Auténtica, the great event for gastronomic products with values associated with the Mediterranean diet, closed its doors yesterday after positioning itself as the benchmark fair for the agri-food industry in southern Spain. For two days, 8,404 managers in mass distribution and retail, chefs and hospitality entrepreneurs came to FIBES to discover the latest in high-end gourmet food and beverages, generating an economic impact of 12 million euros in the city of Seville.
The show hosted a new edition of Authentic Congresswho brought together 233 experts to showcase different initiatives and projects, cook live and discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise around the sector. In the field of gastronomy and haute cuisine, renowned chefs such as Paco Morales***, Benito Gómez**, Javier Olleros**, Maca de Castro*, Juan Carlos García* and Hideki Matsuhisa*were presented in the Culinary Fest by Gusto del Sur space, highlighting the agri-food excellence of our territory with quality Gusto del Sur products. All of them talked about the concepts that inspire the menus of their restaurants and the weight of the quality of the products in the variety of their dishes. In addition, they gave live recipe demonstrations and were able to share a space with other renowned professionals from different fields such as art, sports or writing.
Regarding the exaltation of the Mediterranean product that Auténtica defends, Paco MoralesChef of the Noor restaurant, stressed that “it is essential to know the historical heritage to know where we come from and where we are going. We are always associated with bull hide, citrus fruits, olive oil or ham, but our products, more than products are a way of life. We must be proud of all these traditions and this year we present a menu inspired by recipes and flavors from different historical periods.”
For his part, Benito GomezChef of the Bardal restaurant, stressed that “for me, cooking is the know-how of seasoning. Sometimes we cooks feel like we are not up to par, but it is not necessary to add emulsions or clouds in all recipes. In fact, our cuisine shines for its few artifices, because they are not necessary when the product is good. What defines us is our way of sublimating the flavor.
Precisely, on the importance of taking good care of the product and using local foods, Castro Macachef of the Maca de Castro restaurant, explained that in his restaurant “we now have four gardens that we harvest every day. We harvest organic, non-GMO crops and that is important. Although it may seem strange, we have to consume ugly vegetables. They are the most natural, the healthiest and the ones that taste best. In this regard, Hideki MatsuhisaThe chef of the Koy Shunka restaurant, stressed that “it is essential to have a good product and the materials to process it. We start cooking as soon as the product arrives at the restaurant, that is what respect for the product and the whole process translates into.”
A universe of possibilities around the premium-gourmet product
The second edition of Auténtica was a showcase for the latest innovations in high-end gourmet food and beverages. From hot sandwiches to ice cream, citrus caviar, olive ice cream or plant-based meat made from pea protein, a total of 251 exhibiting companies They presented their latest innovations in the two FIBES pavilions, demonstrating the quality of our country’s agri-food products. In addition to discovering the latest developments in the sector, the professionals present at Auténtica 2024 were also able to gain inspiration, create synergies, taste high-quality products and access exclusive live cooking shows.
Auténtica Premium Food Fest is an event in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía, thanks to co-financing with the European FEDER funds, and has the support of the Seville City Council, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Landaluz, Agrifood Cooperatives of Andalusia, as well as the main business associations in the sector.
