Madrid Fusión is one of the world's most important international gastronomy congresses. Born in 2003 from an idea of food journalist José Carlos Capel and the Vocento group, it is held every year in Madrid, traditionally early in the year, now at the IFEMA exhibition centre.
What happens
For three days Spanish and international chefs take the auditorium stage to present, cooking live, their techniques, dishes and research, with projections and simultaneous translation. Alongside the congress there are:
- a large produce fair, with producers of oil, ham, cheese, wine and equipment;
- workshops and tastings on wine, coffee, pastry and front-of-house;
- competitions for young cooks and awards for emerging chefs and restaurants;
- sections on sustainability, kitchen work and new technologies.
Its role in Spanish cooking
Madrid Fusión was born in the years when Spanish cooking, thanks to Ferran Adrià and Basque and Catalan chefs, had become the most innovative in the world, and it helped make it known to journalists and professionals everywhere. The great names of Spanish cooking have appeared on its stage, such as Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, Joan Roca, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Quique Dacosta, Ángel León and David Muñoz, alongside international stars such as René Redzepi, Massimo Bottura and Heston Blumenthal. In recent years the congress has also made room for a new generation of chefs and for produce-led, regional cooking. Each edition has a guest country or region.
How to attend
The congress is aimed mainly at professionals, but is open to anyone who buys a pass, with different prices for the full congress, the fair only or single workshops, and reduced rates for cookery school students. Programme, dates and tickets are published on the official website a few months ahead. During those days many Madrid restaurants organise special dinners and tasting menus.
To discover the capital's food see eating and drinking in Madrid, and for the big picture Spanish cuisine.