Albert Adrià: “Everything fits into our NON-philosophy”

Albert Adrià returns to present his concept in Enigma once again in San Sebastián Gastronomika, where priority is given to the product and to the style of having no style.

“I love listening to chefs’ lectures, because it’s just as important to talk about how you cook, as it is to cook how you talk. I am not worried about the new generations, but I am concerned about their discourse when defending their cuisine”, assures the younger Adriá, who came to Donostia to defend his discourse for the second consecutive year. “Congresses act as therapy or as a reflection; last year I explained what Enigma was, but after being open for 15 months my ideas have completely changed. I only open in the evenings, I offer a tasting menu which includes no finger food, I cook above all for foreigners and I do not make neighbourhood haute cuisine. I don’t even take notice of what I say”, he joked.

What he does have very clear is his passion, which he classifies as an obsession, for quality and the seasonality of the product, and for endless creative freedom. “I don’t want to tell a story nor do I want to create a philosophy: I’m looking for a style which hasn’t arrived yet, and meanwhile I enjoy cooking again”, he recognises. He claims to not have a creative system, but operates by using the theory of ideas, the moment, of starting from scratch. “My creative system is a cloud, that mutates, it comes together with other clouds or disappears after a storm”, he explained. He does recognise that he is interested in essentiality, not distorting his view to what shouldn’t be, and prioritises the essential over the unusual, above all “when the explanation of a dish leaves no doubt. Emotion should be achieved through the essentiality of the flavour, for which we should decipher its DNA” he argued.

The ingenious and nonconformist Albert Adrià finds his expressive language through a tasting menu which changes several times a year according to the seasonality of the products, by constituting a global ensemble which summarises his creative anarchy. Today he brought three dishes from Enigma to the congress kitchen such as a gelification of green coconut with caviar, accompanied by a sheet of tender green coconut painted with ham fat, and a touch of thyme and lemon; a mozzarella soufflé, “a recipe, the result of when the muse visits you”, prepared from mozzarella whey, hot foam, albumin, xanthan and fish tail, a steak tartar with ox from Burgos converted into fresh sobrassada prepared on the spot, served on his light air-filled pancake.

Related news

News

San Sebastian, open city', the slogan of the 26th edition of Gastronomika

The doyen of gastronomic congresses will seek to establish itself even more firmly in Donostia, to reconnect with its society and to go beyond the confines of the Kursaal to open up to all forms of cuisine.

News

Gastronomika is consolidated as "the chefs' congress" at the best event in its 25-year history

San Sebastián Gastronomika-Euskadi Basque Country closed down its best congress yet in 25 years, not so much in view of the record attendance or the quality of the programme and the chefs involved, but most of all for the positive attitude over the three days. An emotional and very special event signifying a return to the foundational spirit, the spirit of the chefs' congress, where everyone wants to be and get involved.

News

From the Amazon to the Mediterranean ... with a stopover in the Basque Country

Ricard Camarena and Alex Atala put the finishing touch to the 25th San Sebastián Gastronomika with a creative Jam Session of local produce.

News

Leonor Espinosa, her commitment and her soul

The Colombian chef touches on the main aspects of her Funleo foundation, and underlines the importance of passion over technique

News

Cuisine based on the hyperseasonality of nature

Chef Matthew Lightner reconnected with his vocation in the valleys of Oregon, combining creativity with biology and climate activism

News

Gastronomika shows the power of gastronomy as a lever for social change

A day with a full house, which paid tribute to Zuberoa throughout the entire day and placed value on the commitment of José Andrés or Rasmus Munk. Ángel León surprises us once again with a sea bean which will be on the menu at the restaurant in Cadiz next year.

News