Madrid Fusión-Manila: Spain’s Famed Culinary Event To Conquer Manila’s Food Scene

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippines is set to host the very first Madrid Fusión-Manila in April 2015 after the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Spanish organizers Foro de Debate, S.L. and Arum Estrategias Internacionalización (Arum) inked a partnership agreement last 23 July 2014 (Wednesday).

The signing ceremony was attended by DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., DOT Assistant Secretary Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., Maria Leonor Esteban (Administrator of Arum), Mr. Iñigo Cañado (Director of Arum), Ms. Lourdes Plana (Partner and General Manager of Foro de Debate), and Ms. Ana Capel Rives (Partner of Foro de Debate).

Madrid Fusión has established itself as one of the leading international gastronomy gatherings held annually in Madrid and attended by elite chefs and experts in the culinary field to discuss trends, evolution of tastes, and new food habits. More than 400 leading chefs from all five continents have graced its stage and performed live culinary demonstrations and memorable presentations on revolutionary techniques. Among these culinary experts included Grant Achatz, Gaston Acurio, Ferran Adria, Juan Mari Arzak, Alex Atala, Nobu Matsuhisa, Heston Blumenthal, Michel Brass, Paul Bocure, Quique Dacosta, Alain Duchase, Joel Robuchon, and Michel Troisgros. In addition to the culinary demonstrations, there have also been master workshops, contests, tastings, tributes, auctions, and exhibitors zone. Madrid Fusion’s 2014 edition brought together 1,000 congress delegates, 120 exhibitors, 96 speakers, 750 journalists, and 8267 authorized guests becoming a national trending topic on Twitter and appearing in most print and online publications.

(L-R)  DOT Assistant Secretary Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., Ms. Maria Leonor Esteban, Mr. Iñigo Cañado, DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr., Ms. Lourdes Plana, and Ms. Ana Capel Rivas. 

(Photo by Larry Moran, DOT)

Madrid Fusión-Manila will have two major components: (a) the Gastronomy Congress which will include cooking demonstrations and food tasting, and (b) the Trade Exhibition which will feature table accessories and culinary equipment. “Madrid Fusión-Manila is a celebration of the 370 years of Spanish and Filipino fusion. The idea is that it is the most modern, most cutting edge, and avant garde cuisine brought from the regular traditional cooking to the 21st century - the new techniques, new ingredients to create different textures and different experience to food,” Maria Leonor Esteban, Administrator of Arum said.

“Madrid Fusión is the single, most important conference for culinary in the 21st century. It is where the world goes to see the future of food. We are very excited to welcome people who are interested in food from Asia, primarily from ASEAN, and from the rest of the world to visit the Philippines in 2015. The whole concept behind Madrid Fusion is to gather the best in culinary arts and get them to share their knowledge. We believe in the Philippines’ potential to further grow as a center of culinary excellence in Asia, and Madrid Fusion will help amplify that. It is likewise an opportune moment since 2015 has been declared as Visit the Philippines Year,” Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said.

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