gastronomad mad food camp 2011 by GASTRONOMAD

Gas·tron·ø·mad Copenhagen | Paris | Madrid

# SPECIAL ISSUE MAD FOODCAMP 2011

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CØNTENTS EDITØ•RIAL

Mad Foodcamp 2011

MANIFEST•Ø

The Nordic Food Manifesto

THØ•UGHTS

The carrot evolution

GASTRØ•INTERVIEW Andoni Luis Aduriz Harold McGee

EDITOR martin weiss ASSISTANT EDITOR mette lassen INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT EDITOR maria canabal PHOTO - DESIGN emanuele terracini gema pastor ENGLISH TRANSLATION tania groth

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EDITØ•RIAL

Mad Foodcamp 2011  | : María Canabal

rom August 27 to 28, Copenhagen hosted the 1st edition of the Mad Foodcamp (Mad means food in Danish, but there was more than a bit of craziness involved!). Nordic food has moved from being an underground movement to enjoying celebrity status in the past two years, in large part thanks to Rene Redzepi of Noma. It feeds into the locavore trends and seasonal fare adopted by more and more chefs like Acurio in Peru, Bras in France, Patterson in California or Aduriz in Spain. All these chefs have something in common: they use ingredients sourced locally, either cultivated or picked in the wild. The Manifesto behind the new Nordic Food is less than ten years old. It is basically cooking with ingredients and produces whose characteristics are particularly 4

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excellent in Nordic climates, landscape and waters. That is how food was prepared hundreds of years ago, and Nordic chefs go back to the same old virtues. Not because of a naïve and romantic dream, but because it makes sense. During the Mad Foodcamp 2011, entitled «Planting Thoughts», chefs, farmers, foragers and scientists from all over the world discussed the future of food. The event was held entirely without sponsor funding. It was not an elitist-ego-fest, as some newspapers and tweets have quipped, especially in Spain or in the UK, where the tweets from the event made it sound «cultists». «Chefs have a new opportunity, and perhaps even an obligation, to inform the public about what is good to eat and why, but we ourselves need to learn much more about issues that are critical

to our world: culinary history, native flora, the relationship between food and food supply systems, sustainability and the social significance of how we eat.» Redzepi wrote in The Guardian newspaper. The MAD Foodcamp, held on a 55,000 square meter meadow jutting up against Copenhagen Harbor, was put together as three separate events in one. One for the public, one for the tradesmen and one for the chefs and scientist (the symposium). The camp was built rustic style, from haystacks and tents. There were cows, outdoor grilling, public talks, and various stalls within various areas that showcased local Nordic artisans and purveyors of local produce, jams, jellies, honey and much more. Visitors could also attend as well conferences helded by «The Nordic Food Lab». A special mention for the carrot evolution speech.

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EDITØRIAL The symposium itself was small, limited to only a couple of hundred attendees from across the world. The intimacy of the environment allowed for much interaction between sessions with discussions and conversation. The presentations that followed over the next two days fell in line with the new Nordic Cuisine Manifesto. Plants were venerated by Stefano Mancuso, François Couplan, Søren Wiuff, Hans Herren, Thomas Harttung, Miles Irving and Harold McGee. The fundamental all-around tenet was the potentials of urban farming. Some of the speaker chefs produced videos showcasing relationships with local-regional purveyors (Andoni Luis Aduriz, Gaston Acurio, and Massimo Bottura). Others spoke of recent developments in their restaurants (David Chang, Magnus Nilsson and Daniel Patterson).

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The demos by Michel Bras with his historic Gargouillou, Iñaki Aitzpitarte with a green «risotto,» and Ben Shewry with a simple dish of abalone with foraged plants, tended toward the natural. Kamal Mouzawak, creator of Souk el Tayeb-Lebanon, was one of most inspirational high notes of the symposium. During his presentation «Make Food Not War» he reflected, “Food is the best expression of yourself, your history, your roots and your land. Tasting the food [that] another has prepared enables you to absorb the food memories of another person, connecting you on a deeper level.” According to Redzepi, interactions with farmers and purveyors «can create real change». He finished by saying, «We’re here to tell you that everything is possible. And even if it’s not, we need to try and believe it is.»

An extremely positive and hopeful mood dominated the festival even though some might have had thoughts about potential food fanaticism. Claus Meyer, the entrepreneur behind both Mad Foodcamp and The Manifesto for The New Nordic Food, told me the story behind the idea that put the Nordic Countries on the map of international cuisine. The true results of MAD Foodcamp will become evident over the next months, even years. We all heard of the Mediterranean Diet. Conference will open a new front, the Nordic Diet.

