Culinary trip Escuela Hotelera de Puerto Rico to Madrid

Last week we had the great opportunity to organize and accompany some members of the Escuela Hotelera de San Juan de Puerto Rico. These students and, above all, future chefs, took with them an unforgettable experience, mainly gastronomic, of the city of Madrid and its surroundings.

With a very tight and organized agenda, in addition to professional spanish cooking course During several days, they visited from the oldest and most traditional establishments, to the most modern and innovative ones, nothing was missing! In addition, to complete this trip, what less than to know a little bit of the treasures that surround the capital, such as the cities of Toledo, Segovia or El Escorial.

Millions of textures, flavors and aromas invaded the palate of these future gastronomic experts during their stay in Spain. Do you want to know how? We will briefly tell you some of the activities that surprised and delighted them the most:

Cooking course at the Escuela de Hostelería: There is no greater wish for future chefs who are getting to know a new country than to be able to cook the typical recipes of the local gastronomy with their own hands and instruments. Every day, after the scheduled cultural and tourist visits, our cooks attended some incredible classes, where an excellent team of chefs taught them the best way to bake, cook, chop, sauté or prepare our dishes in the most Spanish style. They were delighted!

Visit the Mercado Maravillas in Cuatro Caminos: What better way to discover the roots of Spanish gastronomic history than from one of the most traditional markets? Our cooks were amazed to discover the variety and freshness of our national products and learned from our gastronomic expert about the production, harvesting and elaboration methods of many of them. In addition, the group was able to taste different varieties of our amazing olives and Iberian hams and two of the most spectacular cheeses created here in Spain. They confessed that they had fallen in love with our gastronomic offer.

Visit to Platea Madrid: From the first moment our chefs arrived in Spain they made it clear to us that Platea Madrid was an essential stop on our agenda. This establishment, with its sky-high prestige, left nothing to be desired, it had it all! Thanks to their guided tour, our chefs were impressed to see the great variety of cuisines all gathered in the same place and in an incomparable setting, what better place for food lovers!.

Getting to know Madrid: On the trip it was essential for our companions to learn a little about what they call “Madre Patria” (Motherland), referring to Spain. They were lucky enough to walk through the streets of old Madrid, which according to them so closely resembles their capital, the old San Juan. They visited Sobrino de Botín, the oldest restaurant in Madrid, or the Chocolatería de San Ginés, famous and recognized worldwide, besides getting to know “el tapeo madrileño” and its centennial taverns, and the culture and history that so much curiosity incited them since, as they said: "there was a time when we were the same country!

Visit to Segovia: Vo witness firsthand the historic ritual of the cochinillo, starring none other than Cándido's grandson himself, was an experience they will never forget. Their jaws dropped, and of course, they confirmed that it was the best suckling pig they had ever tasted in their lives.

Gala dinner and presentation of diplomasAs a culmination to such a wonderful trip, the students enjoyed a magnificent gala dinner on the last night, in which they were given their diplomas, well deserved, and plaques were exchanged between the two schools of Madrid and Puerto Rico. A bond of union between two countries, two Schools of Hotel Management, and above all, a bond of friendship between this great group of students (eager to ”eat Spain”), and our team of guides and teachers.