The University of Barcelona has conferred an honorary doctorate on chef Carme Ruscalleda, in an event that took place in the Paranimfo of the Edificio Histórico and presided over by the rector, Joan Guàrdia. Among the audience were, among others, the president Jordi Pujol, the mayoress of Sant Pol de Mar, Montserrat Garrido, and the chef Joan Roca.
The UB wanted to distinguish Ruscalleda, one of the indisputable referents of Catalan gastronomy this century, for its innovative approach and for its dedication to the preservation of the essences of Catalan cuisine.
The godmother was the professor of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Cristina Andrés Lacueva. During his laudatio, he highlighted that “Ruscalleda more than meets the criteria for which the honorary guard is awarded: he has combined tradition with innovation, he has stood out for his leadership and mastery skills, he has established scientific relationships with the university and is committed to creating sustainable cuisine.
During his speech, Ruscalleda reviewed his life and professional career since he started working in his parents’ store preparing prepared food. “It was the embryo that made us feel the strength and security to open the Sant Pau restaurant,” she explained. “We are heirs of a cuisine that comes from very ancient times,” he continued, “a wise, healthy cuisine, a gourmet cuisine that treats nature in an elegant and seductive way, with very humble recipes, as seafaring as they are peasant, full of responsibility and knowledge”. Likewise, he has called for the government to include a cooking and nutrition subject in schools: “We are already late, it is necessary to train students in this subject as well. We are heirs of a culture that is very old, very interesting and healthy.” Ruscalleda closed her speech by stating: “Her investiture as an honorary doctor of the University of Barcelona fills me with strength and renews my commitment to the country.”
For his part, the president of the Social Council, Joan Corominas, highlighted in his speech “the exceptional figure of Carme Ruscalleda, who represents the essence of university work: the excellence of knowledge and the training of new generations.
Finally, the rector closed the event with a speech in which he highlighted that the winner “represents a series of values ??that have been ours since 1403.” He has also claimed the fundamental value of effort, work and the management of failure that Ruscalleda’s career exemplifies, and has advocated for the transmission of this knowledge to younger generations, as a requirement to be able to face the future with guarantee and hope.” .