gastronomy

People who follow a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil will reduce by 40% the risk of having diabetes, and by 18% if the diet is enriched with nuts. This is one of the main conclusions of a scientific study conducted by 18 research centres throughout Spain on 3,500 people. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Director of this study, said that such results would change the usual perception of diabetes prevention. The Mediterranean diet is not solely efficient against diabetes. Indeed, the results showed that following such a diet also reduced by 30% the chances of contracting cardiovascular diseases.

After 32 years of success in the world of haute cuisine, this internationally renowned restaurant will cease its operations due to financial reasons. The restaurant located in Sant Celoni, 50km north of Barcelona, was decorated with 3 Michelin stars for 18 consecutive years, being the first restaurant in Catalonia to receive such a distinction. Can Fabes became famous under the leadership of Catalan chef Santi Santamaria, who passed away in February 2011. Santamaria was the first Spanish chef to be awarded with 7 Michelin stars, with restaurants in Catalonia, Madrid, Toledo and Singapore. Following his death the group of restaurants was directed by his daughter Regina Santamaria. “We tried to keep fighting for Can Fabes, but it was not possible as the restaurant was no longer economically viable” she told the CNA.

Catalan cookery is known worldwide for Ferran Adrià’s revolutionary contributions and for ‘El Celler de Can Roca’ recently chosen by ‘Restaurant’ magazine as the best restaurant in the world. However the vast majority of Catalans have never tasted such haute cuisine and still defend their gastronomy as one of the richest in the world. It’s not about patriotic boasting: traditional Catalan cooking is characterised by an overwhelming variety of ingredients and cooking methods and no less than seven centuries of documented history.

In a globalised world, immigration is a crucial factor to understanding how societies are organised. But there are different kinds of immigration. The most common immigrants are those who come to look for work. They are mostly workers from developing countries that are in a situation of poverty, but others come to do unusual jobs, in which they may earn big money and can leave their mark on local people. Moses Ehambe (Arlington, Texas, 1986) and Troy Devries (Mount Vernon, Washington, 1982) are basketball players for Fiact Joventut de Badalona and La Bruixa d’Or Manresa. Despite being foreigners, they prove that sport stars can adapt to the Catalan way of life.