“Stammering, indecisive and erratic”. With these three adjectives José Carlos Capel, founder of Madrid Fusión (MF), defines the 2003 International Gastronomy Congress, which this Monday, 28 March, kicked off its 20th edition with the slogan “Beyond the product”. It is a congress that is now the world’s leading event for avant-garde cuisine.
From Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 march, Hall 14 of the IFEMA exhibition centre hosted many of the current gods of the gastronomic Olympus who have returned to the congress. For example, René Redzepi, chef and owner of Noma (Copenhagen), number 1 in the world according to the renowned list The World’s 50 Best Restaurants; Massimo Bottura, whose Osteria Francescana is an Italian culinary legend that was number 1 in 2016 and 2018 in the aforementioned ranking, Gastón Acuario (fourth best eatery in Latin America), who made the great diversity of Peruvian cuisine known internationally, the Brazilian Alex Atala (D. O.M. restaurant, number 3 in Latin America)… Or Dabiz Muñoz (DiverXO, the only three Michelin stars in Madrid), the best chef in the world, according to The Best Chef Awards.
The event hosted the second edition of Madrid Fusión The Wine Edition, which included master tastings, samplings and workshops. There was a congress within the congress: Madrid Fusión Pastry, which vindicated the world of patisserie and bakery and was attended by Albert Adrià and David Gil (authors of the book Candy, los postres de elBarri) and masters of sweets such as Paco and Jacob Torreblanca and Ricardo Vélez.
There were also competitions for all tastes and audiences: from the Revelation Chef to the Croquette Competition, in which the winners of the seven previous editions will compete to win the Champion Croquette of Champions. In addition, The Drinks Show will be held within the framework of Madrid Fusion, a congress on the avant-garde of world cocktails, which this year celebrates its fifth edition.
Daniel Rodriguez Merino
