MADRID FUSION: the Return of the World’s Most Influential Haute-Cuisine Summit
David Muñoz, one of the brightest stars in the Madrid Fusion firmament
by Margaux Cintrano
Photos courtesy Madrid Fusion Media Relations
The 20th edition of Madrid Fusion Alimentos de España, the leading Spanish gastronomic conference and trade fair, held between the 28th and the 30th of March 2022, kicked off by highlighting the role of chefs. Which was to be expected considering that the motto of the fair was “mas alla del producto (beyond the product).”
There were new talents among diefied chefs
In previous editions of Madrid Fusion, the emphasis had been on the product. This year the focus was undoubtedly on the people capable of elevating the best raw materials even further.
Here’s an abbreviated list of the 2022 “stars” of Madrid Fusion, one of the world’s greatest chef shows: three Michelin-starred restaurant El Celler de Can Roca and its Head Chef Joan Roca; three-Michelin starred chefs David Muñoz and Rene Redzepi; multi-Michelin starred chefs Albert Adrià, Quique Dacosta, Diego Guerrero, and (Brazilian) Alex Atala; Michelin-starred chef Rodrigo De La Calle and lady chef Elena Arzak.
Joan Roca, right
These stars talked about the dishes that have surprised them the most and added a shining light on gastronomy´s forgotten traditional elements, the ingredients they utilise, and those dishes that they created most recently. They addressed sustainability, sourcing, and cooking with seasonal ingredients.
The Spanish company, Balfego, a Madrid Fusion 2022 participant known for fighting to save the bluefin tuna as well as its strict adherence to sustainability throughout all stages of production and commercialization
After a two-year hiatus made mandatory by the pandemic, Madrid Fusion 2022 outdid itself, breaking its previous records on participation, public attendees, and accredited journalists. It was as if it just had to make up for lost time, as well as reassert its acclaimed position as the leading influencer at gastronomy trade fairs of premier rank.
Mark these dates on your calendar: the 23rd, 24th and 25th of January 2023. That’s when the XXI edition of Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España will take place. Who’s to say it won’t bust the records of the year 2022’s record-busting event!
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Vineyard Recovery and New Wines
All the excitement and emotion surrounding the world of wine was palpable at the 2022 Madrid Fusion’s “The Wine Edition: Wines from Spain” which was sponsored by Foods & Wines from Spain. At its inaugural presentation, the different projects underway in Spain seeking to recover old vineyards in the mountains of Galicia and the Canary Islands, where some of the best grape-growing lands of Spain are situated but have been ignored, were explained by winemaker Telmo Rodríguez; Fernando Mora, Master of Wine and head of Bodegas Frontonio in Aragón; Ricard Rofes from Valldencomte, in Priorat; and Roberto Santana and Alfonso Torrente from Envínate.
Michelin-starred Quique Dacosta: in his restaurant Jose Antonio Navarrete works as sommelier
Discussing issues related to the serving of wines and pairings were José Antonio Navarrete, sommelier at Restaurant Quique Dacosta; Annegret Kühner, Sommelier at Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Ferrán Centelles, the former Sommelier at El Bulli.
Pedro Ballesteros, Master of Wine, explained the peculiarities of the wines from the Spanish–Portuguese border (“wines that speak of history”) and compared six wines with Sommelier Pedro Ramos of Restaurant Alma in Lisbon, Portugal.
The highlight was a roundtable discussion on the new wines from the Designation of Origin, Jérez de La Frontera.
Renowned winemaker and producer of Pingus in Ribera del Duero, Danish Peter Sissek, presented his new project featuring sherries, “the greatest of Spanish wine.”
On that inaugural day, bridges were built between the vintage and the new wines.
