He has been working for years to capture the natural aromas of his environment and to transfer them coherently into his culinary universe, and he has not stopped until he has achieved this. I like to go deeper into each project I start, because that is the only way to evolve", he confesses, after showing the progress of a project he started in 2007 with the Department of Advanced Chemistry of the University of the Basque Country, which today allows him to incorporate, almost as a main ingredient, the scent of freshly baked bread, cut grass, woods, embers or "roasted chestnuts that take me back to my childhood". The aroma is the preamble to happiness', he assures us.

In a fish tank, Eneko demonstrated how focused ultrasound creates micro-vibrations that cause the odour molecules of any submerged object to be released and impregnated in the water. The problem is that in water they evaporate very quickly or even deteriorate, so it is too short-lived. So we use oil as a fixative, which, when burned together with the glycerine, also releases the molecules, but they last longer,' he explains. It is a technique that they use not only to create aromatic ingredients for new dishes, but also "to create an evocative effect in spaces". In the garden of Azurmendi*** (Larrabetzu), for example, we do it in the first pass so that the snacks blend in with the environment.

The aroma is edible

After explaining the development of this interesting project, Eneko moved on to the show cooking part of his presentation, demonstrating live how the aromas are prepared and how they blend with the rest of the ingredients 'as in a coupage', to evoke elements that are absent or even confuse and surprise the diner in a wonderful way. For example, with a chimney flavour, he wrapped a roasted pepper ice cream in a chimney, provoking a clash of ideas between hot and cold. And he showed how it can be used to enrich dishes such as sea urchin in textures, seaweed or any seafood stew, evoking the mist of the sea.

He also completed a fish soup with the aroma of preserved oil, "making it almost chewy", and a dish of oysters with seafood granita was given a hint of glow without even bringing it close to the fire, "simply adding the aroma of toasted vine shoots". Finally, a dish of Iberian pork in trotter broth with piparras pesto, mushrooms and crispy cheeks, to which he added the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, left the audience with their taste buds wide open.