The D*na Festival stands out in its seventh edition as one of the great gastronomic events of the year. Throughout the weekend, more than 30,000 people visited the Marineta Cassiana promenade in Denia (Alicante) looking for the best culinary experiences. Quique Dacosta, winner of two Michelin stars and Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, was the protagonist of the ode to gastronomy of a city recognized as a Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO.
In an edition that was a true love letter to the land, the garden and its inhabitants, the last day of the festival was the final touch of a weekend full of emotions and flavors, led by renowned chefs such as Begoña Rodrigofrom the restaurant La Salita (Valencia), Susi Diaz from La Finca (Elche), Luis Valls, from El Poblet (Valencia) and the Madrid chef Ramon Freixaamong many others.
In a luxurious setting facing the Mediterranean Sea, the chefs shared thoughts and culinary techniques around the use of fresh and seasonal products, reinforcing the idea that excellence in cooking begins on the ground. Rodrigo opened the afternoon by emphasizing the importance of maintaining authenticity in the kitchen, while Díaz highlighted in an interesting intervention how the temporality of the ingredients determines the quality of the final dish. Luis Vallsof the restaurant El Poblet (Valencia), was another key figure of the era, providing a vision on the capacity of haute cuisine to look to the past to save traditional flavors without losing sight of innovation. And the final touch was added by the Madrid chef Ramon Freixawith a presentation in which he demonstrated how the traditional can coexist with the avant-garde without betraying the origins of the ingredients from the land.
In addition to the conferences, participants in this closing day of D*na were able to participate in practical workshops which opened the doors to techniques and concepts accessible to both experts and amateurs. Ramón Freixa, Susi Díaz and Luis Valls offered some of the most anticipated workshops at Espace Aqualia, where they showed how to create haute cuisine dishes with local, accessible and local products. They were joined by Begoña Rodrigo and María José Martínez, chef de cuisine of the Lienzo restaurant (Valencia), sharing with the participants master classes where respect for local products was essential.
Inside Kitchen areaactivities such as a nitrogen fruit popsicle workshop offered a more playful and experimental take, and others addressed the connection between the Vinalopó grape and rice, showing how these key ingredients of the region can be reevaluated in current gastronomy. There was also a space for children and families, with recycling workshops and good cooking practices, focused on promoting responsible consumption.
The day ended with other interesting activities, such as a demonstration of aperitif cocktails that captured the Mediterranean essence in every sip, or workshops on artisanal pickles and ice cream, which delighted fans of traditional cuisine.
The orchard of the Marina Alta region was very present at the festival, constituting an essential part of the tastings and culinary demonstrations of the chefs of the region, during which they discussed, among other things, spices, grapes, oil, pickles, appetizers. , wine, coke or ice cream. All from the hand of local producers, hoteliers and restaurateurs on a Marineta Cassiana promenade full of tasting and sales points which delighted thousands of participants.
A festival consolidated as a gastronomic reference
At the end of this seventh edition of D*na, Quique Dacostagastronomic commissioner of the event, expressed his satisfaction: “It was a source of pride for all of us who make the D*na to pay homage to the landscape, the land and the people who work it. I hope that this has served to raise awareness, promote and contribute to the knowledge of rural products, which all the chefs have tried to affirm in the conferences, in the workshops, in the exhibition stands and also in the restaurants of the D*na Restaurant developing menus based on vegetables and giving them the value and importance they deserve.
On a personal level, Dacosta He said he was satisfied with the work done by the entire team surrounding the festival. With the mission of projecting the image of the Marina Alta as a territory of excellent gastronomy, Dacosta reflected on the evolution of the event: “The mission of D*na is to project the image of the territory, of excellent gastronomy, celebration and excitement that generates for an entire city. Something as humble in principle as the D*na, born with a vocation to help and contribute, now reaches dimensions that transcend not only our borders, but also our ability to project ourselves, reaching a humanistic meaning.
With these words, Quique Dacosta and Denia say goodbye to their most emblematic gastronomic festival, with the commitment to continue growing without losing their essence, the one that led the city to be recognized as UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
