Mazarrón will become from 6th to 8th June in the gastronomic capital of the red tuna. Renowned chefs, along with professionals from the world of restoration, will meet in the enabled enclosure in the marina of the town to show the culinary excellence of this product, traditionally linked to the fishing village. This was announced yesterday by the Mayor of Mazarrón, Ginés Campillo, who presented the event in the Classroom of Gastronomic Culture 'Raimundo González' of the Marketplace 'Veronicas' of Murcia.

The I Conferences of the red  tuna of Mazarrón, called 'rojo&red', and organized by the Town Hall, are aimed at the general public and professionals who can taste, as well as dishes  based on tuna, other delights of the town such as tomatoes, vegetables , salted fish, and also taste the best wines of the Region.

To make them known, Chef Pablo González-Conejero conducted a cooking demonstration in which, after cutting up a tuna, prepared various dishes where the main ingredient was that tuna. González-Conejero praised the attributes of this fish "popular in the feeding of great part of the world, and frequently used in the Mediterranean diet and in our region".  He also highlighted  "their culinary preparations, very different, either fresh, cooked or preserved it; and the way of cut it very varied, as has demonstrated: slices, ventresca  (belly), ijada, etc ".

PROGRAM

During the sessions there are planned activities for the general public, including children, as well as for professionals. An example of them will be the cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, tasting of tomatoes, salted fish… and cooking workshops for children.

The activities will begin on Friday at 18:30 with the cooking show "Cocina Mazarronera", in which various local restaurants of the town will prepare typical dishes of Mazarrón. At 19 hours will take place the 'ronqueo' in which an expert will cut a large tuna (Fish market of the Muelle Pesquero). At the same time you can attend, in the enclosure of the activities, to the tasting "which tomato do I buy"?.

At 19.30 hours and 20.30 two cooking demonstrations will be held: 'Our understanding of tuna', by David Muñoz, Restaurant Alborada; and 'Cut Tuna in Japanese Key', by Ricardo Sanz, Kabuki restaurant, the only one of Spain with 1 Michelin Star, in addition to 3 Soles Repsol.

On Saturday will begin, at 12 pm, with show cooking 'Panderetas de Papel', of Firo Vázquez, restaurant El Olivar of Moratalla (1 Sol Repsol), and one organoleptic tasting of salted fish from Murcia. At 13 hours it will take place a demonstration, aimed especially to children, 'Castillos de Atún', by Pablo and César Alcantud, of the Restaurant La Catedral. During it will be handed over the prizes to the participating schools in the activities.

In the afternoon, from 17.30, Pablo Martinez, from the restaurants Eszencia and Arqua, will perform the show cooking ‘Technique of salting, drying and applications to current kitchen'. At the same time it will take place the tasting of wines with Medallas de oro from la Cofradía del vino Reino de la Monastrell. Later, at 18:30, it's time to Tomás Ecija, restaurant El Albero and La Maita, with his cooking show 'Sensitivity and respect. Mazarrón in pure state'. At 19 hours Joan Belda, sommelier of Cabaña Buenavista, will conduct in English 'Great wines at low prices'. Saturday afternoon will end with two shows, one at 19:30, 'The orchard and sea in textures', by Nicolás José Ginés, from Rincon de Pepe; and, at 20.30, 'The traditional Japanese cuisine', by Patricio Alarcón, of the Japanese restaurant Enso Sushi.

On Sunday, the cooking contest 'Tomates Rellenos' will be held at 12 noon. At the same time the master class will be repeated, this time in Spanish, of Joan Belda entitled 'Great wines at low prices'. In the afternoon will be the turn of David Lopez, of the Group Las Flores Quality Tapas, who at 17.30 will display show cooking 'Red Tuna and Salted fish'. At the same time, wine tasting of wine cellar Hacienda del Carche and Casa de la Ermita, by Eloy Sanchez will take place. At 18.30 Antonio Nicolas, of the restaurant Alejandro, which owns 1 Michelin star, will make the cooking show 'Parts of a Tuna'. Shortly later, at 7 pm, Antonio Chacon and David Lopez will conduct the tasting-pairing with tuna.

One of the latest chef on the scene will be, at 19.30, Pablo González-Conejero from Murcia, of the restaurant Cabaña Buenavista, with 1 Michelin Star and and 2 Soles Repsol, who will impart the cooking show 'Ten Years of tuna in Cabaña Buenavista '. After him, it's time to Alberto del Cerro,of the restaurant  El Pollo Rockero with 'The tomato as main course'.

The sessions will end with the presentation 'Past, present and future of the tuna in Mazarrón', which will take place at 21:30 on the main stage, given by Paul Cerezuela. To join these activities you should visit the website and register www.rojoyredmazarron.es and enroll in those tastings that most appeal to you. The price of each tapa will be 2 euros and 1 euro the drink. Also, there is a cooking contest in which residents and tourists can demonstrate their culinary arts using tomatoes of Mazarrón as base.

 END OF THE CYCLE IN CAPTIVITY

Mazarrón also hosts one of the worldwide pioneering centers in the research of the captive breeding of the red tuna: Mariculture plant of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.

Its goal is to close the cycle of tuna in captivity, ie, achieve the growing, breeding and reproduction of this species, in the absence, at present, of getting reproduction of individuals that were born in captivity. One example is the projects carried out together with the Group Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos, pioneers to date in this type of research. After some years of research, Spain and, in particular, Murcia is a world leader in the study and knowledge of tuna, equated to other countries like Japan, which is researching for 40 years.

During the presentation, the Mayor of Mazarrón Ginés Campillo highlighted "the fishing tradition of the town, linked to the tuna, as it is evidenced by the almadrabas (traps) that are still making in the Bay of Mazarrón, the latest of the Spanish Mediterranean; an ancestral art of fishing used by Iberians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks and Romans, and that continues to ours days".

The mayor has thanked "the support of Estrella Levante, Fornet, Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos, Canal Cocina and Jóse Díaz and the other companies that are collaborating and making it possible to hold an event which will become Mazarron in the gastronomic capital of the red tun" and has invited "all citizens, whether from Mazarrón, Murcia Region of or the rest of Spain; to participate in this event in which we will put in value our local products and our cuisine as never before have been done".