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MANIFEST•Ø

Manifesto for the New Nordic Kitchen  | : Gas·tron·ø·mad / Tine

s Nordic chefs we find that the time has now come for us to create a New Nordic Kitchen, which in virtue of its good taste and special character compares favourable with the standard of the greatest kitchens of the world.

The aims of New Nordic Cuisine are: 1. To express the purity, freshness, simplicity and ethics we wish to associate with our region. 2. To reflect the changing of the seasons in the meals we make. 3. To base our cooking on ingredients and produce whose characteristics are particularly excellent in our climates, landscapes and waters. 4. To combine the demand for good taste with modern knowledge of health and well-being. 5. To promote Nordic products and the variety of Nordic producers – and to spread the word about their underlying cultures. 6. To promote animal welfare and a sound production process in our seas, on our farmland and in the wild. 7. To develop potentially new applications of traditional Nordic food products. 8. To combine the best in Nordic cookery and culinary traditions with impulses from abroad. 9. To combine local self-sufficiency with regional sharing of high-quality products. 10. To join forces with consumer representatives, other cooking craftsmen, agriculture, the fishing, food, retail and wholesale industries, researchers, teachers, politicians and authorities on this project for the benefit and advantage of everyone in the Nordic countries.

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MANIFEST•Ø

n tant que chefs des pays nordiques, nous constatons que le temps est maintenant venu de créer une nouvelle cuisine nordique, qui en vertu de son excellent goût et de son caractère spécial peut être comparée aux plus grandes cuisines du monde.

Les objectifs de la nouvelle cuisine nordique sont: 1. Exprimer la pureté, la fraîcheur, la simplicité et l’éthique que nous souhaitons associer à notre région. 2. Refléter le changement des saisons dans les repas que nous préparons. 3. Baser notre cuisine dans les ingrédients et les produits dont les caractéristiques sont particulièrement excellentes dans nos climats, nos paysages et nos eaux. 4. Combiner la demande de saveur avec les connaissances modernes en termes de santé et de bien-être. 5. Promouvoir les produits des pays nordiques et la diversité des producteurs nordiques en faisant connaître leurs cultures sous-jacentes. 6. Promouvoir le respect des animaux en engageant des processus de production équitables dans nos mers, dans nos fermes et à l’état sauvage. 7. Développer des applications, potentiellement nouvelles, concernant les produits traditionnels de l’alimentation nordique. 8. Combiner le meilleur de la cuisine nordique et de ses traditions culinaires avec des idées de l’étranger. 9. Combiner l’autosuffisance locale avec le partage régional des produits de haute qualité. 10. Unir les forces des représentants des consommateurs, des cuisiniers, des agriculteurs, des pêcheurs, des industries alimentaires, des chercheurs, des enseignants, des politiciens et des autorités sur ce projet pour un bénéfice commun au sein des pays nordiques.

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MANIFEST•Ø

n calidad de chefs de los países nórdicos, hemos constatado que es el momento idóneo para crear una nueva cocina nórdica, que, en virtud de su excelente sabor y su especial carácter, se puede comparar con las cocinas más importantes del mundo.

Los objetivos de la nueva cocina nórdica son los siguientes:

1. Expresar la pureza, la frescura, la simplicidad y la ética que queremos asociar a nuestra región. 2. Reflejar el cambio de estaciones en las comidas que preparamos. 3. Basar nuestra cocina en los ingredientes y en los productos cuyas características están especialmente adaptadas a nuestro clima, a nuestros paisajes y a nuestras aguas. 4. Combinar el deseo de comidas sabrosas con los conocimientos modernos sobre la salud y el bienestar. 5. Fomentar los productos de los países nórdicos y la diversidad de los productores nórdicos dando a conocer sus culturas subyacentes. 6. Promover el respeto de los animales favorizando los procesos de producción sostenibles en nuestros mares, en nuestras granjas y en el estado salvaje natural. 7. Desarrollar aplicaciones, potencialmente nuevas, para los productos tradicionales de la alimentación nórdica. 8. Combinar lo mejor de la cocina nórdica, y de sus tradiciones culinarias, con las ideas del exterior. 9. Combinar la autosuficiencia local con el intercambio regional de productos de alta calidad. 10. Unir las fuerzas de los representantes de los consumidores, de los cocineros, de los agricultores, de los pescadores, de la industria alimentaria, de los investigadores, de los profesores, de los políticos y de las autoridades en este proyecto para obtener un beneficio común entre los países nórdicos.

