Training the chefs of the future always begins by sparking their curiosity. In the classrooms of the Basque Culinary Center, the aroma of spices blends with the excitement and passion of those who have chosen to dedicate their lives to cooking. A few days ago, we went back to Donostia to provide new training to the masters students of this renowned institution. A sensory, educational, and deeply inspiring experience that aims to awaken a new perspective on flavour — and on the world of spices, a fundamental ingredient in all cuisines.

During the 27th and 28th October, we shared three complementary training sessions with the students of the prestigious Basque centre. In the first one, led by Montse, our head of Quality Control, we introduced them to how we work at Carmencita: a company that travels to the origin of each spice to select the best harvests and collaborate with local producers. We told them why quality and traceability are the starting point of everything we do and how every Carmencita container encapsulates history, craftsmanship, and passion.

Afterwards, our colleague Aarón, an expert in sensory innovation, led a sensory analysis activity that invited the students to explore the role of the five senses in the gastronomic experience. We found out how each of them influences the perception of a dish and the creation of emotions in the diner. It was not just about smelling or tasting, but about understanding flavour as a complex phenomenon that combines perception, memory, and emotion.

In the third segment, Alejandra, from the R&D Department, delved into the knowledge of spices: their origin, cultivation, and process of dehydration, along with culinary tips on how to get the most out of them. We worked with between 15 and 20 varieties, from ginger to turmeric, including cinnamon, paprika, and black pepper. At the end, each student created a sensory collage, a visual composition with the spices they had learned about, as a creative synthesis of the session.

These training sessions are part of our commitment to teaching, research, and culinary sensitivity, a collaboration with the Basque Culinary Center we hold several times a year. We believe that training the chefs of the future is not just about teaching techniques or recipes, but about helping them to think about flavour with rigour, curiosity, and emotion.

Because beyond the stoves, what we want to convey — and what has gone hand-in-hand with us for more than a century — is an idea that gives meaning to everything we do: that spices not only add flavour to dishes, but also soul and meaning to cooking.