Portugal and Spain want to create European Gastronomy Observatory

Have you ever imagined paella and cataplana being classified as a World Heritage Site?

Portugal and Spain have common goals: to create the European Gastronomy Observatory and defend the declaration as a world heritage of traditional dishes such as cataplana and paella. This resolution was advanced by Rafael Anson, president of the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy, at the 25th anniversary dinner of the Portuguese academy in Lisbon.

Support of gastronomic tourism and promoting a healthy diet, as well as eradicating hunger and avoiding malnutrition, either by default or by excess, are other objectives of the creation of this observatory. The establishment of this observatory was recommended by a resolution adopted by the European Parliament in 2014.

The president of the Portuguese academy, José Bento dos Santos, believes that "gastronomy is not eating luxury products, which are rare and expensive", but "knowing how to enjoy, appreciate, have the pleasure of taste." He also said, defending Portugal's candidacy to host the European Gastronomy Observatory, "we have a heritage that must be transmitted in a correct way and that does not harm future generations."

Source: Observador