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THØ·UGHTS

The carrot evolution : María Canabal | : Sandra Høj

he MAD Foodcamp, held on a 55,000-square-meter meadow jutting up against Copenhagen Harbor, was put together as three separate events in one. One for the public, one for the tradesmen and one for the chefs and scientist (the symposium). The camp was built rustic style, from haystacks and tents. There were cows, outdoor grilling, public talks, and various stalls within various areas that showcased local Nordic artisans and purveyors of local produce, jams, jellies, honey and much more. Visitors could also attend as well conferences helded by «The Nordic Food Lab». A special mention for «the carrot evolution» speech. The ancestors are still around, but today they are considered weeds. The bushy roots smell exactly like carrots (because they are), but there is no use for them… up to now ??

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e MAD Foodcamp s’est tenu dans une prairie sauvage de 55.000 m², juste en face du port de Copenhague, dans un campement où les meules de foin entouraient les tentes. En fait, trois événements distincts avaient lieu au sein d’un même lieu. Un pour les visiteurs, un pour le commerce et le dernier pour les chefs et les scientifiques (the symposium). Il y avait des vaches, des grillades en plein air, des conférences publiques et des stands divers, dans domaines très différents qui mettaient en vedette des fournisseurs des pays nordiques. Les visiteurs ont pu assister à des conférences organisées par «The Nordic Food Lab». Une mention spéciale pour la conférence sur «l’évolution de carotte». Les ancêtres sont toujours là, mais aujourd’hui ils sont considérés comme des mauvaises herbes. Les racines touffues ont exactement la même odeur que les carottes (parce qu’elles en sont), mais ils ne servent à rien…. Pour le moment ??

l MAD Foodcamp tuvo lugar en un prado salvaje de 55.000 m², situado enfrente del puerto de Copenhague, en un campamento donde las balas de heno rodeaban las tiendas. De hecho, tres eventos distintos se llevaron a cabo en un solo lugar. Uno para el público, otro para los comerciantes y el último para los cocineros y científicos (the symposium). Había vacas, barbacoa al aire libre, charlas y stands en campos muy diferentes que destacaban el trabajo de los proveedores de los países nórdicos. Los visitantes pudieron asistir a conferencias organizadas por «The Nordic Food Lab». Una mención especial para la conferencia sobre «la evolución de la zanahoria». Las plantas primitivas siguen existiendo, pero actualmente se consideran como hierbas malas. Las raíces gruesas tienen exactamente el mismo olor que las zanahorias (porque lo son), pero nadie las usa.... ¿¿Por ahora ??

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GASTRØ·INTERVIEW

Andoni Luis Aduriz : Maria Canabal

: Emanuele Terracini / Maria Canabal

hy do you think that René Redzepi invited you to become a lecturer at the Mad FoodCamp 2011?

Manifesto» so the Danish chefs wanted a Basque chef present at the meeting. This is where I met René the first time.

I honestly don’t know...He has known of our work for many years. Shortly after opening NOMA he came to visit me at Mugaritz and spoke with us at length.

What did you think about the «Manifesto of the New Nordic Kitchen»?

Was that when you first met him? I first met René about 7 years ago. The Embassy of Spain in Denmark had invited me to a meeting where the «Manifesto of the New Nordic Kitchen» was presented by a group of chefs. This Manifeso was based upon the already existing 30 year old «Basque Nueva Cocina

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I found it very interesting and it was an honour to be a part of this presentation because, instead of being inspired by the ”nouvelle cuisine French Manifesto” as we, in the Basque country had been, they were inspired by the «Basque Nueva Cocina Manifesto», which in turn was based upon the ‘French Nouvelle Cuisine Manifesto».

How do you explain this? I don’t know how exactly. I sensed, however, that there was a parallel dimension between the Danish and the Basque kitchen. But also in relation to the cultural aspect. I think they realized that in the Basque Country, the Manifesto was a tool for self-affirmation of our Basque culture which had been, until then, somewhat hidden. I think that, in some ways, the Danes had a complex as they had always been influenced by French cuisine because their own kitchen appeared somewhat limited. I think they were aware of the impact that our Manifesto was at a social level in the Basque Country and wished the same for Denmark.

Por qué cree que René Redzepi le invitó a ser conferenciante en Mad Foodcamp 2011?

tiene ya treinta años, querían que en el acto estuviese presente un cocinero vasco. Ahí descubrí a René por primera vez.

Sinceramente, no lo sé... él conoce nuestro trabajo desde hace muchos años. Al poco tiempo de abrir el restaurante NOMA él vino a Mugaritz y charlamos largamente.

¿Le pareció interesante esta presentación?

