For the first time ever, the Basque Culinary Center International Council, formed by some of the world's most influential chefs, is going to hold its annual meeting in Paraná, Brazil. The meeting will conclude on 8 November with “Gastronomy, Identity and Transformation”, a public event at Memorial Curitiba bringing together leading figures from gastronomy to discuss the role of food in addressing today's and tomorrow's challenges.
Hosted by acclaimed Brazilian chef Manu Buffara, the meeting is designed to foster dialogue on the opportunities and challenges shaping contemporary gastronomy. Council members will highlight the transformative power of cuisine and explore how it can contribute to a healthier, more sustainable and more flavourful future.
BRAZIL 2026
In tune with the concerns driving the younger generations, and aware that the gastronomic sector is growing at a dizzying pace, with audiences and needs constantly evolving, members of the Basque Culinary Center’s International Council will travel to Brazil to address today's needs. From 6 to 10 November, internationally renowned chefs will travel to Paraná—many of them for the first time—to exchange ideas on how gastronomy can help shape a better future through a 360-degree approach encompassing the entire food value chain.
On this occasion, the high-level meeting is to be hosted by Manu Buffara, one of Brazilian gastronomy's the leading figures. Recognised for her commitment to a healthier and more sustainable food system, she is also a staunch advocate of urban gardening. She is a member of the Basque Culinary Centre’s International Council, where she sits alongside some of the most influential figures in global gastronomy, such as Joan Roca, at the helm of El Celler de Can Roca in Catalonia, synonymous with innovation and the avant-garde; Michel Bras, one of the most influential figures in gastronomy over the last fifty years; Dominique Crenn, the first woman to earn three Michelin stars with Atelier Crenn in San Francisco; Pía León, whose Kjolle project champions, like few others, the dialogue between the present and Peru’s ancestral traditions; Argentina's Narda Lepes, a tireless advocate for healthy eating in Latin America; Elena Reygadas, the driving force behind Rosetta and a central figure in the new Mexican cuisine; the Danish chef Trine Hahnemann, an ambassador for seasonal and sustainable cuisine; as well as Josh Niland, the Australian who has revolutionised our relationship with the sea by proposing creative and unexpected ways to make the most of fish. Joining this group are local figures such as Alex Atala, alongside other renowned international chefs and leading professionals from across Brazil, such as Rodrigo Bellora, Felipe Cavalcanti and Pedro Soares who will take an active role in the event through culinary demonstrations and knowledge-sharing activities, fostering a space for inspiration, learning, and dialogue on emerging gastronomic models.
Brazil, a key player in contemporary gastronomic discourse on account of its cultural and biological diversity and the strength of its culinary scene, has established itself as a meeting point where new ideas emerge, pressing issues are discussed and models are tested that inspire the world. That is why this country — and in particular Curitiba, a city characterised by constant migratory flows and intense cultural exchange — provides the ideal setting to reflect on the challenges facing the sector and to address the future of gastronomy from a broad and transformative perspective.
Driven by admiration and a desire to foster exchanges that contribute to the development of gastronomy, the International Council of the Basque Culinary Centre will be visiting Iguazú National Park and the city of Curitiba during this annual meeting. This gathering of diverse perspectives and career paths linked to international gastronomy will, over the course of three days, feature activities including the Council meeting and the selection of the winner of the 2026 Basque Culinary World Prize, as well as forums for reflection that will connect landscape, culture, sustainability and culinary innovation.
To round off the programme, Council members will take part in a day of events in Curitiba, open to the public, combining talks, show cooking sessions and round-table discussions, on 8 November at the Curitiba Memorial. Entitled “Gastronomy, Identity and Transformation”, the event will feature talks, debates and cooking demonstrations, with the aim of sharing knowledge, reflections and insights that help us view the present and future of food in a creative yet committed way.
“After meeting in Donostia-San Sebastián in 2025, the International Council is now travelling to Brazil to meet its extraordinary gastronomic community. It will be a journey through its landscapes, aromas and flavours, which have so greatly inspired the world. Curitiba, the capital of Paraná, is a benchmark in many respects: a diverse region that we view with admiration and which we will explore guided by Manu Buffara. It is a privilege for us to host this new edition of the Council here.” said the president of the International Council, Joan Roca.
