Evolution of the New Basque Cuisine

With the involvement of a group of Basque chefs, the late 1970s bore testimony to the start of what would be referred to as the New Basque Cuisine movement. Led by Juan Mari Arzak and Pedro Subijana, and driven by the refusal of all these chefs to conform, they decided not only to recover the legacy received by way of a recipe book, but also to question the actual bases of Basque cuisine.

Arzak, Subijana, Arguiñano, Idiáquez, Fombellida, Gómez, Iza, Mangas, Kintana, Castillo, Roteta, Zapirain and Irizar took up the challenge and, although competitors, committed themselves to collaborating and developing a healthier, more modern and innovative cuisine. A school of thought which stimulated the development of cuisine and managed to convert it into a culture for the first time.