Between Casas-Ibáñez (Albacete) and Paiporta (Valencia), ground zero of the catastrophe generated by the most catastrophic DANA that occurred in Spain, there are 156 kilometers. A distance that Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo –the tandem of chefs who give life to the Michelin star Oba-– toured for the first time last Thursday. They did it in the opposite direction, from the capital of Turia, towards their home, after returning from a gastronomic conference in the Canary Islands. The images of what they saw along the way – more than 7 hours to travel along roads and paths devastated by water – “will be difficult to forget.”
Without time for it, as soon as they entered their restaurant, they both felt the need to undertake that return trip, to the area from which anyone would want to flee to “do the possible.” «There are no words to describe this. I have family there and every time we talk to them it is heartbreaking,” he explained to ABC last Friday, the day he took his Jeep, loaded it with material, wetsuits, shovels and, above all, food. “I can’t lead a normal life knowing what is happening there,” he said.
At his side, and that of Juan Sahuquillo – who stayed in Casas-Ibáñez coordinating the town’s volunteers to prepare more than 1,200 portions of food a day in the kitchen of his Michelin star –, the entire human team that they manage, friends and neighbors who have gone out of their way to help those affected by DANA. They have channeled all this spontaneous help after the arrival in Valencia of the World Central Kitchen (WCK) teams and their leader, the Spanish chef living in the US. Jose Andres.
Since last Friday, when they deployed their operation to deliver hot food rations to the areas hardest hit by the tragedy, local chefs such as Luis Vals –two Michelin stars in El Poblet (Valencia)–, Vicky Sevilla –a star in Arrels (Sagunto, Valencia)– or Begoña Rodrigo –a star in La Salita (Valencia)– who has already managed to raise 23,500 euros for this purpose through WCK.
The cook has been especially critical of the management of this catastrophe on her social networks and has been involved in helping her neighbors from the first moment. Also in the distance with Chera Sotthe town in the Valencian mountains where he spent many moments of his childhood, in which the unstoppable force of the water has swept away two bridges, leaving part of the town cut off.
They have been joined by other colleagues from other places such as Nino Redruello –owner of the La Ancha group (Madrid and Barcelona)– or Pepa Muñoz –president of Facyre, and chef of Qüenco de Pepa (Madrid)–. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners that arrive every day at different points that serve as distribution points, such as the Alfafár Local Police Station, where about 1,200 rations are being delivered per day.
From Denia, the three Michelin stars Quique Dacostahas done his part with his team by cooking as much as they can from his restaurant and amplifying requests for help from his social networks as ambassador and emergency coordinator of the NGO Action against hunger. «The situation in the Valencian Community is catastrophic. We need many more means to provide food, water and hygiene kits to thousands of people who need us. We have to do it in a coordinated way. “Any small contribution will be very important for everyone,” the chef launched a few days ago on Instagram. Your restaurant Lisa Black from Valencia capital also works under the coordination of WCK in the preparation of aid rations.
Work does not stop either in places like the company’s central kitchens. Costa Brava Mediterranean Foods to prepare more than 15,000 servings of meatballs with pasta, croquettes or lentils thanks to the industrial facilities that have been made available to Ricard Camarena –two stars in his eponymous restaurant in Valencia– to help in this humanitarian tragedy. Among the food donors to reach these figures are companies such as Mercadona, Delisano, the Enguera agricultural cooperative or Makro. Furthermore, the Association of Merchants of the Colón Market of Valencia –where the chef has his Habitual and Bar-X restaurants– has also collaborated in delivery tasks. The flood of help and food has been so great that, last Saturday, Camarena himself had to communicate on his social networks that they could not receive or manage any more donations or volunteers.
The chain of solidarity has not stopped growing since the first moments of DANA. There are many names that have added their strength and solidarity. Among many others, there are those of German Carrizo and Carito Lourenço (Fierro, Valencia), Xanty Elias (Finca Alfoliz, Huelva), Vicente Patiño (Saiti, Valencia), Susi Diaz (La Finca, Elche), the rice producer Edu Torres either Andres Torres (‘Basque Culinary World Prize’ award in 2024).
Some restaurants like La Salita, Sartoria Panatieri either Fuentelgato They have different initiatives underway to allocate part of the proceeds in the coming weeks to this wave of aid from the gastronomic sector to those affected by this unprecedented tragedy in Spain.
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