Pau Gómez: "Traditional cuisine has been relegated to special occasions, it is no longer in the day-to-day"

PalmThere are cuisines that not only nourish, but also explain who we are: those that are passed down in silence, from generation to generation, and that live in memory before recipe books. From this invisible thread starts A kitchen in every home, the book by Pau Gómez Calvo, which combines memories, recipes, and reflection to reclaim a domestic legacy that, according to the author, is undergoing a complete transformation.

Gómez is aware of how gastronomic globalization and changes in habits have been marginalizing everyday cooking, to the point where tradition has often been reserved for special occasions. The author argues, however, that cooking continues to be one of the most powerful forms of memory and identity, capable of transcending time through the senses. The book will be presented this Friday, June 26, at 7 p.m., at the Rata Corner bookstore in Palma.

The book A kitchen in every home is born from memory and family transmission. What exactly did you want to rescue or reclaim through cooking?

— What I wanted was to recover my family identity through home cooking. Today everything tends to homogenize and globalization has led to people eating the same thing everywhere. Family cooking is one of the few things that still makes us different, that connects us to who we are and where we come from.

What was your objective when you wrote the book?

— For me it has been almost a mirror. Writing it has made me understand many things about my family and myself. I have had a great time and have discovered a lot in the process. When people read it, many tell me that they also recognize themselves in it and that it activates memories for them. If the book achieves this, I already have the feeling that it makes sense, because it invites you to take this journey towards memory and even to cook again.

Is there any recipe or story that particularly symbolizes this idea of home cooking?

— Is the kitchen one of the last great forms of family memory that are preserved?

Is the kitchen one of the last great forms of family memory that are preserved?

— What role does gastronomic globalization play in all this?

What role does gastronomic globalization play in all this?

— I am not against anything that is food. The problem is not sushi and kebab, but rather not being aware of where things come from and what lies behind them. What about the local farmer, the neighborhood shop, the local product. It's not about prohibiting anything, but about being aware of the system behind what we eat.

Why do you think traditional cuisine has lost presence in daily life?

— There are many factors. One of them is social: before, it was mainly women who cooked at home, and this has changed, which is positive because women have gained space in all areas. But this has also meant that part of the daily transmission has been lost. Added to this is the pace of life and a misconception: that traditional cuisine is complicated, when in reality daily life was very simple cooking. Traditional cuisine has been relegated to special occasions, it is no longer part of daily life.

Do young people cook less or do they simply cook differently?

— Is the transmission of family recipes being broken?

Is the transmission of family recipes breaking down?

— There has been a generational gap, that is evident, but I don't think it has been completely lost. There are still mothers and grandmothers who cook, there is still room to learn. It's not all broken, but it has been weakened.

Have we turned food into something more functional than cultural?

— Will gastronomic globalization displace traditional cuisine?

Will gastronomic globalization displace traditional cuisine?

— If in 30 years someone talks about the book

If in 30 years someone talks about the book Cuina de casa, do you think it will be recognizable or completely different?

— I want to believe it will be recognized. Perhaps the context will change, but the emotions will be there. It's a cuisine very tied to memories and that doesn't disappear. People recognize themselves in it because it speaks of very human experiences.

Which dishes do you think have more future?

— There are some very identity-defining ones that will remain, such as pan con tomate, cannelloni, and croquettes. They will transform, but they will continue. Other recipes have already been lost and that's okay too, cuisines also evolve.

Will traditional cuisine disappear?

— Recipes in general will not disappear. What may disappear are the specific recipes of each family. And this is important, because the value is not just the dish, but how your grandmother or your mother used to make it. This is what is really at risk.