Markets around the world stock a familiar mix: chocolate, avocado, pineapple, tomato, corn, potato, peanut. These foods have traveled a long road to become staples in modern kitchens. The discovery of the American continents in 1492 sparked a vast exchange of crops, techniques, flavors, and food traditions that permanently reshaped how people eat in both Americas and beyond.
This theme runs through a gathering that spotlights the evolution of gastronomy and how culinary trends move between continents. The new edition of the cycle Food from America and elsewhere explores the layered history of what we eat, using films, discussions, and roundtable conversations. The event is organized by the loop Downtown Alicante with the support of the Mediterranean Gastronomy Center and the Taste Studies program, in collaboration with Dénia and the University of Alicante cinema program.
The cycle opens on March 6 with a screening of the film 10 meters journey. The story follows a family who opens a restaurant opposite a luxury hotel in a small French town, a place far from their Indian roots, and whose path threads through ambition, travel, and the universal language of food. A journalist and author will participate in a Cinefórum to share insights and perspectives from the world of food and cinema.
On March 15 a roundtable will examine the cultural impact of new arrivals and unfamiliar dishes. Some foods were welcomed with curiosity, others met with skepticism, and some traveled back and forth across oceans, like chili that reached America and returned as paprika, fueling new tastes along the way.
Poster of the cycle by Luis Mira
The participants in the roundtable include Maria de los Angeles Perez Samper, a respected historian and professor emerita at the University of Barcelona; Armando Alberola, a professor of Modern History at the University of Alicante; and Josep Bernabeu Mestre, a historian who also leads a gastronomy research chair linked to the Carmencita Taste Studies program.
March 22 marks a day dedicated to desserts and cinema, with Israel Gil, coordinator of the cinema studies program at the University of Alicante, guiding a scene by scene tour of some of the most iconic sweets shown on screen. The session invites viewers to consider how dessert has traveled through film to become a universal language of happiness and memory.
The festival concludes on March 29 with a documentary screening about sustainable food practices. A panel, featuring managers and academics, will discuss present and future directions in food culture and production. The dialogue will include leaders from Gasterra and other centers who will share their work in edible landscapes, sustainable farming, and community food projects, highlighting how local initiatives connect to broader global trends. A representative of the Franciscan Association of Mozambique will discuss ongoing agricultural projects that strengthen livelihoods and resilience in farming communities, underscoring the social value of responsible food systems.
All sessions take place at the University Venue in Alicante, at City Hall Street number four, with schedule listings at 7:00 pm. The discussions are led by the organizers along with a rotation of faculty members, and a journalist will moderate the conversations to keep the dialogue lively and informative.