How Hacking can be Delicious

Tech Trends travels to the Basque Country to find out how tech and and science play a big role in gastronomic innovation.

“The evolution of modern gastronomy brought radically different ideas and models which blended new technologies, techniques, and embraced entrepreneurship and the dialogue between traditional cooking, science and art,” explains Joxe Mari Aizega, Director of the Basque Culinary Center as we tour the impressive facilities near Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country region.

The Center — founded in 2009 — was conceived from the need for an institution to advance knowledge in gastronomy through an interdisciplinary approach. Their 4-year bachelor degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts — which covers cooking, service management, applied science and culture — is a prime example of this, as Aizega explains:

“We have been pioneers in giving this holistic education in gastronomy, and our students learn physics, chemistry, biology, nutrition, statistics, science, but all in a very applied way. We now understand that gastronomy is a value chain that goes from products to technology to tourism.”

Spain became the epicenter of a gastronomic revolution back in the 90s, a movement spearheaded not only by chefs such as Juan Mari Arzak, Ferran Adrià, Joan and Jordi Roca and Santi Santamaría. Adrià, founder of elBulli…