¿Fué ahí cuando Vd. lo conoció? Hace más o menos siete años, creo que fué en 2004, la embajada de España en Dinamarca me invitó a un encuentro en donde se iba a presentar el «Manifesto de la nueva Cocina Nórdica». Como se había basado en el «Manifesto de la nueva Cocina Vasca», que

Sí. Me pareció interesante y un honor, ya que en realidad, el movimiento de la nueva cocina vasca está influenciado por el movimiento de la nouvelle cuisine. Para mí, fué sorprendente. Al fin y al cabo, nosotros, éramos la consecuencia de otra cosa. Y en lugar de ir a la fuente, a la nouvelle cuisine, pues se fijaron en nosotros.

¿Cómo explica Vd. esto? Exactamente, ignoro los motivos. Intuyo que había un paralelismo entre la dimensión. También en el aspecto cultural. Creo que ellos se dieron cuenta de que para nosotros fué una herramienta para auto-afirmarnos, en el País Vasco, en una cultura que hasta ese momento había estado muy oculta. Creo que en cierto modo estaban un poco acomplejados, siempre con mucha influencia de la cocina francesa ya que su cocina parecía muy limitada. Sin duda se fijaron también en lo que había representado en el País Vasco a nivel social.

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GASTRØ·INTERVIEW

Do you like NOMA? Since dining at NOMA on the first day of launching the manifest, I have returned several times. René always told me, especially at first, that they were interested in Mugaritz, as much of our work was, and is, interconnected with nature. We were both looking to utilize wild plants, produce and herbs in our cooking ... He was always very interested in this. During one of my trips René asked me to accept some of his own team-members at Mugaritz. I think that answers the first question, about my presence at the Mad FoodCamp. René knows us well, and as I said, I had cooks from NOMA working at Mugaritz. I think that he thought that our contribution could be interesting.

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It is the first time René asked me to come to a congress. Currently he is a very important person in the world of gastronomy, in fact he is seen as a reference. He has achieved, in a very short time, to make a significant impact in the world of cuisine and especially with a cuisine that hitherto did not exist - in other words – a totally unknown. I have a very cordial relationship with René and it has been a pleasure to participate in the symposium. After two days of congress, what will apply specifically to Mugaritz? I think these two days have served to reaffirm what I have thought for quite some time. I must confess that some nuances have escaped me, because of the language barrier. There were three meetings, there was talk about science, some cooking, much about ecology and sustainability.

They were like twin themes that were not linked together. I have my own ideas about the most important debate, that of sustainability. After this conference I’m not in any doubt of my views. I thought, however, that it was unfortunate that a round-table debate was not held at the Congress. Meaning? I think that a round table debate would have been important. What I will tell you now is constructive criticism only and what I think we need to consider in order to move forward. First of all, the Congress was very good, indeed brilliant. I think, however, that other issues should be considered in order to have a balanced debate where there also is a place for the presence of critical people with ideas and opinions contrary to those promoted by the Congress.

¿Le gusta el restaurante NOMA? Por otra parte, a mi René nunca me había pedido nada. Actualmente Tras haber comido en NOMA por él es una persona muy importante primera vez el día en el que se en el mundo de la gastronomía, presentó el Manifesto, he vuelto de hecho él es una referencia. Ha varias veces. René siempre me conseguido en muy poco tiempo decía, sobre todo al principio, una repercusión importante por que les interesaba mucho el tra- su cocina, y sobre todo con una bajo de Mugaritz, como nosotros cocina «que no existía», o desde integrábamos la naturaleza, como luego que era desconocida. Tengo íbamos a buscar las plantas sil- una relación muy cordial con él y vestres, las hierbas... siempre le ha sido un placer participar en el intrigó mucho. En uno de mis via- symposium. jes me pidió que recibiese en Mu¿Tras dos días de congreso, garitz a miembros de su equipo. qué va a aplicar concretamente Creo que esto responde a mi en Mugaritz? primera pregunta, sobre su presencia en el Mad Foodcamp Creo que estos dos días me han servido a reafirmar lo que pienso 2011. desde hace ya bastante tiempo. René nos conoce bien, y como Debo confesar que algunos le decía, tuvimos cocineros de matices se me han escapado, NOMA trabajando en Mugaritz. debido al idioma. Han sido tres Creo que él pensó que nuestra congresos, se ha hablado de aportación podía ser interesante.

ciencia, algo de cocina y mucho de ecología y sostenibilidad. Eran como temas paralelos que no estaban enlazados entre sí. Yo tengo mis ideas propias sobre el debate más importante, el de la sosteniblidad. Después de este congreso creo que no estoy equivocado. Quizás me ha faltado debate… ¿Es decir? Creo que faltó una mesa redonda. Lo que voy a indicar ahora, es una crítica constructiva, con el objetivo de avanzar. El congreso ha estado muy bien. Realmente brillante. Opino que para otras ediciones sería interesante tener un debate donde también exista la molesta presencia de la gente que se cita o que se critica y que tiene ideas contrarias a las que promueve el congreso.

