Andoni Aduriz Of Spain's Mugaritz: Exposing Food Ideas, Part 1
This is the first installment in a two-part series with chef Andoni Aduriz. You can find the second installment here.
Set amongst the picturesque Basque countryside of Northern Spain, on the outskirts of the gastronomic hub of San Sebastián, sits the world-renowned Mugaritz restaurant. In the past two decades after an initial rocky start, acclaimed chef Andoni Aduriz has created a true international culinary hot spot. Not just proud Spaniards but international guests are drawn to the unique experience that Mugaritz offers in the redefined former farmhouse. The two Michelin-starred restaurant, which over the past few years is consistently in the top ten of the World's 50 Best Restaurant list, is located up a winding country road in Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, in close proximity to the French border.
The cuisine at Mugaritz is representative of the region's local produce, traditions, seasons, and the enormous respect chef Aduriz has for the gifts of nature. His style of cooking is sometimes referred to as neo-naturalism due to his proclivity for changing the properties of foods while preserving the original form or sometimes transforming them completely using advanced scientific processes. The constantly changing seasonal menus (a result of the work of the research team at the restaurant) ensure that every dining experience at Mugaritz is different and unique. A meal at Mugaritz is much more than a dining experience; it is in fact an intellectual dialogue between the chef and the diner. Aduriz plays with the diner's intellect and emotions by introducing new concepts which stimulate not just the palate but also the mind. The connection between the terroir and the cuisine is easy to understand in the contemporary and elegant dining room where the real art appears on the table as beautifully plated food.
Food is the essence of a culture of a certain time or place encapsulated and presented on a plate or a menu. Aduriz exemplifies this concept brilliantly, as he presents the Basque culinary traditions in a modern format, re-imagined and representative of here and now. He is a dignified, intellectual chef, part food researcher; part philosopher looked up to with reverence by his peers. Aduriz has also dabbled in the world of art, theatre, and music in the form of a collaborative music project and a play titled The Degustation de Titus Andronicus. The research aspect and the scientific approach, both elements he absorbed at his time at El Bulli, are nevertheless entirely his own interpretations at Mugaritz. His appearances at food congresses such as Madrid Fusion and San Sebastián Gastronomika draw record crowds of his peers and culinarians.
Restaurants like Mugaritz are what bring food fanatics and other chefs to the Basque country and eventually influence restaurant kitchens all over the world. San Sebastián is a must for anyone desiring a unique food experience, and a meal Mugaritz a must at least once in a lifetime. In a recent conversation we spoke about his new upcoming project in Cuba (with chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy and chef Enrique Olvera of Pujol in Mexico City) and other aspects of the industry and his work.
The Daily Meal: So far you have not ventured out of Spain with any projects. What made you choose Cuba for your recently announced joint project with chefs Bottura and Olvera?
Chef Andoni Aduriz: It is the fruit of a desire: doing something together with two chefs of great talent who I not only admire but with whom I also maintain an extraordinary relation. It is also a challenge: finding a place with the energy that this singular project requires. Cuba has its obstacles but also holds unique possibilities. In addition, limitation is an exercise that is very creative.
You were recently at Massimo Bottura's Refettorio in Milan helping feed the homeless from leftover produce at the Expo Milano. Is the Cuba project in any way related to this social responsibility to end hunger, or is it solely a business venture?
It neither one nor the other. Taking into account the differences between them, nor Mugaritz, nor Osteria Francescana, nor Pujol are accessible to all of its neighbors. I understand that even a restaurant in The Havana would be very economical but it would not be accessible to all Cubans. This does not detract from the pinnacle of the social responsibility it possesses: creating jobs, stimulating competition, helping development in other sectors. It is not a big business venture. [pullquote:right]
Mugaritz and Hotel Abadía Retuerta Le Domaine in Valladolid are situated in idyllic country surroundings. Havana is not even close to that tranquility, so what kind of location are you contemplating?
Fun, fresh, informal. A place that is casual but with quality. The comfort and quality are concepts that do not always go in the hands of luxury.
Do you enjoy playing with dualities since your cuisine plays with the natural and the man-made, the real and make believe, and if so, why?
We like to explore new paths, making proposals that inspire and share all our knowledge. One day, a neuroscientist Antonio Damasio gave us the key when he said after eating "your creativity is very good, but what really transcends from your creative work is that you make diners creative." Since that day we put the focus on the transmission of information that takes the form of plates which will bring something more than just a subject matter to people who visit us.
In some ways every meal at Mugaritz takes me out of my comfort zone and sometimes unwillingly on a voyage of discovery and inevitably I end up with a new favorite. Is this consciously planned and is it risky?
The taste is a cultural construct. From childhood we have learned to see, smell, touch, taste and hear in a certain way by cultural patterns that discriminate between what is good and lawful and what is not. In this network of convictions intertwined with emotions, we bounce all the latest news and evaluate by comparison. Each diner is a universe in themselves and reacts to a plate in relation to their way of living and understanding the world and life. We simply expose food ideas.
Were you always interested in science as a young child or did this aptitude and interest develop later in life? Is the R&D unit expanding at Mugaritz?
Our relationship with science and an affinity for artistic disciplines is a derived consequence of the recognition of our own limitations and also the result of curiosity. For over a decade by relating the AZTI-Tecnalia technological center, where we count on a kitchen-lab space and three people working on the projects we have in common. We launched the first science and cuisine journal, published by Elsevier, and we have participated and currently participate in several exciting research projects.
This is the first installment in a two-part series with chef Andoni Aduriz. You can find the second installment here.