“The things we like to eat…are the things that are good for us”

Barcelona (Gastroteca.cat).- Located in the village of Cardona in the centre of Catalonia, the Fundació Alícia is a space dedicated to cuisine, and most importantly, its relation to health. “The idea is to build rigorous knowledge. We are not a university, nor a regular research institute. But we are a centre where scientists and cooks work together to create knowledge of cuisine,” said the centre’s director, Toni Massanés. The ambitious project has consolidated the best of the Catalan culinary world, with renowned cardiologist Valentí Fuster and world famous chef Ferran Adrià on board.

The Fundació Alícia holds workshops and classes for the public on topics such as local and sustainable production and consumption, cooking, and culture. “Cuisine is a tutorial about using a product. If you don’t know how to use a product, you cannot value it”, said Massanés. This simple concept has brought in over 50,000 visitors to the centre. The centre also puts on special workshops for kids where they explain the importance of local consumption for sustainability. “When we tell small kids what “fruit” is, we explain “proximity fruit” to them, and that there are other types of fruit that are very good.”