Overview

• The congress ended at the Kursaal with 14,621 accredited participants from 48 countries, 1,362 attendees in the main auditorium, and more than 10,000 tastings served, according to the official balance.
• The Basque Culinary Center presented GOe, a new research facility set to open in Donostia’s Gros building within ten days, and highlighted ongoing work on fermentation, including an enzyme-fermented cheesecake.
• Final-day sessions featured Katsuhito Inoue reinterpreting Basque classics over charcoal, Jordi Roca’s autumn-inspired desserts, and José Gordón’s call for authenticity, with organizers noting the sea’s strongest presence to date.
• The Cooking Innovation forum unveiled a seven-course menu co-created by AI and chef Gorka Txapartegi, as scientist Eneko Axpe framed the future of cuisine around technology, immigration, sustainability, and climate change, with electrocooking and robotics on display.
• Programming also showcased maritime and sustainability themes through Basque Wine pairings with artisanal catch, featuring txakoli, Rioja Alavesa wines, and Euskal Sagardoa alongside zero-waste seafood preparations.