The winner of the Basque Culinary World Prize chosen by the International Council of the Basque Culinary Center and International experts.

The International Council of the Basque Culinary Center met at the Basque Culinary Center in July 2016.

In the annual meeting of the International Council, Maria Fernanda Di Giacobbe was chosen as the winner of the Basque Culinary World Prize; an award for chefs with transformative initiatives, promoted by the Basque Culinary Center and the Basque Government, part of the Euskadi-Basque Country strategy.

The decision was made public after a jury, formed by experts in the field of gastronomy and the International Council of the Basque Culinary Center, which includes some of the most influential chefs in the world, met.

Chaired by Joan Roca, from El Celler de Can Roca (Spain) the council included world renown chefs such as Ferrán Adrià (Spain), Dominique Crenn (United States), Heston Blumenthal (United Kingdom), Massimo Bottura (Italy), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Japan) and Enrique Olvera (Mexico); and also international experts such as the north American writer and researcher Harold McGee, the specialist in History and Gastronomy Massimo Montanari, the Mexican writer Laura Esquivel, author of the best seller “Like water for chocolate” and Cristina Franchini, expert in International Law and Humanitarian Action, part of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (ACNUR)