Bruno Ruiz and Federico Guajardo represented Dénia at the Gastrónoma fair

The chefs Bruno Ruiz and Federico Guajardo represented Dénia at the Gastronoma fair that was held in Valencia last weekend and in which the capital of the Marina Alta had a leading role.

Bruno Ruiz presented on Monday two very personal dishes, the "subzero prawn" with which he won the last International competition Creative Cuisine Red Gamba de Dénia, and a particular and surprising version of the Valencian espencat with mussola dry to the flame. The dry and flame-roasted octopus, accompanied by candied leeks, was the star product offered by Federico Guajardo, who also prepared a plate of mojama and capellanet, with different vegetable textures.

The participation of the dianenses chefs was part of the meeting of Creative Cities of Gastronomy in which Dénia served as hostess. For this occasion the cities related to the Silk Road were invited: Macao and Shundé (China), Jenjou (South Korea), Tsuruoka (Japan), Hatay (Turkey), Östersund (Sweden), and Dénia.

All of them had some historical, geographical or cultural link with the mythical Silk Road, which developed an intense trade of goods and cultural exchange between Asia and Europe for centuries, and which played an important role in the expansion of products and gastronomic traditions. On the specific stage dedicated to the chefs of the Ruta de la Seda culinary traditions and their own products were shown that, adapted to the new times, did not stop surprising the public that attended with great interest to the demonstrations.

Important presence of the Marina Alta

More than 17.000 people visited this edition of Gastrónoma, in which the Marina Alta was very present. The Dominguis family, from Pego, received the Gastronomy award for the promotion and dissemination of rice, for its recovery from the cultivation of sweet rice in the Pego-Oliva marsh.

Quique Dacosta he did not cook on this occasion, but acted as a host and presented on the central stage the media brothers Sergio and Javier Torres, protagonists of the TV show "Torres en la cocina". Two other chefs with stars from the Navy acted as exceptional guests on that same stage. Rafa Soler, from the restaurant Audrey's de Calp, presented his vision of the culinary Valencian tradition, and Alberto Ferruz, of the Bon Amb de Xàbia, focused on safeguarding the Mediterranean tradition in the kitchen.

Mara Bañó, from Celler Les Freses Jesús Pobre, participated in a debate about the present and future of Valencian wines, and winemaker Tonet Puig, from Xaló, spoke about "the grape that cries when it does not see the sea".

In the section dedicated to oil, Among Olives, it could be tasted among a selection of brands from all over Spain, the one produced by the company Oli de Xàbia, which featured in a tasting of oils made with Arbequina, Blanqueta and Vilallonga.

Between the stands of the companies were listed Vegadénia, which makes natural vegetable patés, and Cidoncha SL, the company that sells traditional cocas and pastries from the Marina and that collaborated with the chef Miquel Ruiz, from Baret de Miquel de Dénia, who spoke about the tradition of cocas, its recovery and the possibilities that open up to innovation.