SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Basque region will reward a chef who has helped improve society through gastronomy.
This was announced on Tuesday evening by the president of the Prize Committee of the World Culinary Prize, Elena Arzak, at the Palacio Miramar, noting that the winner will be announced on July, 18 in Mexico.
In an interview with Xinhua, Arzak indicated that the 10 finalists, who are from the United States, Spain, Brazil, Turkey, Colombia, Greece, Australia, Italy and Mexico, were selected by the Committee from a total of 110 applications.
Arzak said that as a chef "she looked at what was offered by the chefs, keeping in mind flavor and nutrition" adding that "in my opinion everything has been of very high quality, seeking excellence in terms of flavor, nutrition and sustainability".
The UNESCO Chair on Food, Culture and Development of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Xavier Medina, told Xinhua that "we have tried to ensure that the profiles of the candidates meet different criteria and represent the social aspect, the environment, research and health".
"Two of the candidates are working in refugee camps or with refugees, reflecting the current situation we live in," he said.
The Basque region, in the north of Spain, has a great culinary tradition. In 2011 the Basque Culinary Center was born, an entity that offers training, research and innovation in the gastronomy field. Enditem
