Today, June 16^th, is World Tapas Day. To celebrate this, the Grupo Gastro Trinquet’s Pablo Margós, winner of the Tapas d’Ací competition, put on a show cooking event where he made Bunyol de l’Albufera de València, the winning tapas.

Attended by Rosario Sánchez, Secretary of State for Tourism; Israel Martínez, Director General of Tourism of the Generalitat (Catalan Government); Lorena Silvent, Mayor of Catarroja; Susi Díaz, President of Saborea España; José Almeida, President of Hostelería de España; and Manuel Espinar, president of the Valencia Hospitality Industry, this was no unimportant event.

I entered the Pelayo Gastro Trinquet restaurant a couple of minutes before the event started, stepping into a trendy dark-blue-with-brown-accents dining room before heading into the event room. I was promptly offered water and a place to sit before the event started, displaying immediately the high priority of hospitality that the Trinquet exudes.

The event began with Margós explaining the importance of tapas to Spaniards, and how he created his “Bunyol de l’Albufera de València”. Then, another man started assembling the tapa according to the instructions of Margós. When it was completed in a matter of minutes, everyone clapped at the masterpiece and for Margós. The perfect little “Bunyol” sat on a wooden board, made of smoked all i pebre with eel, torched garlic, roasted garlic cream, flaked almonds, and a suquet.

As everyone transitioned from watching the assembly of the tapa to hearing from the government officials about the significance of tapas, especially for World Tapas Day, waiters walked around with complimentary red and white wine. We took our seats, and the panel members each had a couple of minutes to show their support for Margós, tapas, and their beloved Spain. Though each member had unique points that they wanted to express in the few minutes they had, all of them expressed a similar sentiment of pride in their country, and a love for the distinctly Spanish food that people around the world enjoyed. This recognition of Spain’s global influence on cuisine and gastronomy brought a smile to everyone’s face, not just the members of the panel.

As the panel ended, the waiters brought around more Bunyols for all in attendance to try. I tried one, being careful to keep all the ingredients stacked on top of the base. It was warm and had a slight kick of spice to it, and each flavor was fresh and melded perfectly with the others. It was the perfect way to celebrate World Tapas Day, a celebration not only for the tapas themselves, but more importantly, for Spain and all her contributions to the world of food and high-class gastronomy.

If you would like to learn more about Pablo Margós, and the Grupo Gastro Trinquet, please go to their website at https://grupogastrotrinquet.com/.

Report by Fiona Pacious 

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’