Asturias, the sea and the mountains, the Cantabrian cellar is a delight at the table. There is talk of the Mediterranean diet as panacea and fine dining from other regions, but the Principality has only eight Michelin-starred restaurants in a region of one million inhabitants and internationally acclaimed chefs such as Nacho Manzano, the National Gastronomy Award, o José. Andrés was appointed by the President of the United States by Joe Biden, Co-Chair of the White House Advisory Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Nacho Manzano runs the kitchens of Casa Marcial with her sister Esther, a two-Michelin star restaurant with three Repsol suns located in La Salgar, an idyllic village three kilometers from Arriondas and with stunning views of the Sierra del Sueve. From there he expands the family business in different parts of Asturias: in Gloria, Oviedo and Gijón; N’Astura, a 2,000 square meter complex that opened this week in the capital of the principality… It also advises Ibérica Restaurants in the UK. At Nacho and Esther Manzano stops “Pride is written with an H”, campaign by technology company HONOR to remove stereotypes from the world of gastronomy in this example and promote Asturias in Spain through Prensa Ibérica, a group to which this newspaper belongs.
-More than Asturias cachopo?
–ESTHER MANZANO: Asturias is much more than cachopo. It is clear that Asturias has a characteristic dish that is very tasty, well-followed and well-promoted. Affordable, we grow, share very well and have gained a reputation, but we have enormous potential for the product for cooking and much more gastronomy in Asturias. I don’t think we’re only known by the cachopo, either. We have the sea, the mountains and an incredible garden.
– Are we moving in the right direction to be better known nationally and internationally?
–NACHO MANZANO: Yes, of course, but when it comes to selling ourselves, we still have room for improvement. The Asturias brand is prestigious in Spain. “How good you eat in Asturias!” When we say this is it. It’s hard to get here in the international arena and it punishes us. But the peculiarities of Asturian gastronomy are incredible. And at the same time, what the sustainability movement demands today is that product of intimacy…
– Should gastronomy promotion have greater institutional support?
–NM: Deputy Minister of Tourism Graciela Blanco is a gastronomy fan and this is important. Good food is a hobby, not usually linked to purchasing power; There are people who have a lot of money who are not interested. The Government of Asturias is working in the right direction, but the critics will never be lacking. I would focus on international promotion because that’s where we can give our chest.
-How do they do this when customers come from outside?
–EM: First of all because of gastronomy guides, Michelin or Repsol, but also because of articles about Asturias in international magazines.
–NM: We are entering an elite position with two Michelin stars. Galicia didn’t exist when they gave it to us, Vizcaya didn’t have two stars – now there’s a three, so Eneko. The restaurants we operate in the UK also generate traffic for us. Before the pandemic, we had 20% foreign customers at Casa Marcial, which was starting to become a significant percentage.
– How much autobiographical is in your kitchen and how does this tradition marry the new?
–EM: Autobiographical is almost everything. We were self-taught, we did not learn to cook. Being born where our restaurant is has left its mark on us. We were inspired by what was around us, that very trendy “zero kilometer” kitchen.
–NM: When we started, I had complexes when it came to cooking because I had no knowledge and missed traveling more. You had to take advantage of what was at hand. In our first handwritten letter from Casa Marcial, we decided to put on croquettes when no one was serving them. Now Asturias is the world’s best place to eat croquettes. A very good bean stew is a very modern dish. There is a lot to do with Asturian products. Knowing and respecting tradition is a window to innovation.
– When is a Basque Cookery Center in Asturias?
–NM: The Basque school has its fans and some detractors like everything else, but that’s a criterion. Esther’s son is finishing his Gastronomic Sciences degree there this year. It would be nice to have this level of headquarters in Asturias, but I don’t think there is room for many like that in the North either.
–EM: You have to work and travel. You get inspired when you go out and you see things you can apply in your own kitchen.
–Have we forgotten the mid-level chefs?
EM: Yes, of course. We are always Michelin stars, guisanderas, but there is so much more.
–NM: A community like ours needs a good average restoration, which is what we usually all consume. If we want to be big, there should be good average restaurants. I think they are well represented.
– How do you see the future?
–NM: The best is yet to come in the tourism industry and gastronomy is a fundamental pillar for attracting visitors. I’m optimistic and I have claims. Asturias will be a much more attractive destination and gastronomy will be decisive.
–EM: Communication should improve. AVE will come soon and more people will come.
Source: Informacion
