Gastronomic Journey through the Regions of Russia
In the period from 22 to 27 November 2016 in Madrid and Barcelona there was successfully held the Second Russian gastronomy week (RGW), organized by the International Center of Wine and Gastronomy (Moscow) with the active support of the Russian Embassy in Spain and the Russian Consulate General in Barcelona. Assistance in conducting RGW was provided by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism), Rossotrudnichestvo, Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia, Russian National Culinary Association, Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation, the charitable foundation “House of Russia in Barcelona”, the Royal Academy of Gastronomy and other Russian and Spanish public organizations.
Taking into account the positive experience of the First RGW in Madrid, the project “Russian gastronomy weeks” has been included into the official intergovernmental programme of the Russian-Spain Cross-Year of tourism.Official Opening of the Second
Russian gastronomy week with the participation of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Spain Y. Korchagin and the Executive Director for Programme and Coordination of the UNWTO Z. Somogyi took place in the Russian Embassy in Madrid on the 22 of November. The ceremony brought together about 200 participants, including Russian and Spanish officials, business representatives, artists and journalists. A special menu for the tasting was created by the team of the Russian chefs headed by A. Matiukha (Krasnodar Krai). The gastronomic set included appetizers made of Siberian sturgeon, “posikunchiki” (small cakes), mineral water from the Irkutsk Region, honey soufflé and Ivan-tea (willow-herb tea) of the Arkhangelsk Region. The particular interest was raised by the exposition stand of the Perm Region, where one could find samples of food and beverages of regional producers.
The second start to the Russian gastronomy week was given in Barcelona. “House of Russia in Barcelona” (Casa de Rusia) opened its doors for the guests of the ceremony with the participation of the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Barcelona Mr. Y. Klimenko, Ms. Sandra Jabalquinto I Mokhtar (International Relations Department of the Barcelona City Government), Russian and Spanish businessmen, artists and journalists. The main goal of “Casa de Rusia” is proactive assistance in the development of bilateral economic, commercial and social relations between Russia and Spain, including the development of contacts between Russian and Spanish regions. Special menu for the Opening Ceremony in Barcelona was created by V. Minakov, the chef from the Moscow Region, and prepared by the team of the Russian chefs. The presenting of the brand cake “Moscow” from the representative of the Moscow City Government to the Mayor of Barcelona became the symbol of the official Opening in “Casa de Rusia”.
During the Week local residents and guests of Madrid and Barcelona were able to visit:
- unique master-classes "Secrets of the Kremlin Cuisine" moderated by the president of the Russian National Culinary Association Mr. V. Belyaev with overbooking in both cities;
- already well-loved by the Spanish people master class on the Russian vodka and distilled spirits moderated by the International Judge in white spirits Mr. L. Gelibterman;
- culinary master class for children on molding the pelmeni (Russian ravioli) moderated by S. Iurin (chef from Perm Krai);
- gastronomic dinner in the L'Albufera restaurant of the Meliá Castilla Hotel by A. Gushchin and V. Revva (chefs from St. Petersburg), lunch of the Dagestan cuisine prepared by the team from Makhachkala - K. Mirzaeva, M. Omaev and R. Akhmedova;
- gastronomic dinners in the restaurant UNO of the Meliá Barcelona Sarrià Hotel by I. Kongurova (Yaroslavl) and the team from Krasnodar Krai (A. Matiukha and S.Novikov);
- gala lunch of the Russian cuisine composed of the dishes prepared by the chefs from Yaroslavl, Dagestan, Perm Krai, Moscow Region and Krasnodar Krai.
Business programme of the Week with the participation of the regional authorities from Kaliningrad, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation included a series of meetings with the Spanish partners, business dinner with the Board executives and the members of the private business Club Financiero Génova in Madrid.
The considerable interest from the professional community was raised by the round table "Russia-Spain: Cooperation in the field of restaurant business" with participation of the president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia Mr. I. Bukharov. As a result, there were set the concrete steps towards the development of cooperation on hospitality sector between two countries.
The events of the Second Russian gastronomy week in Spain has evoked a positive response in the media and served the cause of the development of multifaceted Russian-Spanish relations. The active support in the event preparation and its conducting was given by the representatives of Alicante, Aragon, the Arkhangelsk Region, Barcelona, Ekaterinburg, the Irkutsk Region, Kaspiysk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Madrid, Marbella, Makhachkala, Moscow, the Niznny Novgorod Region, Perm, Rioja, Samara, St. Petersburg, Zurich, Chekhov, Edinburgh and Yaroslavl.
Website of the Russian gastronomy week www.rusgw.com
Taking into account the positive publicity and the increasing interest in the format of “Russian gastronomy weeks”, the International Center of Wine and Gastronomy (www.icwag.ru) has plans to hold such events in several European and Latin-American countries in 2017.
