Gastronomy
World Region of Gastronomy 2025
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Catalonia will be the 2025 World Region of Gastronomy, a distinction awarded by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, and Tourism (IGCAT) to highlight and promote work to raise awareness about quality food and education for better nutrition and sustainable tourism.
Traditional cuisine combined with avant-garde creativity has elevated Catalonia and its cuisine to the most prestigious international position, attracting visitors from all over the world.
Catalonia has a large number and diversity of restaurants, with currently
65 Michelin stars in 50 restaurants
In the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Catalan restaurants have ranked first place more times than any other region in the world.
The Culinary revolution and World-renowned gastronomy
Ferran Adrià, head chef of El Bulli (Costa Brava, Catalonia), World’s Best Restaurant in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, has led the culinary revolution based on innovation and new food textures and experiences, creating a new language based on both flavour and technique.
The Roca Brothers – El Celler de Can Roca (Girona) also entered the World’s Best Restaurant top 50 in 2013, and have been at the top of the list on two occasions.
In July 2022, Disfrutar in Barcelona, run by chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch i Mateu Casañas who started their careers in El Bulli, ranked in number 2 on the World’s Best Restaurant list.
The restaurant Les Cols (Garrotxa, Catalonia), run by the chef Fina Puigdevall and her three daughters, is yet another of many examples of the culinary and gastronomic excellence and international recognition of Catalan cuisine.
Globally pioneering research centres in Gastronomy and Nutrition
Catalonia has several internationally-recognised research centers dedicated to food, innovation and knowledge transfer, such as IRTA, a public organisation focused on R&D in the agri-food sector, Alícia Foundation, El Bulli Foundation, etc.
Alícia Foundation is a research center dedicated to culinary technological innovation, improvement of eating habits, promotion of food related to health and the preservation of gastronomic heritage.
El Bulli Foundation, promoted and led by Ferran Adrià, works with a vision based on the desire to promote innovation and creativity through the language of cooking, preserving the legacy and spirit of the prestigious Restaurant El Bulli for society and researching and experimenting to enhance talent.
