Ángel León, 'the Chef of the Sea': "There are foods of all kinds in the oceans, you just have to discover them"

DÉNIA, 1 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Ángel León, better known as 'the Chef of the Sea', assures that there are foods of all kinds in the oceans: "There are cereals, fruits and vegetables in the oceans, everything we find on earth; you just have to discover them."

These statements took place during the sixth edition of the D*na gastronomic festival, which is being held this weekend in Dénia. In this context, the acclaimed chef gave a presentation on what the sea means to him, and it was at that moment when he carried out the aforementioned reflection.

Furthermore, also during this conference, León confessed that he and his team had found a product very similar to rice in the ocean, with even higher nutritional values, which could be planted without any difficulty in marine gardens.

"I have tried to bet on this food that does not need pesticides to grow, but I have not received support from any institution or company," said the Jerez chef. "There are very strong lobbies who are not interested in seeing this project prosper," he explained.

Thus, he concluded, after recounting the history of his three Michelin star restaurant Aponiente, that both he and his team are "25 years ahead" of what society demands. "I trust that in the future they will listen to us," he said.

But this was not the only presentation that took place at the D*na festival. And the city in eastern Spain is hosting these days one of the biggest gastronomic events on the current scene.

Conceived as a tribute to the sea, this sixth edition of the D*na gastronomic festival, curated by three Michelin star Quique Dacosta, brings elite cuisine closer to the public in a way that few events achieve, becoming a unique event to discover new culinary horizons. as well as a popular event suitable for all audiences.

A crowded promenade and a square that hosts conferences by some of the best chefs on the Iberian Peninsula are the essence of this festival.

And it takes its motto 'The sea is lived, it is shared, it is eaten, it is drunk' in the most literal sense, since it allows all types of people, also of all ages, to take a look, get to know and understand the cuisine of author, which would otherwise remain remote for the majority of the population.

The fact that this festival has the longest table in the world, 700 meters, as well as two stages for 'showcookings', presentations and cooking workshops even for the little ones helps it achieve its goal of bringing Michelin star kitchens closer to the general public. .

With the sea as its central axis and a tribute to what it provides, as well as to the people who dedicate themselves to it, the festival offers dozens of stalls where you can taste typically Mediterranean food from the Valencian Community and many others where You can buy artisan and local products.

In this way, this weekend in the Levantine city the avant-garde and tradition, the native and the extraterrestrial, the known and what is yet to be known, go hand in hand, always putting the sea at the center, without which this festival would not be possible.

The festival was conceived as an open-air auditorium, where you can learn and discover new flavors and sensations from the hand of experienced chefs. In this way, as mentioned previously, the event has two stages where you can listen to distinguished chefs, as well as various workshops for all audiences. The main stage - the 'Sea Stage' - hosts until this Sunday the presentations and 'showcookings' of great chefs representing the lands of the Iberian Peninsula bathed by the sea.

The best of seafood cuisine from all these regions is shown to the public by renowned chefs such as Ángel León, José Avillez, Nacho Manzano, Sergio Bastard, Josean Alija, Carolina Álvarez, Sergio Torres, Lucía Freitas and Pablo González, who accompany to the three Michelin stars Quique Dacosta, gastronomic curator of D*na.

For its part, the L'Exquisit Mediterrani stage talks about cuisine, the sea and wines, through live preparations and pairings by prominent chefs and winemakers from the Valencian Community.

The sixth edition of D*na Dénia Gastronomic Festival also gives the spotlight to local producers and restaurateurs, exceptional ambassadors of Mediterranean gastronomy. Through their sales and tasting stands arranged in a central square, all of them offer visitors the most representative gastronomic products of the Valencian Community along with the creations of prominent local chefs.

The sixth edition of this festival, which was born as a tribute to the sea and its people, as well as their way of eating and understanding gastronomy and everything that surrounds it, consolidates it as one of the great gastronomic events in Spain and positions the city of Dénia - which in 2015 was named Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO - as the gastronomic capital of the Mediterranean.

The event is organized by the Dénia Creative City of Gastronomy Foundation of the Valencian Community and has the collaboration through an agreement between Turisme Comunitat Valenciana and the Dénia City Council and with the three Michelin star chef, Quique Dacosta as gastronomic curator.