XIX Trobada Gastronòmica | Balance, proximity and consciousness, the keys to a healthy Catalan cuisine

The XIX Trobada Gastronòmica: Catalan Cuisine and Health, organized by the CETT, Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy, with the collaboration of the UB Chair of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy, has analyzed how Catalan cuisine can respond to current trends and needs in a healthy and sustainable way without losing sight of the gastronomic approach. 

In the framework of “Catalunya, Regió Mundial de la Gastronomia” (Catalonia, World Gastronomy Region), the event, held on April 28 and hosted by food journalist Carme Gasull, reflected on the impact of the rhythms of life on food and explored ways to rethink Catalan cuisine. 

Gastronomy is closely linked to identity, sustainability and health. As Carles Gaig, godfather of the event, says: “Catalan cuisine is brutally rich and the new generations must take it and transfer it to a modernity with respect and innovation.” 

To achieve this, the chef Carme Ruscalleda, has put in value the importance of making the dishes “sexy”: "the first thing that acts on a dish is the look. The visual and olfactory message makes health. It is important to make it beautiful as well as nutritious and healthy". In addition, she insists on the need to do it in all kitchens, from home kitchens to restaurants, supermarkets and caterings of all kinds. 

For her part, nutritionist Natalia Toro, from the Torribera Food Campus (UB), points out that the influences of other cuisines are distancing us from the benefits of Mediterranean cuisine: “we are distancing ourselves from the usual taste and we use unhealthy flavor enhancers with chemicals and additives” and reminds us that our cuisine has products with the potential to perform this task and nutritionally balance the dishes. 

Sustainability is essential in a balanced diet and can be promoted from different areas. During the day, the importance of labeling has been highlighted, especially at a time when expressions such as “healthy” predominate, and the relevance of quality and proximity products. Carlota and Clara Puigvert, chefs of Les Cols Restaurant, shared the success story of their vegetable garden, which allows a km0 circular circuit. 

However, one must go beyond the nutritional component. Cuisine has a social and cultural component that cannot be ignored, as well as a direct impact on well-being and emotional health. In the words of Dr. Helena Martín, director of the Cooking and Gastronomy Research Group at CETT-UB, “we study the gastronomic experience because eating well is not just about eating a balanced meal, it is about being able to connect”. 

Diets are a challenge because each person has different needs, in terms of health and personal choices. However, in this regard, it is worth highlighting the socioeconomic role of a balanced diet, as Dr. Dídac Mauricio, head of the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition Research Group at the Sant Pau Research Institute, points out: “eating well comes at a high price and, consequently, the most disadvantaged social strata are those who eat the worst”. 

The research staff of the academy and those of the health centers collaborate closely to find both food and culinary techniques to achieve the desired impact of the products. Synergies between culinary professionals from different disciplines are key to providing solutions to the current public health problem. 

Thus, the XIX Trobada Gastronòmica has enhanced these unions with a round table with professionals from the world of health as Dr. Teresa Garriga Baraut, referent CCEE Pediatric Allergology Unit of the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Dr. Raquel Nogués, nutritionist at Teknon Medical Center, and Dr. Dídac Mauricio. 

The XIX Trobada Gastronòmica has recalled that Catalan cuisine is healthy in itself and that the keys to a good diet are balance, local produce and awareness in food during all its processes.