Flavors That Unite: Fusion and Tradition at the Varadero Gourmet Festival

The International Varadero Gourmet Festival will once again become the exciting conversation that emerges when a topping from the East meets a Creole base, a French technique embraces the native ingredients of the Caribbean, or the seasoning of a well-traveled chef falls in love with Cuban ajiaco and they decide to create something new, exciting, and profoundly delicious together.

The event, which began today at the Plaza América Convention Center in the renowned resort located on the Hicacos peninsula, is established under the true canvas of that collective work of art, which will take place until the coming September 13th under the thematic axis “Flavors Without Borders. The Magic of Fusion Cuisine with a Cuban Soul.”

Celebrating Culinary Art and Cultural Exchange

Lázaro Darién Casabella Hernández, president of the event's Organizing Committee, emphasized that this fifteenth edition will celebrate not only culinary art but also hospitality, knowledge, innovation, and the meeting of cultures.

Casabella Hernández, General Director of the Extra-Hotel Enterprise Palmares S.A., stated that the days of Varadero Gourmet will feature a gastronomic journey through conferences, culinary demonstrations, competitions, and pairings.

Parallel to this, the I International Franchise Workshop will take place, recognizing gastronomy as an expression of culture and history, he added.

An Opportunity for Internationalization

Adalberto Venero Lemus, Vice Minister of Tourism for the nation, emphasized the opportunity the festival represents for internationalizing the main culinary traditions of the archipelago.

“Cuba is unique for its culture, tradition, its people, and it is a source of pride for all to contribute to the recovery of tourism and, with it, the Cuban economy,” he stated.

Venero Lemus also thanked the workers of the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) and government authorities for making this event possible.

Inaugural Event and Objectives

The event was attended by Marilin Rodríguez Rodríguez, representative of the government on the Hicacos peninsula; Liubersy Pérez Guillén, president of the Business Group Cubasol; and Luis Martínez de Armas, delegate of Mintur in Matanzas.

The inaugural conference, “Two Cuisines: Cuban and Spanish, and Their Fusion,” was delivered by Miguel Ángel Jiménez, corporate chef for the Iberostar hotel chain in Havana.

The XV International Varadero Gourmet Festival will have among its main objectives: to contribute to the exchange of experiences and knowledge between entrepreneurs and professionals; to foster the academic development of sector professionals based on the fusion of foreign culinary heritage and Cuban gastronomy; and to generate alliances between suppliers and tourism exhibitors focused on the quality and sustainability of offerings.