Cooking, the way to prepare foods, is a fundamental part of the culture and history of a society. Preserving this identity is therefore a culinary, as well as a cultural challenge.
Eating is one of the most transcendent, humble and human acts one can do. Transcendent, because a person’s behavior at the table defines an entire civilization. Human, because the mere act of eating is necessary to all, and as ancient as the existence of mankind. Gastronomy confirms that there are aspects of the human diet that every culture expresses in its own way. Eating is not only a biological need, it can also become a language, and therefore, a reflection of its own culture.
A society’s structure evolves. As does its cooking. Created every day by its people. This is how gastronomy is recognized as its own, different from others. And our cuisine is no exception. In fact, it is an example.
The richness of Catalan gastronomy is observed by the profusion of its practice and the variety of its knowledge. Catalan cuisine shapes a diverse framework that requires attention, organization and coordination. It needs stable and constant reflection, and established priorities. Our gastronomy demands a necessary, common starting point to confirm where we are, where we are going, and what the horizons hold for us.
Gastronomy is a universal aspect of all human communities. Each society cooks in its own way, and the experience is perceived differently in each. The evidence of this diversity is a legacy that must be preserved.
Welcome to the ACGN,
Carles Vilarrubí i Carrió
