No gels, no foams: Catalonia turns to grannies to teach traditional cooking
Region famed for molecular gastronomy begins video project to collect and share rustic recipes
TL;DR
- Gastrosàvies is a Catalan government initiative to preserve traditional cuisine.
- Over 100 elderly women are participating, sharing over 300 traditional recipes.
- Videos of home cooks preparing traditional dishes are posted on the Gastrosàvies website.
- The project emphasizes simple ingredients, basic equipment, and generational techniques.
- Traditional dishes are becoming rare in Barcelona, replaced by international fast food.
- Maria Antònia Udina, a 76-year-old participant, highlights the use of local produce and key Catalan cooking elements like sofregit, herbs, and picada.
- Udina expresses skepticism about avant-garde chefs claiming their cuisine is merely a homage to traditional home cooking.
- The initiative hopes to encourage younger generations to cook traditional food over modern, processed options.