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GASTRØ·INTERVIEW

Do you think that there perhaps is too much ”inbreeding”? It is like anything in life, if you only associate with your own kind and don’t take into account or consider new ideas with its wealth of diversity, you will become a deformed monster. It is also important that you, yourself, plant ideas and opinions and see them flourish elsewhere. For that to happen you have to try to have many «ambassadors» who have the ability to change things and sometimes things will change from within. I think that the reflections of the food industry, which is always considered the ”bad guy” in this type of congress, has perhaps a lot of positive things to add to the discussion.

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Is it dangerous to believe that we are always right and that there is only one right way to do things? Absolutely yes. Too often we talk about local, local, local ... constantly, local. At the bottom of what should be talked about are the attributes of what local really means and what it can do for us rather than it just being local! It is a different matter. What do you mean «attributes» of «local»?

That somebody teaches people that they should buy only ”local” products and that local is supposedly the best. For me it is sometimes yes, sometimes no! For me what is important are the attributes of what local is.

It is an abstract and ambiguous concept. It is the same action with different basic intent. It is changing the ethics of action, the action being, fundamentally, the same. Could you illustrate with an example? OK, for example, when we purchase mushrooms at Mugaritz there might be a risk of poisoning a customer. The risk is of course there! However I only want to serve the best quality mushroom that exists. That is my only intention. On the opposite end of the scale someone could poison a customer because he is selling poor quality food merely because there is a profit to be made. The outcome would of course be the same (a sick customer) but the intent is completely different.

¿Demasiada consanguinidad? Es como todo en la vida, si sólo estás con los tuyos, acabas volviéndote un monstruo, te acabas deformando, porque no hay riqueza ni diversidad. Además, tampoco se consigue otra cosa, que es importante: sembrar ideas u opiniones que florezcan en otros lugares. Para que eso ocurra tienes que intentar tener muchos «embajadores» que tengan la posibilidad de cambiar las cosas y a veces las cosas cambian desde dentro. La reflexión del mundo más industrial, que siempre se acusa en este tipo de congresos, quizás tenga mucho que contar…

¿Es peligroso creer que se tiene la razón?

y ambiguo, cambia la ética de la acción, siendo la misma acción.

Sí. Muchas veces se habla de lo local, lo local, lo local... constantemente, lo local. En el fondo de lo que se debería de hablar es de los valores de lo local. Es un tema distinto.

¿Podría ilustrarmelo con un ejemplo?

¿Valores de lo local? Cuando se habla de lo local, se explica a la gente que tiene que consumir productos locales, porque supuestamente lo local es lo mejor. A veces sí, a veces no. Para mí, lo que es importante, son los atributos de lo local. Pasa como todo, la misma acción con diferente intencionalidad de base, que es un concepto abstracto

A Mugaritz vienen vendedores de setas, realmente extraordinarias, y yo se las compro. ¿Qué puede llega a ocurrir? Sin querer, podría intoxicar a un cliente, sería muy grave. Pero el punto de partida es que yo tomo unos riesgos porque quiero dar la mejor calidad que existe. Por contra, otra persona puede intoxicar a un cliente porque está intentando vender cosas de mala calidad para ganar dinero. Especula con el producto. El resultado es el mismo, pero el punto de partida es totalmente distinto.

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GASTRØ·INTERVIEW

Do you think that the “local” message is poorly constructed? Yes, I think so, and this is why I talk so much about ethics in relation too the attributes of what is considered “local”. Another example. In the past two hundred years, we have all but crushed the continent called Africa. We have depleted many of their resources, we have divided and drawn, as if with a ruler, the countries of the continent thereby making big trouble and leaving millions of people in absolute poverty. Some communities in Africa are starting to improve their living conditions by planting and exporting their products. If we then decide that we should not consume any products found farther than 20 km away from our own homes, and if we stop consuming products made and grown by these people, we will be plunging them back into abject poverty, thereby denying them the possibility of creating a better future for themselves.

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Add to this the fact that the world essentially has no borders as such. Then we start to see that the problems of these people end up being, in the end, our own problems. Then things get more complicated. We can not live in a bubble, thinking: «I will stay local, focus only on my own, defend only what is mine and not be concerned that on the other side of the world there is a problem.» If we, for example, do not purchase coffee from Central America, and at a fair price, they might eventually plant coca. Are you speaking of the geopolitics of food? Yes, because basically, we are making policy with food and our choices of food. We should be very careful in this regard. As a cook, if we only buy products from our local environment then we should only have clients from our local environment.

