The Crucial Use of the Sofregit

Gastronomically, Catalonia is right up there at the moment. El Celler de Can Roca has just been named the best restaurant in the world. It is not such an enviable position. The last best restaurant but one has slid down to number forty-three in the rankings, despite the fact that the chef-proprietor – one Heston Blumenthal – thinks it has never been better, and I have no reason to doubt him.

At least the current number one is rooted in a great culinary tradition. The Catalans really care about their food: a stroll around the markets in Barcelona is evidence enough of an infrastructure that can support great gastronomy. Beyond the supply chain there stretches a tradition of cooking and eating that helps to support some of the most inventive and creative gastronomic cultures.