Cristina Jolonch: “Beyond the act of eating, gastronomy is culture and it's about socializing, sharing, and discovering”
Mediterranean cuisine and its numerous offerings have turned Barcelona into a gastronomic benchmark par excellence, as well as being the birthplace of some of the world's most awarded chefs. But when it comes to gastronomy in the City of Counts, journalist and writer Cristina Jolonch is undoubtedly the chronicler of Barcelona's palate. Her long professional career has made her an expert in flavors, aromas, and ingredients, and hers is a vision committed to practical journalism that allows her to unveil stories and those who play the leading roles.
And the fact is that Jolonch is an excellent person who doesn't say no when she believes in the cause. In this way, she has launched projects such as 'Cocina Conciencia', has created the series 'Sin Reservas' and has fully committed during the pandemic with the initiative 'Comer Contigo'. Throughout her professional career, without ceasing to publish articles, we have also seen her promote La Vanguardia's COMER channel, co-direct the documentary 'Snacks, Bites of a Revolution' and write 'De carne y hueso', a book in which she shows us the most vulnerable side that walks parallel to an industry built on dreams, creativity, and a lot of hard work.
Nos reencontramos con Cristina Jolonch tiempo después de que acercara a Seventy Barcelona el tercer debate ‘Comer’ de La Vanguardia, Estrellas o marcas: ¿Qué quieren ser los chefs?, para continuar descubriendo más sobre su visión personal de la gastronomía.
Because, as Jolonch states, “beyond the act of eating, gastronomy is culture and it's about socializing, sharing, and discovering. Beyond nourishment, it's about eating well and enjoying”. A culture that all the chefs who in recent years have led the great success of the food revolution perfectly master, managing to elevate gastronomy to the level of art. Professionals admired for their work who are now recognized as true stars. An admiration that “they have earned”, confirms Jolonch. “When the current leading figures, who are still active and keep the revolution alive, studied cooking, the profession had no special recognition. They have earned it. So most of them are excellent people, approachable and without any arrogance or pretentiousness. They are collaborative and generous in social aspects, extremely normal and hardworking. They work incredibly hard”.
Her years of experience have led the journalist to meet the greats of world gastronomy, and among them, she highlights “their ability to have made their profession a source of pride”. As an illustrative example, Cristina shares with us an anecdote about Ferran Adrià: “He told me that one day he was at a kiosk and his photo appeared on the cover of a Sunday supplement. Then he saw an upset man criticizing him while saying: 'this man here again, he keeps appearing over and over'. Someone pointed out to the man that Adrià was standing next to him. And the chef asked him: 'excuse me sir, what have I done to you?', 'I wanted my son to be a lawyer and he wants to be a chef', the man replied”.
The journalist asserts:
“This change has been made by them. And they have turned gastronomy into one of the great attractions of this country. Sometimes, when the press is criticized for continuing to talk about these characters and for giving them so much voice, despite the fact that much has already been said about them, I ask for them to point out other sectors in which their protagonists have stood out so much and have managed to make their profession a global benchmark”. And adds “Global recognition comes from being part of a revolution that was born in Cala Montjoi, and at El Bulli, where possibly the greatest lesson was the freedom to create. Feeling free to create without constraints opened new paths. But always coexisting with both creative and traditional cuisine. Technology and improvements in creative kitchens have helped traditional cuisine. Today we could not eat cod as dry as our grandparents did. And also the defense by cooks and chefs of our legacy, both traditional and creative, has been very important. It's about understanding that cooking is culture”.
During the presentation of her book “Flesh and Bone”, Cristina Jolonch stated that she is interested in "people and their stories, much more than in gastronomy". And indeed, among the stories that have most marked her in recent months, are those related to the delicate current situation that society is facing since the health crisis caused by Covid-19. Cristina highlights “the relationship between people from different restaurants, who could be competitors but instead, I have seen them as brothers, caring for each other, trying to console each other, to stick together. And also the shared suffering of very determined people who are now in a very compromised situation”.