¿El mensaje sobre lo local está mal construído? Creo que sí, por eso yo hablo de la ética y de los atributos de lo local. Otro ejemplo. En doscientos años de historia, hemos machacado un continente, que es Africa. Les hemos exquimado los recursos, hemos hecho países trazados con reglas, hemos dejado grandes problemas y hundido millones de personas en la absoluta miseria. Ciertas comunidades empiezan a mejorar sus condiciones de vida porque estan plantando productos que exportan. Si decidimos que no debemos consumir productos que se produzcan más lejos de 20 km. a la redonda, no consumiremos los productos de estas gentes. Los estaremos sumiendo de nuevo en la más absoluta probreza y no les estaremos dando la posibilidad de que puedan tener un futuro mejor. Si a esto añadimos que en el mundo no hay fronteras y que los problemas de esta gente acabarán siendo nuestros problemas, la cosa se complica aún más. No podemos vivir en una burbuja: «yo me quedo en lo local, me centro en lo mío, defiendo lo mío y no me ocupo de que en el otro lado del mundo hay prolemas». Si no conseguimos que el café tenga un precio justo, y si no consumimos café de Centroamérica, acabarán por plantar coca. ¿Está Vd. Hablando de la geopolítica de la alimentación? Sí, porque en el fondo, hacemos política con la alimentación. Hay que tener mucho cuidado. A la vez, a esto hay que añadir una cosa más sofisticada: los cocineros, somos como pequeños productores. Si sólo compramos productos de nuestro entorno, solo deberíamos tener clientes de nuestro entorno.

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GASTRØ·INTERVIEW

The paradox is that at Mugaritz 94% of our customers are from outside the country (as is, no doubt also the case at NOMA). Mugaritz, as a company, works well because it is global. The world is interested in Mugaritz because of their interest in a global world. I do not stop being Basque simply because I am global minded. I will keep defending my identity and my surroundings. But I reaffirm my identity in sharing, not by separating. In an increasingly homogeneous world, what I have to offer and share of myself is being myself, still me, but also differnt. Not to raise barriers, but to generate a meeting of people and enjoying diversity. I do not understand restaurants that praise only «local» product but who forget that they are living in a global world. It is incomprehensible.

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What about footprint?

the

carbon

When speaking locally we are always talking about the «carbon footprint» because the commonly held view is that locally produced products don’t pollute and those products that come from far away do! In Spain you can buy ecological asparagus from Peru but which, by this standard are not ethical because they have travelled. We are in a world in which you have to choose. It’s that simple. Transport consumes fossil fuels. It is however temporary. Thanks to advances in science, in fifty years it will not. If you think ahead fifty years, however, when carbon foot print from transport is a thing off the past and therefore no longer an excuse, or the justification to only use local products, we will also have lost 90% culture. Along with that you would also have created a 50 year problem in having prevented other export communities the possibility to develop.

La paradoja, es que en Mugaritz, y seguramente será igual en NOMA, el 94% de los clientes, son de fuera del País Vasco. Mugaritz, como empresa, funciona porque es global. Porque interesa a un mundo global. Yo no dejo de ser vasco, no dejo de defender mi identidad y mi entorno. Pero me reafirmo en mi identidad para compartir, no para separar. En un mundo cada vez más homogéneo, la manera que tengo de ofrecerme y compartirme es siendo yo, y siendo distinto. Pero no para generar barreras, sino para generar encuentros, diversidad. No entiendo los restaurantes que hacen la apología de lo local olvidandose de que son globales. Es incoherente. ¿Y la huella carbono? Cuando se habla de lo local se habla siempre de la «huella carbono», porque lo local no contamina y lo que viene de lejos sí. Los espárragos de Perú que se encuentran en España son ecológicos, pero no éticos, porque viajan. Estamos en un mundo en el que hay que elegir. Es así de frío. El transporte consume carburante fósil. Es temporal. Gracias a los avances de la ciencia, dentro de cincuenta años se espera que ya no será así. Si realmente dentro de cincuenta años esto ya no es así, la excusa, o la justificación, de que mover productos deja huella carbono, será algo del pasado, pero por el camino habremos perdido el 90% de la cultura, y habremos generado problemas tan grandes como haber perdido cincuenta años para que otras comunidades se puedan desarrollar.

