Twelve international chefs will compete for the title of best paella chef at the World Paella Day Cup 2024which will take place next Friday 20th in the surroundings of La Pérgola de La Marina in Valencia. The competition, which this year has the motto “Paella, a universal language”, can be followed live: between 10:00 and 14:00, a live “showcooking” will take place and portions of different paellas will be served at popular prices.
THE 12 finalists Who will compete this year, selected from more than 50 candidates from around the world, will be John Kenwright (Ireland), Jordane Estevez (France), Giuseppe Bardelli (Italy), Irina Cristina Turcu (Romania), Nick Todorov (Bulgaria), Michelangelo Moreno (Colombia), Jorge Alberto Castellanos Rodríguez (Mexico), Franklin Javier Dasso Seminario (Peru), Joe Padilla (Puerto Rico), Avinash Agarwal (United Arab Emirates), Yuqin Yang (China) and Shingo Hinokio (Japan).
Before the competition, presented this Friday, the finalists will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Valencian gastronomic culture, visiting the orchard, the rice fields of the Albufera, the fish market and the traditional municipal markets. In this way, they will know first-hand the city and its surroundings as well as the quality and authenticity of local products, says the municipality.
From this Friday 13th to Thursday 19th, the Paella World Cup trophy, designed by the Fallero artist José Luis Platero, will be exhibited at the Central Market of Valencia. On the afternoon of the 19th, the trophy will be moved to the Levante UD stadium, where the draw of the chefs for the grand final will take place.
Chabe Soler in Peru and Begoña Rodrigo in Japan
In addition, the Visit Valencia Foundation has organized promotional actions in various parts of the world, such as ‘demonstration kitchens‘ by chefs Chabe Soler in Peru and Begoña Rodrigo in Japan.
With all this, World Paella Day seeks not only to exalt the art of paella, but also to reinforce the image of Valencia as a healthy, sustainable and “authentic” city. “On September 20, Valencia and the world will speak the same language: that of paella, a universal language,” said the tourism councilor, Paula Llobet, in addition to recalling that Valencia is the European Green Capital and that “paella as The Navy They are emblems of this capital.”
As Regional Secretary of Tourism, José Camarero has chosen to “give importance not only to the dish and its ingredients, but also to the entire preparation process and the tradition it represents for Valencians.”Making paella is a ritual“It is the best way to represent ourselves as a society and as a destination at the national and international level, because it conveys our most identifying traits,” he recalled.
And the director of the Provincial Tourism Council, Xavi Pascual, stressed that World Paella Day is an opportunity to introduce participants to the city and its province and everything it offers through experiential visits to neighboring enclaves, “thus becoming new prescribers of our territory as a tourist destination.”
