Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España, the world’s most dynamic global congress is about to commemorate its 20th anniversary on the 28th, 29th and 30th of March 2022. A special edition the event has reached after a long track record full of milestones, successes and occurrences and with many surprises in store. Registration is already open on the congress website (www.madridfusion.net), and the organisation wants to reward congress attendees this year with a special offer on occasion of the 20th anniversary. By lowering its ticket prices by almost 40%.

Madrid Fusión was the stage on which chefs made themselves known beyond their borders such as Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio (Astrid&Gastón, Lima), Nordic chef René Redzepi (Noma 2.0, Copenhagen) or Brazilian chef Alex Atala (D.O.M., Sao Paulo). It is also the congress in which Dabiz Muñoz was elected revelation chef. Where Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana***, Modena) was hallowed for a cuisine which already dazzled Italy. The five chefs form part of a long list of chefs who have confirmed their attendance in the 20th anniversary edition of Madrid Fusión, which will be held again in Ifema’s Pavillion 14. 

A return to the profession of cookery

The congress slogan -Beyond the product-, summarises the interest of the organisers of placing value on the most relevant aspects of the best traditional and contemporary cuisine. Over the three days, with the presence of leading international chefs, Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España will conduct a review of ancestral, traditional and future cooking techniques, from fire-roasting to cooking with microwaves or using ultrasonic equipment, the basis of the major recipes of the future. A review to the return of the profession of cookery, to the transformation of produce, and meticulous crafting. 

In addition to Redzepi, Gastón Acurio, Atala, Bottura or Dabiz Muñoz the ambitious programme this year will include professionals from other parts of the world that the organisation has selected in consonance with upcoming trends. The congress stage will talk about creativity and thinking, arguments on the evolution of haute cuisine, which will give rise to debates and interviews with leading professionals.

A major presence of Danish cuisine

Another two examples of the world culinary prominence of Denmark in the international lists of the best restaurants are among the confirmed speakers:  Eric Vildgaard (Jordnaer**), voted the best Nordic restaurant in 2021; or the innovation, research and technical deployment of Rasmus Munk (Alchemist**). 

The Revelation Chef from Bogotá in Madrid Fusión 2021, Denise Monroy (Elektra, Bogotá) will bring her fun vegetable, streetwise, tasty and healthy cuisine to the main auditorium and Italian chef Antonia Klugmann (L’Argine a Vencò*, Dolegna del Collio) the green and sustainable identity of her project free of waste in Friuli, inspired by the landscapes and multiculturality. And disembarking in Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España this year from Santo Domingo, the Dominican chef Inés Páez, popularly known in her country as Chef Tita, who has revolutionised the gastronomy of the Caribbean island with a modernised tribal and rural cuisine and is the leader of the socio-cultural project New Dominican Cuisine, which promotes a healthier cuisine to teach the population how to eat and where the Dominican products play the leading role.

The Italian chef Matteo Baronetto (Del Cambio*, Turin), who for many years was the right hand of Carlo Cracco; Atsushi Tanaka (AT, Paris), the Japanese chef based in France and a disciple of Pierre Gagnaire; German chef Andreas Krolik (Lafleur**, Frankfurt); the Mexican chef who has conquered the United Kingdom, Santiago Lastra (KOL, London) or the Portuguese chef Henrique Sa Pessoa (Alma**, Lisbon) also form part of the main programme on this 20th anniversary of Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España. This edition will also see the presence of two of the chefs with the most projection from Latin America: Héctor Solís (Fiesta, Lima), who has built up from Fiesta and the northern cuisine of Peru a solid showcase for the Peruvian sea extending from La Picantería or Chakupe; and Mario Castrellón (Maito, Panama City), a chef ahead of his time who demonstrated in Maito that Central America has something to say in haute cuisine and hosts a pantry of products capable of making a difference.

Spanish chefs

The list of Spanish chefs in the 20th anniversary is led by Dabiz Muñoz (DiverXo***, Madrid), Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca***, Girona) and Quique Dacosta (Restaurante Quique Dacosta***, Denia) along with Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas (Disfrutar**, Barcelona), Ricard Camarena (Restaurante Ricard Camarena**, Valencia), Pablo Airaudo (Amelia**, San Sebastián), Mario Sandoval (Coque**, Madrid), Andoni Luis Aduriz (Mugaritz**, Rentería), Rodrigo de la Calle (El Invernadero*, Madrid), Artur Martínez (Aürt*, Barcelona), José Álvarez (La Costa*, El Ejido), José Cremades (La Mestiza, La Manga) or Camila Ferraro (Sobretablas, Sevilla), the only woman to win the win the Revelation Chef in Madrid Fusión who will attend accompanied by the sommelier of her restaurant, Robert Tetas.

The authenticity of chefs such as Félix Jiménez (Kiro Sushi*, Logroño), the master of fish and rice from La Rioja who received a Michelin star with premises seating only 10 diners or Luis Alberto Lera (Lera*, Castroverde de Campos), who has turned his wild cuisine into a reference of identity and territory, and whose work has had a real impact in his immediate environment and on his peers, will form part of this ambitious programme this year. And the capacity to research, innovate and invent of one of the major talents right now in Spanish gastronomy, the Rioja chef David Chamorro, in charge of Food Idea Lab, who will attend this year to talk about the use of ultrasounds in cuisine.

New fish cuisine

The new fish cuisine will be represented by Rafa Zafra (Estimar, Barcelona/Madrid/Sevilla) and José Manuel Viejo (La Huertona, Ribadesella) and the main stage will also welcome the great masters of oriental knives for meat and fish to others who dominate roasting and sautés, from wok cooked Peking duck in all its forms: Hisato Hamada (Wagyumafia, Tokyo), Hugo Muñoz (Ugo Chan, Madrid), Felipe Bao (China Crown, Madrid) or Julio Zhang (Soy Kitchen, Madrid). 
   
Three days of conferences interspersed with our traditional competitions: revelation chef and pastry chef, pickling, croquettes or signature sandwiches, among others. During the congress, the awards will also be presented for Chef of the Year in Europe and the Alimentos de España Defence of Food Products Award.