Interview: Famous Spanish chef recognizes influence of Chinese cuisine on her dishes

The world renowned Spanish chef Elena Arzak told Xinhua about the influence of traditional Chinese cuisine on her dishes.

"My father and I have always been greatly influenced by Chinese cuisine as we have always liked it," said Arzak, whose father is the famous and award-winning chef, Juan Mari Arzak.

Both work together in their restaurant, Arzak, located in the village of Alza, now belonging to the city of San Sebastian in northern Spain. The restaurant has received numerous accolades from the mid-70s onwards and received the third star in the prestigious Michelin Guide in 1989.

Arzak said she had always really liked Chinese cuisine and one of the first books her father gave her was "The Heritage of Chinese Cooking." "There I discovered many recipes" she said, adding, "we have always liked (Chinese cuisine), how they use sesame oil, spices. I love Sichuan pepper," she said.

In particular, "a pepper that numbs the mouth" drew her attention, she said, adding "you cannot give it to everyone because for some people it would be too strong."

Arzak visited China in 2010, where she participated in the Shanghai World Expo involving 217 countries. On the "Day of Spain," she prepared dishes such as melon bread with ham, anchovies with strawberries, cod omelet or chocolate burger, among others at the Melia Hotel.

"The experience was very interesting because I worked with the head chef at the Melia, who was Spanish, and with a Chinese team," she said.

Chinese cuisine drew Arzak's attention for several reasons, but what appealed to her most was the soups. "I really liked the soups, how they added soy and tofu to them, I found it amazing, any soup was good," she told Xinhua, stressing that the Chinese have a good command of how to make soup.

Arzak also highlighted the diversity and history of Chinese cuisine. "It's a huge country and has many different cuisines. I loved it, it is a very ancient cuisine, also what I liked about the Chinese cuisine is that they eat everything, from rooster combs to the legs," she said.

According to Arzak, these trips to China are a source of inspiration for her dishes. For her, the most important thing is the taste and flavor, and "making good use of the products and raw materials."

At her family's restaurant, they have a research area where they have a "bank of flavors" that stores about 1,500 ingredients from black lemons from Iran to swallows' nests. "Not all of them are used," she told Xinhua, "but when we need to finish a dish, we look around and always find something."

Among the latest developments coming out of the kitchen of Arzak is the duck with guitar shavings, which are used for smoking the dish.

Chef Arzak will be part of the prize committee that will evaluate the nominations for the Basque Culinary World Prize, an annual award in San Sebastian that will rewards a chef for their positive contribution to society.

"I think it is a very suitable award, very consistent with the expectations generated by the chefs today," she said. Endite