Catalan cuisine has enjoyed a new golden age coinciding with the turn of the century and with prominent chefs in the country receiving global recognition for their work. The new Catalan cuisine involves a new way of understanding the restaurant trade: it must satisfy both the intellect and the emotions.

One of the highlights of this period occurred in 1999, when the French chef Joël Robuchon claimed that Ferran Adrià was the best chef in the world. His innovations, which ended up on the cover of The New York Times supplement, were based on new products and techniques, unprecedented presentation and surprising experiences.

Even though the media coverage of the most avant-garde cuisine was widespread, its gastronomic repercussions were wider. Thus, the traditional Catalan cuisine also saw a reinterpretation by great chefs with new techniques and more modern presentation. In addition, the concern for what we eat caused the emergence of concepts such as organic cuisine and zero kilometre cooking.

Also noteworthy is the effect of phenomena such as globalisation on the Catalan cuisine. The arrival of cuisines from other parts of the world ends up, inevitably, permeating our recipes and gives rise to concepts such as fusion cooking.