San Sebastian Gastronomika closes its most reflective edition with a call to cook from truth, emotion and respect

Gastronomika consolidated its figures from the previous year with 14,621 accredited attendees from 48 different nationalities and 1,362 delegates in the auditorium, a third of whom sampled the more than 10,000 tastings served. And the tent hosting the 2nd Tavern and Tavern Owners Forum was once again packed to capacity over the two days of this initiative, which began in 2014.

The Kursaal Auditorium hosted the third and final day of San Sebastian Gastronomika-Euskadi Basque Country 2025, a gathering that brought together technical mastery, emotion, and reflection on fire, sustainability, and memory. Japanese chef Katsuhito Inoue paid homage to Basque tradition by reinterpreting curd, pil-pil sauce, and charcoal-grilled steak; José Gordón championed authenticity and time as essential ingredients; and Jordi Roca transformed autumn into a sweet narrative brimming with color and nostalgia. The program was rounded out by the Basque Culinary Center, with its vision of the future through fermentation; Thalía Barrios from Oaxaca, who championed smoke as an ancestral language; and Italian chef Luigi Pomata, who reminded the audience that sustainability begins with respect for scarcity.

Chef Katsuhito Inoue, head chef of Chef's Table by Katsuhito Inoue (Kyoto, Japan), presented a talk that blended Japanese tradition and Basque inspiration under the title "Japanese Charcoal-Grilled Dishes with Basque Inspiration." A disciple of Andoni Luis Aduriz, Inoue recalled that his time in the Basque Country "taught me to value my culinary culture more and to share that knowledge," which is why he wanted to reinterpret local symbols such as curd, pil-pil sauce, and steak with peppers through the "calm fire" of charcoal. In a presentation of delicate culinary poetry, he explained his philosophy based on the 72 seasons of the Japanese calendar—observing how a plant blooms or how a fruit changes color—and championed charcoal, or bincho-tan, as a "spiritual interpreter of the ingredient," capable of providing harmony, texture, and depth. Among his creations, he highlighted a milk tofu with charcoal inspired by curd, a grilled Ayu fish, an eggplant in miso with a nod to pilpil and a wagyu steak in the style of the Basque steak, crowned with roasted peppers "to convey the memory of my experience in Spain".

The morning continued with José Gordón, the heart and soul of El Capricho (Jiménez de Jamuz, León), who led the talk 'Obsession and Respect: The Philosophy of a Unique Project,' a declaration of principles about authenticity, the nobility of the product, and time as an essential ingredient. “My restaurant is a circular project, born in childhood, when I learned what it meant to make the most of resources,” he recalled with emotion. In his speech, deeply rooted in the land, Gordón paid homage to the ox, to the farmers who keep native breeds alive, and to a way of understanding cuisine based on truth. “Through authenticity, one achieves excellence,” he affirmed, championing patience as a virtue in the face of immediacy. For him, El Capricho is much more than a restaurant: “It is a grilling school, a way of life where passion, sustainability, and consistency meet in the warmth of the fire.”

Sweet autumn

The highlight of the day was Jordi Roca's presentation, 'A Sweet Autumn Journey,' a sensory voyage that intertwined memory, color, and emotion. The pastry chef of El Celler de Can Roca**** evoked childhood through desserts that awaken nostalgia—ball pits, edible playdough, games, and vibrant colors—and presented four creations inspired by autumnal tones and flavors: oranges, chestnuts, and sweet potatoes transformed into ephemeral stories. "Desserts aren't learned, they're experienced," Roca asserted, explaining that each creation is born from memory and play. In his presentation, technique serves emotion: from a reinvented teacup with shredded coconut and humorous touches to a chromatic dessert celebrating the ochres of autumn. "Colors aren't just visual pigments; they are carriers of emotion," he concluded, leaving a lesson in sensitivity and gastronomic poetry.

Following this, the director and several faculty members of the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) presented their new commitment to applied culinary research, titled 'Goe: Fermentation as a Path to a Delicious Future'. On stage, director Joxe Mari Aizega, along with professors Cipriano Carrero and Eneko Oizcue, student Laura Ann, and innovation manager John Regefalk, outlined a vision for the future based on science and creativity. Aizega highlighted the BCC's fourteen-year history and announced the opening of Goe, a space conceived as a laboratory for art and gastronomic innovation: "Gastronomika is a major value chain for promoting a delicious future," he emphasized.

The conversation revolved around fermentation as a living process, increasingly present in students' projects, a symbol of a paradigm shift towards a cuisine that listens to natural rhythms. As an example, they offered a cheesecake fermented with enzymes, demonstrating how technique and curiosity can transform flavor and pave the way for a more conscious and creative gastronomy.

Contemporary reflection

Thalía Barrios, from Levadura de Olla* (Oaxaca, Mexico), shared her vision in a presentation titled 'Smoke Kitchens as a Nervous System'. The chef, passionate about showcasing Oaxacan culinary traditions, spoke of smoke not only as a technique but as a sensory language that connects origin and emotion. “In my kitchen, fire isn't just for heating; it also imparts smoky and charred flavors,” she explained. During her presentation, she recalled learning to handle firewood from her grandmother in her community as a child, defining her work as “real food where each dish carries a story and a lot of work.”

The day at the Auditorium concluded with a talk by Luigi Pomata (Cagliari, Italy), who offered a contemporary perspective on 'Transhumance and Sustainability,' advocating a return to gastronomic models based on respect, reuse, and the absence of waste. Pomata, a leading figure in the Mediterranean bluefin tuna sector, explained that sustainability has been a traditional practice, "a simple concept that speaks to respect for raw materials." He criticized the evolution of mass consumption since the 1980s and argued for a return to the value of scarcity and the essence of products: "In times when we had little, the best was used; that lesson is essential today," he concluded.

About contests and winners

The 16th National Grilling Competition, held as part of San Sebastian Gastronomika – Euskadi Basque Country, today crowned Olivi Grill, from Usurbil (Gipuzkoa), and Discarlux Meat Company as champions of this edition, succeeding grill master Vanesa Martín (El Alfoz de Burgos, from Villagonzalo de Pedernales) and Cárnicas Guikar in the winners' circle. The ribeye steak grilled by Francisco Javier, 'Pako', Aldapaga was the third of the eight entered in the competition. According to the grill master, it was an excellent Emmental beef cut, aged for approximately 45 days. "In addition to the superb meat selected by Discarlux, we were able to adjust the cooking times to meet the competition's requirements. Furthermore, the meat had excellent marbling, and the searing was perfect," he said, somewhat overwhelmed. Beside him, Napoleón Lertxundi, owner of the Asador Olivi Restaurant and the Saizar Group, happily recalled how Saizar, with the support of Discarlux, had also won this competition in 2022, and now Olivi had done so as well. In both cases, the third time was the charm.

Meanwhile, Ferran Polls has been proclaimed "Olive Oil Chef", after winning the "Jaén, Paraíso Interior" International Cooking Prize in which he competed with seven other chefs.