This article was translated by John R. Bopp
The idea is perfect. We Basques have one of the best and most highly regarded cuisines in the world, but we still haven’t been able to create a natural, healthy, diverse, and nutritious model of “Basque fast food”. This is an idea that being promoted by ISEA, Basque Culinary Center, Mondragon Health, Jakion, AUZO LAGUN y la Agencia de Desarrollo Comarcal de Debagoiena, with the collaboration of Innobasque.
We’re sure there are readers who believe that the words healthy, Basque, fast, and food can’t go together except as an example of an oxymoron. And we’re not going to immediately disagree with them. But we won’t know unless we try.
Our products and our cuisine compete, here at home, with a selection that is ever broader. There are more and more ideas for “health fast food”, which means that either we need to find a way to adapt to this new reality, or our cuisine is going to find itself relegated to our own kitchens.
Also, this idea isn’t only valid for what happens here.
Gastronomy and the products that surround it are powerful ways of spreading the image of a country; in addition to being identifying elements of a culture, and a significant source of wealth. Just ask, for example, the Italian (and non-Italian) distributors of olive oil who work around the world and sell oils made of Iberian olives, with the flag of Italy on the bottle, since that way it can be sold at a higher price.
It’s a good thing to try to maintain control over your own image and the quality of the cuisine that is sold around the world under the “Basque” denomination. Since there is no way of guaranteeing “authentic Basque cuisine”, perhaps the best idea is to create lines of products that meet basic premises and are “easily exported”.
Our cuisine is healthy, quality, and doesn’t have to be “expensive or exclusive”. What’s more, our cuisine is popular, familiar, and can be easily adapted to different realities, just like our emigrants all over the New World have shown.
Perhaps now is the time to create lines of products here that can be offered at competitive prices and quality all over the world.
This is something to think about, and projects like Jakiberri are on the right path. And you can participate with your own ideas and win a prize! The contest is open until March 31.
PARTICIPA EN EL CONCURSO JAKIBERRI!
El Proyecto JAKIBERRI está destinado a la creación de una completa línea de servicios y un nuevo modelo natural, saludable, diverso y nutritivo de “Comida Rápida Vasca y Saludable” (Healthy Fast Food). El proyecto es impulsado por ISEA, Basque Culinary Center, Mondragon Health, Jakion, AUZO LAGUN y la Agencia de Desarrollo Comarcal de Debagoiena, con la colaboración de Innobasque
(Sigue) (Automatic Translation)
Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country