary epicenter of Catalonia with the celebration of the 1st Tarragona Romesco Technical-Cultural Research Congress. It will be held at the Tarragona Trade Fair and Congress Center and will feature nine Michelin-starred chefs and a wide range of prestigious professionals from the country over two days, including roundtable discussions. showcookings and live workshops, international presentations, networking and tastings around romesco, one of the most emblematic sauces and dishes of Catalan cuisine.
The congress has three main objectives: to raise collective awareness about the identity value of romesco, to open a new narrative to project Tarragona through romesco, and to activate the involvement of professionals in the gastronomic sector.
The president of the Scientific Committee of the Congress, Txaber Allué, explains that this event has been brewing for years among Tarragona's civil society because "romesco deserves recognition and we must work to promote it." Allú defines romesco as a family of sauces and dishes that includes, for example, the seafood romesco so deeply rooted in the Serrallo neighborhood of Tarragona, inland romesco, the sausage sauce that accompanies calçots, or pigeon romesco, typical of Santa Coloma de Queralt and cooked with ba. However, he warns that we can find romesco with rabbit, chicken, oxtail or tripe, and points out that it is a dish of popular cuisine, which was made on the boats that went out to fish from the ports of Tarragona or Cambrils, but it has also made its way into haute cuisine as demonstrated by all the Michelin stars in the province of Tarragona.
And in the technical sessions and round tables there will be Michelin-starred chefs such as Eduard Xatruch (Disfrutar), Jordi Vilà (Alkimia), Josep Moreno (Deliranto), Diego Campos (Rincón de Diego), Rafel Muria (Cuatro Molins), Fran López Molino), Aitor López (Citrus del Tancat) and Jeroni Castell (Les Moles).
One of the most anticipated moments will take place on October 1st with the joint presentation by Maria Nicolau, renowned chef and gastronomic educator, author of bestselling books, and a leading figure in the defense of Catalan cuisine, along with Miquel Bonet, a journalist and gastronomic columnist, renowned for his expertise. They will be joined by Damià Amorós, art historian and museologist, a cultural educator with a unique perspective on gastronomic heritage as an essential part of our identity. They will be the protagonists of a session that will combine live cooking, conversation, and historical reflection, providing a unique opportunity to see two essential voices of national gastronomy in action alongside historian Damià Amorós.
Vocation for continuity
The president of the Congress's Scientific Committee believes there is a gap in research on romesco. "We are missing a doctoral thesis and papers on this product. We will retain the documents generated from this congress, and this will be very important," says Allué, who points out that it is intended to continue, although he adds that future editions should not limit themselves to romesco and could cover other typical products of oily fish cuisine.
Registration for the congress is 80 euros and includes access to all activities, workshops, roundtable discussions, and meals included in the program.