The gastronomy world gathered once again in the Spanish capital as Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España kicked off its celebratory 20th anniversary edition at the IFEMA exhibition centre in Madrid.

It proved a day of reflecting on the past and looking to the future as chefs took to the stage to share their philosophy and demonstrate dishes from their kitchens.

After the success of the hybrid event in 2021, this year’s edition is again available online, meaning that viewers from across the world can attend the 20th anniversary edition of the world’s most dynamic gastronomy congress.

Mexican chef Santiago Lastra who has found success with his first restaurant Kol(*) in London, UK, outlined his singular approach to sharing Mexican culture with the world in his presentation Translating flavours. Cooking the flavours and textures of his home country, using British ingredients in an uncompromising approach to quality and a dedication to sustainable sourcing, he has introduced a unique concept to the British capital.

Alongside his team, he demonstrated several dishes from Kol, including a signature dish of langoustine tacos in which he replaces the lime with sea buckthorn, native to the British isles.

“I have lived outside Mexico for 16 years and I always thought if you couldn’t find the Mexican ingredients you couldn’t cook the Mexican dishes,” he said. “But before opening Kol we undertook an investigation into British ingredients and what is available – to find our toolbox.”

Eric Vildgaard from restaurant Jordnær(**) in Copenhagen was the first of three Danish chefs to speak at Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España this year. In his presentation A Love story he explained how he found direction through his passion for cooking in a life marked by trouble and instability as he spent his early years and youth involved in organised crime.

During his presentation he outlined how his love for cooking eventually pulled him through to a better path and he spoke of his restaurant Jordnær where he cooks a fish-dominated menu and puts all the emphasis on quality of produce. On stage in Madrid he showed some examples of the restaurant dishes, cooking with produce including scallop and caviar.

“We are about love in everything we do in the restaurant. We respect the ingredients and we serve them with care. What we do is simple cooking, but the hardest part is actually when you want to keep adding more flavours and restraint is very beautiful,” he said. “When you choose the best ingredients, you should showcase them without masking it too much.”

Founder and president of Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España José Carlos Capel spearheaded the official celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the gastronomy congress that has served as the launchpad for so many international chefs and as a platform for the pioneering chefs of Spain. Alongside vice-president Benjamin Lana, he convened many of the chefs who have appeared in the past two decades on stage.

“My life has a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ Madrid Fusión and my only wish is that it continues to champion new generations of young chefs,” said Alex Atala from D.O.M. in Brazil as he was joined by colleagues including Gaston Acurio, Albert Adriá and Elena Arzak.

Joan Roca, the head chef of  El Celler de Can Roca(***),  presented a review of the many innovations from the Girona restaurant that he and his brothers, Josep and Jordi, have launched at Madrid Fusión in the past two decades. From the distillation of aromas and multi-sensory experiences to cooking equipment and cacao to bean bars.

During his presentation, titled Impossible means you still haven’t found the solution, he presented several vegetable focused dishes from the restaurant to demonstrate an evolution in the understanding of vegetables in his kitchen.

As he, too, looked to the future, he highlighted the young cooks who to work in the kitchen from all over the world and bring ideas and experiences of their own that they present. Roca highlighted that of Tom, a young Dutch chef who made a dish based on ingredients that were destined for the bin. 

“This is an impactful story  showing that spirit of making the most of what we have, using everything,” he said. “This is a way to appreciate these young people who come from all over the world and how add valuable ideas. Their dishes tell a story about them and we get to know them through the food that they cook. This is a moment to look to the future with optimism.”

On day one of Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España the main auditorium also heard from 
Rodrigo de la Calle, chef at El Invernadero (*), Madrid, Spain; Ricard Camarena, chef at Ricard Camarena Restaurant (**), Valencia, Spain; Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas and Eduard Xatruch, chefs at Disfrutar, Barcelona, Spain; Hugo Muñoz, chef at Ugo Chan, Madrid, Spain;  Artur Martínez, chef at Aürt (*), Barcelona, Spain; Iván Cerdeño,
chef at Iván Cerdeño (**), Toledo, Spain;  Paulo Airaudo, chef at Amelia (**), San Sebastian, Spain; Félix Jiménez, chef at Kiro Sushi (*), Logroño, Spain; Felipe Bao, chef at China Crown, Madrid, Spain; and Julio Zhang, chef at Soy Kitchen, Madrid, Spain.