The DNA Festival manages to repeat the success of the 2017 and 2018 editions, turning Dénia into the epicenter of Valencian gastronomy for a weekend. Thousands of people have gathered since Saturday on the Paseo de la Marineta Cassiana to enjoy the best of the area's cuisine.
More than 20.000 people have passed through the Paseo de la Marineta Cassiana in Dénia during the two days of celebration of this gastronomic festival. An edition that has been a complete success, not only because of its call but also because it has been able to fulfill its objective of giving voice to local producers, chefs and artisans.
As the chef and gastronomic curator of D * na Festival Dénia, Quique Dacosta, “This edition of D*na has managed to turn this one-kilometer-long walk into an opportunity to tell the story in the first person for the craftsman, the producer, the processor and the local chefs. A meeting where all of them have shared the leading role at the same level as haute cuisine chefs, because they are also stars in themselves.
Start of the festival
The first day of the festival closed with original workshops, presentations and masterclasses by Michelin-starred chefs such as Marcos Morán, from the centenary and emblematic Casa Gerardo, in Prendes (Asturias), who offered a showcooking that allowed the large audience assistant to discover the elaboration process of some of the most iconic creations of his restaurant, such as his famous fabes. On his part, Dianense haute cuisine was represented by José Manuel López, who offered a showcooking where he prepared some of the most emblematic creations of his Peix & Brases restaurant, which has just received its first Michelin star.
Sharing the limelight with these renowned chefs, those responsible for successful hotel projects such as Cristina Baixauli, from the restaurant Agua de Mar and the Casa Benjamín tavern in Dénia, revealed the keys to their restoration projects.
The culmination of the day was put by Quique Dacosta himself together with Julia Lozano, from the El Faralló restaurant, Rosa Martí, from the La Giralda restaurant and Mari Luz Piera, from the El Pegolí restaurant, who joined in an original gathering around the fires cooking their own versions of the seafood stew, one of the great protagonists of the Dianense cookbook, with the backdrop of the sunset over the Marienta Cassiana.
D*na Sunday
The second day of the festival kicked off on Sunday with interesting presentations by chefs such as Rafa Soler, from the Audrey's restaurant in Calp, Víctor Martín, from the Trigo restaurant in Valladolid, or Bruno Ruiz, from the restaurant Aticcook.
The brightness of the stars came from the hand of chef Diego Guerrero, who offered a casual masterclass where he explained his business proposals for gastronomic diversification, and has opted for the fight against food waste, creating live dishes with a single product, such as an original 100% vegetable chorizo or a shrimp tartare with crispy fried legs.
Mario Sandoval, from the restaurant Coque (Madrid) with two Michelin stars, has cooked live the best kept secret of Coque, the lacquered suckling pig, to share it with the attendees in its different versions.
On the central stage, the leading role has been for the regional product, where artisans and producers from the area have offered different presentations on the uniqueness of their product, their way of making it and distributing it.
To value the product and the regional recipe book, you have to know how to treat it. And teaching how to do it has been dedicated to the interesting workshops that have been offered in the Espacio Aqualia de la Marineta Cassiana during the second day of the D*na festival. Carolina Álvarez, head chef at Quique Dacosta Restaurant, has offered a master class on "Seafood cooking", while Raúl Magraner, from Bonaire Restaurant (El Palmar, Valencia), has revealed the secrets to making a good "Valencian Paella". . For their part, Bodegas Aida i Luis and Bodegas Riko have revealed to the attendees the secrets of the "Young Moscatels" of the Marina Alta.
With the aim of bringing the kitchen closer to the little ones, children's workshops have been offered throughout the day where fun has not been lacking, such as the workshop "You don't know how to cook an egg", the one on "Orxata & Fartons: the making of ”, or the one of “Elaboration of dough for cocas”.
The many attendees to this second day of D*na Festival Dénia have also enjoyed the wealth of local products in the numerous stalls installed along the festival route, an authentic Mediterranean village facing the sea, where they have been able to taste the best products and creations of the rich gastronomy of the Valencian Community.
D*Na Festival Dénia
D*NA Festival Dénia reaffirms itself as the quintessential appointment of Mediterranean gastronomy. An exclusive meeting that brings together the best professionals in the gastronomy and restaurant sector of the Valencian Community, with the aim of valuing the gastronomic culture and the excellence of the products and gastronomic projects of this region, promoting the interaction of the public with gastronomy.