For her part, this event's host, Manu Buffara, acknowledged: "It is an honour to welcome the Basque Culinary Centre’s International Council and to open the doors of Curitiba to them, a region that reflects Brazil’s diversity and community spirit. This gathering will enable us to collaborate effectively, understand what we are building as a sector, and deepen our understanding of the purpose behind our actions. I am confident that those joining us will take away not only insights and reflections, but also a genuine connection with this city and with the energy that drives its gastronomy.”
“In 2026, we'll be travelling to Curitiba to engage in strategic discussions, collective learning and the advancement of gastronomy in the face of the challenges posed by the future of food.
This gathering will be a space for rigorous reflection, collective learning and continuing to promote a gastronomy that transforms regions and communities, contributing to the future of food,” said Joxe Mari Aizega, director of the Basque Culinary Center.
16TH GASTRONOMY SUMMIT
In 2026, Basque Culinary Center will be holding the International Council's 16th annual meeting returning to Brazil in a unique context, following on from the meetings and events held over 15 years in international gastronomic reference destinations such as New York, Sao Paulo, Lima, Mexico City, Modena, San Francisco, Girona or Tokyo, where each event's participants have discussed sustainability, biodiversity, talent and the transformation of the gastronomic sector from a multidisciplinary approach.
This event will also see the Basque Culinary World Prize Panel of Judges meeting again to choose and announce the winner of the 10th Prize. This award continues to focus on the transformative power of gastronomy with inspiring stories of professionals who generate social impact from their kitchen. Created by the Basque Government and the Basque Culinary Center, and dubbed by the media as the "Nobel Prize of Gastronomy", this award is backed by academics and experts of international prestige.
Event organised by the Basque Culinary Centre, in partnership with Manu Buffara as host, and in collaboration with SEBRAE, Grupo Belmot, Nomma Hotel and the Manu Buffara Institute.
Further programme updates will be announced by september through the Basque Culinary Center's and participating institutions' website and social media channels.
About Manu Buffara
Manu Buffara is one of the leading voices in contemporary Brazilian gastronomy. Since opening her restaurant-laboratory, Manu, in 2011, she has developed a signature cuisine deeply rooted in the region, local producers and Brazilian biodiversity. Her connection to the landscapes of Curitiba — the coast, the Atlantic Forest and rural areas — has earned her international recognition, including the award for Best Female Chef in Latin America (2022) and three knives at The Best Chef Awards (2024 and 2025).
She has introduced little-explored ingredients and techniques into haute cuisine, ranging from wild mushrooms and regional shellfish to seaweed she forages herself and honey from native bees. Her plant-based and sensitive approach has led her to become the first chef in Brazil to conclude a tasting menu with a carrot.
Her work extends beyond the kitchen: she appears on television, publishes books – such as Receitas e Histórias do Meu Brasil (Recipes and Stories of my Brazil) (Phaidon) – and creates projects that bring together gastronomy, memory and creativity. In recent years, she has expanded her horizons with the menu at Exímia Bar and with Casa Manu, a lifestyle range.
Social impact is central to her career. Through the Manu Buffara Institute, she backs initiatives focused on food education, inclusion and food distribution in vulnerable communities. Today, Manu Buffara is one of the key figures in contemporary Brazilian signature cuisine.
THE BASQUE CULINARY CENTER INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL
The Basque Culinary Center’s International Council, formed by some of today's most influential chefs, is a key body, responsible for advising the Basque Culinary Center’s about its strategy, guiding its efforts, helping to identify opportunities and opening scenarios for discussion and action that contribute to advancing gastronomy. Its members represent the concerns and visions that are emerging in different parts of the world.
Aware of the good fortune that comes from counting on high-level personalities among its allies, the Basque Culinary Center advocates forging ties that turn into reciprocal, growing alliances by bringing its members together once a year, in gastronomically-significant venues.
Founded by Ferrán Adrià (Spain), Joan Roca (Spain), Gastón Acurio (Peru), Massimo Bottura (Italy), Michel Bras (France), Heston Blumenthal (UK), Alex Atala (Brazil), Dan Barber (USA) and Yukio Hattori (Japan); over time, it has attracted other personalities such as Enrique Olvera (Mexico), Mauro Colagreco (Argentina/France), Manu Buffara (Brazil), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Japan), Trine Hahnemann (Denmark), Dominique Creen (France/USA), Pia León (Peru), Josh Niland (Australia), Narda Lepes (Argentina), Elena Reigadas (Mexico), and Ton Tassanakajohn (Thailand).