On the morning of this Saturday, November 23, the eleventh edition of the Saborea Lanzarote Enogastronomic Festival was inaugurated, a tribute to the unique gastronomic culture of the island and other territories that make up Macaronesia.
In the words of the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, “for two days, La Villa de Teguise becomes the epicenter of innovation, sustainability and gastronomic culture, a unique opportunity to make the entire value chain visible and show our unique historical heritage”.
Along with the island's president, the councilor of the Centers for Art, Culture and Tourism, Ángel Vázquez, and the mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, as well as the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Astrid Pérez, among other island, local authorities and representatives of the Government of the Canary Islands, attended the inauguration of this massive event. Likewise, this edition is visited by Jaime Alfaro, undersecretary of Tourism of the Government of the Atlantic, Colombia.
One of the objectives of Saborea Lanzarote is precisely the strengthening of foreign relations through gastronomy, promoting the local product and the good work of the island's restaurateurs, while promoting culinary fusions between the territories of Macaronesia and importing knowledge from other destinations.
In this sense, the councilor of the Centers for Art, Culture and Tourism, Ángel Vázquez, has stressed the need to “enrich ourselves with the knowledge of other cuisines recognized throughout the planet”. And that is why this year, the CACTs stand has the presence of a pulpeira from Carballino, which offers tastings of this delicacy of Galician gastronomy.
In the same vein, Mayor Olivia Duque was pleased to state that “this weekend, we became the capital of gastronomy in Spain, providing an unparalleled leisure offer and, in addition, positively impacting the economy of the island as a whole”.
“It fills me with pride to see how every year new exhibitors are added who see the Festival as an ideal showcase to show residents and tourists their know-how. Here is evidence of the public-private collaboration that this institution so strongly defends and that is vital for the progress of any territory,” said President Oswaldo Betancort in his inaugural speech.
Lots of talent and world-class chefs
With pleasant weather and an incomparable setting, on this first day the attending public can taste the succulent proposals of the more than 120 exhibitors that make up the Gastromarket. In addition, all the activities scheduled for this Saturday soon hung the sign “full”, from the Saborea Lanzarote Classroom, to the Wine, Chinique, Chinijo Chef, the Obrador and the Liquid Gastronomy Classroom.
The most ancestral flavors have been mixed with the most refined techniques, impregnating the spaces with innovation, without losing sight of the origins and history.
The presentations by Diego Guerrero from DSTAgE, Álvaro Garrido from Mina, Benito Gómez from Bardal and Domenico Vildacci from Deessa have also been inspiring. There is also great expectation around those in the afternoon, starring the award-winning Jordi Roca from Celler de Can Roca, and Eduard Xatruch from Disfrutar.
This Sunday it will be the turn of Jesús Sánchez Manzano and Esther Manzano from Casa Marcial, Christian Escribá from Pastelería Escribá and Lucía Freitas from A Tafona. This eleventh edition of the Saborea Lanzarote Festival has 20 Michelin stars, which demonstrates the very high level of the event.
The morning has also been very revealing in the Saborea Lanzarote Classroom thanks to local chefs Yeray Gil, Orlando Ortega, Marco Acosta and Gonzalo Calzadilla. They will be followed by Víctor Betancort, Jon Pérez, Joaquín Espejo and Lolo Román. And the second day will feature chefs Yuri Molina, Vicente Rodríguez and Diego Martinho, as well as Omar Viña, president of Aqual.
The Aula del Mar, for its part, has paid tribute, one more year, to our tradition with the tuna ronqueo. A celebration space that values not only the rich products of the Atlantic but also the value of those who have known how to find it and get the best from the sea. And, as a counterpoint, from the land, the “Burger Fest” and its burgers with a local touch are being a real attraction among residents and tourists.
The sensory journey of the Festival also takes us to know proposals from Cambrils, Segovia and Valladolid at the Saborea España stand; curiosities from all the islands in “Canarias Sabe” and the Chinique classroom, as well as discovering the cuisine of Ireland or territories of the Mid-Atlantic such as Galicia, Cape Verde and Madeira.
In addition, in order to show the idiosyncrasy of Lanzarote and La Graciosa from another perspective, a Canarian wrestling exhibition has been held with the participation of various island clubs. This Sunday, they will repeat, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in the Plaza de la Mareta.
Thinking about the user experience
The new payment method, through rechargeable cashless bracelets, is allowing sales to be expedited. In this way, the organization fulfills the objective of improving the safety and comfort of the event, while implementing measures in favor of the environmental sustainability of the event.
Mobility is also a highly valued factor by the organization. For this reason, a special bus service between Arrecife and Teguise is made available to users. Likewise, for those who access with their vehicles, the Teguise City Council makes available to users the parking lots, both public and private, that usually cover the needs of the market's influx. And the taxi service is reinforced by opening it to all the municipalities of the island.
And to make the experience complete, the Gastroludoteca returns with a very attractive proposal so that the little ones can have fun while adults enjoy the best zero kilometer products.
A Festival with a soundtrack
In this edition, the tour of flavors and textures is accompanied by the chords of Graduado Escolar and Guaraná, who will perform today at 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively; and Karma, who will put the finishing touch tomorrow, at 3:30 p.m. No less important are the performances of the different DJs who liven up the Festival tour.
The Saborea Festival is organized by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the Centers for Art, Culture and Tourism and the Teguise City Council.