In this year of pandemic, we have witnessed an immense wave of gastronomic solidarity that has allowed food to reach numerous families, thanks to donations, contributions, and new initiatives. As Cristina Jolonch affirms: “Almost all the chefs I know are involved in some social cause. And they are the first to sign up when asked. In my opinion, cooking and feeding have a link with generosity and with the fact that you like others to feel good. Chefs from many restaurants made a significant effort to help at the beginning of the pandemic. Now many of them are 'beaten down', many are at risk. And even considering that the restaurant industry is a point of low contagion, since in gastronomy many of the kitchens are like laboratories. It is true that some bars and restaurants, perhaps because they saw their business at risk, did not do well. And it is possible that the innocent have ended up paying for the guilty. This happens".
Specifically, one of the pioneering initiatives in Barcelona has been the Comer Contigo project, through which La Vanguardia provided more than 50,000 meals to people across the Barcelona area. Jolonch explains to us that “At La Vanguardia, we supported this project because of its immediacy. A chef called me and said: 'I want to do something, we need to do something social.' I told him we would join if it was something organized. And without much thought, when I mentioned it to the newspaper's management, they said: 'Yes.' And they quickly threw themselves into helping: from brands providing ingredients to chefs and cooks who couldn't open their facilities to others who made their spaces available”.
The hospitality and restaurant industries, in the words of the journalist, “have been sectors that were greatly affected by the closure of establishments. However, they have also been able to reinvent themselves quickly, offering delivery or takeout services, incorporating technology, and making greater use of social media and the entire digital world. Some chefs have gained a lot of presence on social networks as a result of the pandemic and have been followed by a large audience, they have been encouraged to cook at home, to prepare dishes that required more time like bread, pastries, or stewed dishes”.
Regarding food globalization, Cristina Jolonch is clear that “the local and the global must coexist. The pandemic will reinforce the local a bit and we must be more aware. Even before the crisis, there was a search for closer producers. And I think there is a certain awareness that needs to be reflected upon. Even in our travels, we will have to economize resources and think about each trip. I now buy from farmers in Baix de Llobregat and I am very happy.” And she states that “We have a terrible environmental problem and we need to get our act together. We must be aware of what we buy and, above all, avoid waste. An awareness of wastefulness is absolutely urgent, but it is also the easiest thing. Because, in addition, poverty is coming and this turns wastefulness into a crime.”
Her latest project, 'Without Reservations', is an exceptional video series that highlights the most professional aspects of restaurateurs in Spain. “It emerged during the pandemic because I was stressed from seeing so many video conferences and screens full of faces with ugly backgrounds. And everything looked ugly. I felt that I wanted or needed to do something beautiful that would cheer people up and that would be like a tribute to this spirit of overcoming in gastronomy and to all those people who try to fulfill their dreams. Like the case of the chef Carles Gaig who has a dream and sings an ode to mature age, when others might think about retirement”.
When asked about the cuisine of Barcelona, she states that “we have a city with one of the most interesting cuisines, where we combine traditional, creative, and radical cooking, dishes and tapas. A city with a wonderful tourist attraction. We have a lot of talent, and not only in Barcelona, but throughout Catalonia. For example, we have an extremely attractive recipe book that reflects everything from the nearby sea to the mountain, the coast of the cities. A recipe book of farmers, fishermen, urban... we have wonderful products”.
Moreover, for those traveling to Barcelona, Cristina Jolonch recommends visiting some of her secret spots: “There are exceptional places like our markets. In Barcelona, we have an extraordinary wealth of markets in the neighborhoods. And then let them get lost in the streets and alleys. They will discover, for example, La Cova Fumada, where the ‘bomba’ (breaded potato balls stuffed with minced meat) from Barceloneta was born. And don't miss out on the creative restaurants, but also the traditional eateries”.
Without a doubt, reading Cristina Jolonch is to discover another side of gastronomy through an objective and clear perspective that gives the exact place to a sector which, through effort and work, has managed to transcend in the pleasure of eating and cooking, turning it into an art.
