Tenerife is getting a spot on the international paella stage this Sunday, with La Basílica, a restaurant in Candelaria, heading to Sueca in Valencia to compete for the title of the world’s best paella.
David Corbea Pérez from La Basílica will be among 40 chefs from 14 countries and five continents taking part in the final of the 65th International Valencian Paella Competition of Sueca.
The competition will take place at the Passeig de l’Estació de Sueca, bringing together chefs from Spain and around the world after a series of qualifying competitions.
Tenerife in the national final
La Basílica is one of 12 Spanish restaurants selected to compete in the final.
The national finalists include restaurants from places such as Palma, Ciudad Real, Granada, Lleida, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia, Salamanca and Seville, along with other representatives from the Valencian Community.
The competition will award prizes to the three overall finalists, while also recognising the best paella from a local, regional, national and international restaurant.
40 restaurants from around the world
The 65th edition has attracted 40 finalists from 14 countries, with representation from America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
The international finalists include chefs and restaurants from Argentina, Australia, Colombia, the Czech Republic, the United States, France, Morocco, Peru, Switzerland, Turkey and England, as well as Mexico and Japan.
The international selection has also included qualifying events in Querétaro, Mexico, and Takatsuki Osaka, Japan.
Among those heading to the final are Amor al Plato from General Roca in Argentina, Simply Spanish from Melbourne, Restaurante Rojo Madrid from Barranquilla, Martos’s Rice from San Antonio in the United States and David Soriano Events from Zurich.
The challenge is keeping it traditional
There won’t be much room for going rogue with the recipe.
Competitors must prepare their dishes according to the traditional recipe required by the competition, with the event aiming to preserve the traditional preparation of Valencian paella while continuing to give the dish an international platform.
The judging panel will be made up of experienced professionals from different areas of gastronomy, with competitors assessed during the competition in the presence of a notary.
So, on Sunday, Tenerife will have its own contender in one of the world’s biggest competitions dedicated to paella.
Now we just have to see what the judges think of La Basílica’s version.