MDC Announces Collaboration with Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy for International Culinary Event

MIAMI, April 9, 2019 – Miami Dade College (MDC) and the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy (AIBG) have announced a collaboration during the 2019 Miami Gastronomy of the Americas.   The signing ceremony took place today at MDC’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami.

“We are extremely honored to have been chosen as one of the locations for this extraordinary event, which secures Miami’s place as an international gastronomic destination and MDC as the provider of the best emerging culinary talent in the world,” said MDC’s President, Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón.

“Miami is undoubtedly the hub of the Americas. We will discover and showcase its gastronomic potential blending art, culture and cuisine. It is an honor to partner with MDC’s renowned Miami Culinary Institute,” added Rafael Ansón, President, the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy.

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) also attended today’s ceremony at MDC.

The 2019 Miami Gastronomy of the Americas event stems from the recent appointment of Miami as the new Ibero-American Capital of Gastronomic Culture, a title conferred each year by the Academy in recognition of the gastronomic excellence of a destiny within one of the Ibero-American countries represented in the AIBG. Miami is the fifth metropolis to be selected after São Paulo, Brazil (2018), Buenos Aires, Argentina (2017), Guanajuato, Mexico (2016) and Cordoba, Spain (2015).

MDC’s acclaimed Miami Culinary Institute (MCI) joins this initiative as one of five “boosters” throughout Miami-Dade County. As such, MDC will provide the venues, production services and promotion for the following AIBG events to take place in October:

  • The International Chefs Meeting, one of six planned components of the 2019 Miami Gastronomy of the Americas.  This event brings together the most important chefs in the world to exchange their knowledge.
  • The General Assembly of the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy, an event that will gather members of the European and the International Academies of Gastronomy.
  • Miami Mixology Soirée, the elite meeting point for premium mixologists and spirits, where there will be a contest with the world’s most talented bartenders to choose the cocktail that best represents the essence and values of Miami, just like the Manhattan or San Francisco cocktails.  The Miami cocktail will remain forever as a symbol of the city.

 About the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy (AIBG)

The Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy (AIBG) is a nonprofit cultural association established in 2009.  Its main goal is to encourage the investigation, promotion and protection of the culinary and gastronomic activities of the different regions of Ibero-America.  The AIBG groups the National Academies of 13 Ibero-American countries including Spain and Portugal.   Its goal is to guard the essence of their traditions, support their modernization and stimulate international cooperation and solidarity.  For more information please visit: https://ibergastronom.com/