Spain

The Basque Academy of Gastronomy comprises an independent and multi-faceted group of people of different ages, academic and professional backgrounds who all share a common interest, gastronomy. Full Academicians from Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa and Associate Academicians who are not resident in the Basque Country belong to the Institution with the maximum of fifty-one members never being exceeded. The Association is non-profit and is exclusively funded by the financial contributions of its members, which guarantees its political and economic independence.

Since 1992, the Basque Academy of Gastronomy has sought to disseminate and safeguard the important culinary heritage of the Basque Country, along with its products. The aim is to nurture and protect our gastronomic culture. As part of its remit to foster the wine and food tourism of the Basque Country, and to promote and encourage the consumption of Basque products, the Academy has worked on a large number of activities and publications. These include the Guía gastronómica y cultural del País Vasco y su entorno culinary guide, Antología Gastronómica de José María Busca Isusi, the Revista Apuntes de Gastronomías magazine, etc.. It also holds the monthly meetings of the academicians and hosts the annual prizes for the best work in the field of gastronomy. Its work likewise includes managing and protecting its important document archive, maintaining and providing contents for its website, the presence in social media with the Academy’s own Facebook page, active participation at culinary and cultural events (roundtables, conferences, lectures and courses) and their dissemination, along with the academicians taking part in tastings and as jury members in different culinary contests.

The Basque Academy of Gastronomy has an excellent relationship with other culinary organisations, both with other gastronomy academies and with different guilds, institutions and foundations, with which it shares information and interacts to disseminate news and articles, gastronomy events, agricultural fairs, etc.

Chair-Founder: Federico Lipperheide (1992-2010)

Currently

• Chair: María del Mar Churruca Barrie
• Deputy Chair Álava: Guillermo de Aranzabal Agudo
• Deputy Chair Bizkaia: Ramón Bernar Canales
• Deputy Chair Gipuzkoa: —

The Basque Academy of Gastronomy has been a member of the Académie Internationale de la Gastronomie since 1993.