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GASTRØ·INTERVIEW All this to explain that, in the end, I do speak of the attributes of what is locally produced. I have to demand that the same quality and attributes of products that come from elsewhere has the same quality and attributes that I demand from my local producers. This means that we respect social responsibility, environment, sustainability and above all, cultural traits. What do you mean by cultural traits? For me this is one of the important points. If I buy a local product, for example cod which is part of Basque culinary culture, but which is caught elsewhere in the world, (in the Cantabrian Sea this fish is not found) then I’m also buying a product that has «travelled» from North to South for a 1000 years! Cod has been a part of Basque culture and cooking for that long - if we suddenly decided that we would not purchase cod because it is not ”local” and because it

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leaves a carbon foot print, a part of the Basque culture would be lost. At the same time much of the export of cod from North to South would dry up and many Northern fishermen would suffer or be out of a job! If we speak of production, we might say, «instead of buying coffee from Costa Rica, I’m going to plant coffee which can be cultivated in Europe, thereby being selfsufficient with coffee»! It would, for all intents and purposes, be a locally produced product, but, without having the attributes of being truly local because it does not grow naturally in our countries! We would, at the same time, be destroying something else in the world (a foreign community and an exporter) by building a virtual reality with a product that is not endemic to our soil. But yes, it would still be locally produced! However, I do not want to produce soybeans, I want to buy them from Japanese farmers!

Is this a part of what is considered the trade balance? I am saying: let’s buy salmon from the Norwegians where the salmon is caught. But we also want to be able to sell our Idiazabal cheese to the Nordics! The notion of «I’m not going to cook with olive oil because it is not locally produced» might seem perfect. Except that, instead of moving forward, we will be moving backwards and creating problems. I want people to reflect upon this, to really think about it. We are not alone in an enclosure with walls all around, not knowing or caring about what happens outside. Do you feel the same way about all of the products in the world? Yes. I find it intolerable that a product disappears, be it a product ten kilometers from Errentería or a product from the Philippines, although I have never been to the Philippines. The fact that a product is lost seems to me immoral. We live in an inter-connected world.

Todo esto, para explicar que en el fondo, yo hablo de los atributos de lo local. Tengo que exigir a los productos que vengan de otros lugares del mundo, los mismos atributos que exijo a mis productores locales. Es decir, que respeten la responsabilidad social, el medio ambiente, la sosteniblidad y sobre todo los rasgos culturales. ¿Qué entiende por rasgos culturales? Para mí, es una de las claves. Si compro un producto local de otra parte del mundo, por ejemplo un bacalao, que forma parte de la cultura vasca, a pesar de que en el mar Cantábrico no se pesque, estoy comprando un producto que viaja.... pero... es que lleva viajando mil años!

En el País Vasco tenemos una gran cultura del bacalao y nosotros no tenemos bacalao.. ¿qué hago? me encierro en lo local y no compro más bacalao y dejo sin futuro a los pescadores del norte de Europa? Si hablamos de producir, podría decir: «en lugar de comprar café a Costa Rica, voy a plantar café, que se pueda cultivar en Europa, y hacemos el café nosotros». Sera un producto local, pero sin los atributos de lo local. Estaremos destruyendo algo en otro lugar del mundo, construyendo una realidad virtual y perdiendo riqueza. No quiero producir soja, la quiero comprar a los japoneses. ¿En esto también interviene la balanza comercial, no? En España tenemos poco salmón, comprémoslo a Noruega. Pero también deseo que nuestro queso

de Idiazábal se pueda vender en los paٕíses nórdicos, o nuestro aceite de oliva. Eso de: «no voy a cocinar con aceite de oliva porque no es local», me parece perfecto. Salvo que en lugar de avanzar, estamos retrocediendo. Esto va a crear problemas. Quisiera que la gente reflexione. No nos encerremos con un muro alrededor ignorando lo que ocurre fuera. ¿»Siente» de igual manera todos los productos del mundo? Pues sí. Me es insoportable que un producto desaparezca. Que sea a diez kilómetros de Errentería o en Filipinas. Aunque nunca vaya a Filipinas. Pero el hecho de que un producto se pierda me parece inmoral. Vivimos en un mundo interconectado.

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The hype of using only local product is, in my view, the wrong perspective which will destroy many local products, including yours, in the long run. The reality is very complex. We can not impose upon the public to use exclusively local products.

In addition, the carbon foot print of a strawberry gives life to a community. Local yes, but this should be tempered because the framework of culture welcomes all. Anything else is a fallacy. The ”local only” term is useless. Kiwi’s are now grown here, but the Kiwi is relatively «new» to Europe.

Does the local term not work?

What then is the role of cooks?

Why can’t a strawberry travel because it generates a carbon foot print, but the man who travels the world preaching to people that they should eat only local foods can travel? Does the carbon foot print of the gastropredicator not count in this equasion?

René has said that we must take our own culture and generate knowledge thereof. Each consumer chooses, but they must also know that what they choose has consequences.

