Natural flavor

[vmilor]

In your Los Secretos you emphasize the importance of seeking the most pure flavor of natural products. Technique(and creativity)for you is not an end in itself but a means to a higher goal of purest flavor. However, many of your followers seem to focus exclusively on technical novelties you introduced regarding texture and temperature, often to the detriment of natural flavor. Do you agree with this statement? Do you think that innovation for the sake of innovation is hurting rather than helping the new Spanish cuisine? Do you think your long tasting menus adopted by your admirers make things worse in the sense that the new chefs are trying to "surprise"the diner with 15 courses, some of them mediocre, instead of perfecting a number of great dishes through patient, artisanal work?

[Ferran Adrià]

The problem with taste transcends by far the fields of cooking and cuisine. It’s a matter so subjective that it all comes down to your opinion and my opinion. When I taste something and I affirm “this tastes to asparagus”, it’s just my opinion. Someone can deny it.

Regarding textures, I can make an asparagus soup which will taste more like an asparagus than the actual product. This is my dream, and sometimes I get it. Many people have a wrong perception about what is pursued through texture changes.

Not everything is wrong with people who follow my path. There are people in Spain, doing long tasting menus amazingly. Ten years ago or so, we were almost nothing culinarily speaking. Now, everyone is looking at us. I’d say that I have to do something with that.

Edited December 19, 2004 by Ferran Adrià (log)