Eat Spain Up!

“Eat Spain Up!” is a cultural initiative that brings the food and culture of Spain to Washington, D.C. audiences –a journey into Spain and its regions through its foods, culinary traditions and new gastronomic innovation.

A month-long program of activities that explores Spain and its regions through its foods, its traditional cuisine, and its new gastronomic creativity. The program includes exhibitions, discussions, screenings, lectures and much more, accompanied by tastings of regional foods and wines, iconic and avant-garde Spanish dishes. With chefs, producers, designers, food experts and writers we invite you to explore the country’s most precious cultural expression: its gastronomy.

Spain’s Eleven. Eleven Gastronomy Icons from Spain

• September 21–October 29. Free.
• Exhibition. A journey across Spain’s geography through its most relevant foods, from cheese and wine to olive oil, its fish preserves or its coveted ham.

Estrada Design Kitchen

• September 21–October 29. Free.
• Exhibition. A retrospective of Spanish designer Manuel Estrada, exploring his work on and around food.

Food and Design. Slow Cooking the Creative Process

• On Thursday, September 21, at 6 pm. By invitation only.
• Presentation + Lecture + Tasting. On the occasion of the Eat Spain Up! opening, Spanish designer Manuel Estrada shares with the public his personal creative process and reflects on the similarities between graphic design and cuisine.

Tasting Spain: Cuisine, Culture, and Heritage

• On Tuesday, October 3, at 6:45 pm. Buy tickets.
• Lecture + Tasting.
• As part of Smithsonian Associates Program, Eat Spain Up!’s Director, Gloria Rodriguez, guides us through the regions and tastes of the country, the traditions that make up its culinary heritage, and the contemporary innovation that transformed its gastronomic landscape. The evening includes a tasting of regional foods and wines from the guest region of Burgos.

Landscape to Table. Extremadura, the Acorn Meadows, and the Iberian Pig

• On Friday, October 6, at 6:45 pm. Buy tickets.
• Screening + Discussion + Tasting.
• A conversation on the value of traditional food knowledge, respectful food production, and the deliciousness of terroir. With U.S. food expert and scholar Fabio Parasecoli (The New School), Ibérico ham producer Diego Pastor (Montaraz Ham) and food importer Jonathan Harris (La Tienda), moderated by Janet Chrzan (University of Pennsylvania). Includes exclusive tasting of Ibérico ham, regional cheeses, and wines.

Food Markets of the 21st Century. New developments for a new society

• On Monday, October 16, at 6:45 pm. Buy tickets.
• Round Table + Tasting.
• A discussion with Richie Brandemburg (Director of Culinary Strategy, Union Market, DC) and Elisabeth Williams (President of the National Food and Beverage Foundation and Director of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum), moderated by Tim Carman (Food Writer, The Washington Post), on the evolution of food markets and their role as places of exchange, consumption and socialization. Followed by tasting of traditional recipes from Madrid.

Chefs and Innovation. The Gastronomic Revolution of Spain

• On Thursday, October 19, at 6:45 pm. Buy tickets.
• Screening + Discussion + Tasting.
• Screening of the documentary Snacks. Bites of a Revolution, on the culinary movement that catapulted Spain to the forefront of world cuisine, its impact in kitchens around the world, and the future ahead; followed by a Q&A with Food Writer and Scholar Anne McBride. The evening concludes with a sample tasting of Spanish wines and a signature snack by José Andrés’ culinary team.

Opening reception for these Eat Spain Up! events on Thursday, September 21 at 7 pm. Tastings will be offered by partner Spanish restaurants and the Eat Spain Up! guest regions. Free, RSVP required.