The Celebration of Cuba’s Gastronomic Culture Gets Going

“These four years have given us a different view of Cuban gastronomy”, Mr. José Carlos de Santiago, CEO of the Excelencias Group and Ambassador of the Iberian-American Gastronomy Academy, said during the cutting-ribbon ceremony of Excelencias Gourmet 4th International Gastronomic Seminar at Meliá Cohiba Hotel.

“Cuban professionals –he asserted- have arisen right from the base and worked hard to cultivate, not always with the right resources, that Cuban gastronomic culture that has gained momentum step by step.”

“This country’s educational system has helped them reach goals that would have taken longer in other nations. Who has been able to grow this much in four years? What they have learned, with slender resources, is an authentic wonder. They are all great professionals that have come all the way to the top. We can’t tell them other than welcome.”

“We pay tribute to those masters that have spent years teaching the people we have here today. However, there is a lot to learn. That’s the target of this Seminar, which is attended by great chefs from other countries and international consultants”, he pointed out.

During his inaugural speech, Mr. José Carlos de Santiago underlined that the 4th Seminar is taking place in the same venue where its first edition was held.

“We’re sorry for those who couldn’t register; we’d like to have them all here with us. We’re all here, not all of us are here. The Excelencias Group thanks them for the great work they’ve done”, he stated.

In his speech, the CEO of Excelencias Group and Ambassador of the Iberian-American Gastronomy Academy also thanked Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR is the Spanish acronym), and Meliá for their support to the development of this Seminar.