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On October 16, World Food Day was celebrated, coinciding with the fact that this year Catalonia has been designated the World Region of Gastronomy 2025. This was more than enough reason to organize several significant and simultaneous gastronomic events in hospital centers such as Calella, Blanes, Mataró, and Badalona, as well as in residential care facilities.
It was a “major celebration” day, but also full of identity and commitment to our Mediterranean diet and traditional Catalan dishes, which are part of our history. The event was aimed at both users and healthcare professionals in the centers, as well as visiting members of the public. The different dining spaces were decorated for the occasion, with the goal of breaking the routine of hospital cafeterias and dining rooms.
The menu included a selection of typical welcome starters from the inland areas of Catalonia, such as: Vic longaniza, white sausage, black sausage, “bull blanc“, and bread with tomato. The first courses represented the most authentic Catalan cuisine: “escudella”, Costa Brava-style noodles, “escalivada” with potatoes cooked in embers and anchovies, stewed peas and artichokes, cod “esqueixada” with pine nut oil and confit mushrooms, and a spectacular rice dish with pig’s feet, turnips, and dried beans. The main courses included fricandó with moixernons and picada, “carn d’olla” (pigs’ feet, pancetta, beef, chickpeas, cabbage…), grilled vegetables, gratin cod with potatoes, and surf-and-turf (chicken with crayfish).
To complete the meal, representative desserts were offered such as crema catalana with a hint of ratafía and carquinyolis, pears in wine with chocolate and honey, and fresh cheese. Altogether, it was a true showcase of Catalan cuisine, carefully prepared by our culinary teams for the event.
Catalonia has been internationally recognized for its unique culinary heritage, the quality of its local products, its culinary innovation, and its commitment to food that cares for people, the territory, and culture. This recognition is granted by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism (IGCAT), highlighting the work of producers, chefs, restaurateurs, and the entire Catalan food chain.
World Food Day 2025 on October 16 is a day that calls for global collaboration to ensure safe, healthy, and sustainable food for everyone. As a society, we all have an important role: choosing healthy and local foods, avoiding food waste, respecting the environment, and valuing what we eat. Every small action counts in building a future where everyone can access fair, nutritious food in harmony with the planet.
Food services in collective dining spaces, whether in healthcare, educational, or corporate centers, are increasingly dynamic in terms of gastronomic offerings. They not only provide meals adapted to different diets and needs but also celebrate and promote cuisine in its broadest sense, at a key moment for preserving the cultural tradition that has defined our territory.