In this «local only» scenario the gastropredicator should, to stay true to this teaching and not to be considered hypocritical, swim from California to Paris and then to Africa in order not to make a carbon foot print! (laughing).

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Through a consistent mechanism and through conferences like this, the chefs must do this work. That’s all I, for example, can do. Again, consumers ultimately do what they want, but we must explain to them what the real life consequences are of those choices.

Do the cooks have a new social commitment? No, it has always been this way but people have not been aware of it. Our visibility was not used to make politics... Our kitchen reflects who we are are and the way we see the world. Again, for me, it goes beyond the local geographical concept, it is linked to heritage and tradition. Nature and culture are inextricably linked and if we want to preserve the natural ecosystem, we must preserve our common cultural environment. When René Redzepi introduced Andoni Luis Aduriz he said: - «This is the chef of restaurant Mugaritz. A restaurant impossible to categorize.» The Danish countryside is absolutely wonderful and allows us to understand the inspiration of chef Redzepi while the complexity of the natural philosophy of Mugaritz leave us thoughtful…

El discurso de lo local utilizado con una perspectiva equivocada, acaba con muchos productos locales, incluídos los propios, a la larga. La realidad es muy compleja. No podemos imponer al público productos locales exclusivamente. ¿El término local no sirve? ¿Porqué una fresa no puede viajar y un señor que se recorre el mundo para decir que hay que comer local sí? ¿la huella carbono del gastro-predicador no cuenta? Debería ir a nado, de California a París, y luego a Africa. Para ser coherente (entre risas). Además, la huella de las fresas hace vivir a una comunidad. Lo local, sí, pero con atributos. Sino, es una falacia. La cultura no sólo son los productos locales. El marco de cultura acoje todo. El término local no sirve. Ahora

se cultivan kiwis, pero los kiwis son «relativamente nuevos» en Europa. ¿Cuál es entonces el papel de los cocineros? René lo ha dicho muy bien, tenemos que generar cultura, generar conocimiento. Cada consumidor elije, pero tiene también que saber que lo que elija, tiene consecuencias. A través de un mecanismo de coherencia y a través de congresos como éste, los cocineros debemos realizar esta labor. Es lo único que podemos hacer. Insisto, los consumidores hacen lo que quieren, pero nosotros debemos explicarles cuales son las consecuencias. ¿Tienen un nuevo compromiso social? Siempre ha sido asi. Pero no había una conciencia social. No se utilizaba la visibilidad de los

cocineros para hacer política... Nuestra cocina proyecta la forma en la que vemos el mundo. Insisto, para mí, lo local va más allá de la concepción geográfica, está ligado a una herencia y a una tradición. La naturaleza y la cultura son inextricables y si queremos preservar el ecosistema natural, debemos preservar nuestro entorno cultural.

Cuando René Redzepi presentó a Andoni Luis Aduriz, lo hizo diciendo: - «Es el chef del restaurante Mugaritz. Un restaurante imposible de catalogar». La campiña danesa es absolutamente maravillosa y al verla, entendemos la inspiración del chef Redzepi. Al tiempo, la complejidad de la filosofía natural de Mugaritz nos deja aturdidos.

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GASTRØ·INTERVIEW

Harold McGee : María Canabal

egendary author/food scientist Harold McGee held a speech at Mad Foodcamp about “The Flavours of Plant Life.” After his first time having Nordic Cuisine at NOMA, we had a chat with him:

What do you think some of the common goals are for those who attended the symposium? This time is full of possibility and also confusion. Today any cook in any country can cook with almost any ingredient known to the world, and use any of the many techniques that have been developed in traditional kitchens and in modern experimental kitchens. So now the question for any cook is: what should I choose to cook, and how, and why? Out of this infinity of possibilities, how can I create a way of cooking that makes sense for me personally, for the culture I live in, and for the planet as a whole?

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I believe that is the question that brought many people to the food camp, because the organizers created a program of subjects and speakers to help address that question from a variety of viewpoints. How would you explain the term New Nordic Cuisine to someone who has no idea what it means? I have only eaten at one restaurant that would fall into this category, so I would mostly be repeating what others have told me about New Nordic Cuisine. I have nothing really original to say about that.

How can a chef transform what was communicated at the conference into something tangible within the context of their own restaurant? The way chefs can transform the content of the meeting into something useful is to reflect constantly about what they are doing, and why, to examine their approach in light of what they heard at the meeting, and to experiment- to try new approaches, new ingredients, new ways of serving, new relationships with their suppliers and their diners. As the meeting made clear, there is a tremendous new energy infusing the restaurant world. The way to benefit from it is to participate in this worldwide process of reflection and innovation.

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