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The international projection of Basque gastronomy isn’t a newsworthy event. But it is, of course, when the Basque “gastronomical-cultural” ambassador is a chef from the Diaspora.  After being presented in Paraguay at the International Multidisciplinary Conference of Gastronomy and Tourism, and while she was preparing “Pilpileando 2015” the Basque-Argentine Chef, Itziar Aguirre, will participate in the Gastronomy and Tourism Conference in Oaxaca, Mexico in March. 

Rosario, Argentina.   Invited as the representatives of Basque and Argentinean cooking, Itziar Aguirre will attend the VII International Conference of Gastronomy and Tourism in Oaxaca on March 16-19.  While there she will participate as a judge of the 2nd Latin-American Cup and will give a lecture-demonstration of Basque cooking.

This is not the first time that this Basque chef has participated in an international event, representing “her flags.”  During the first part of November, the restauranteur trained in the Basque Country as well as in Argentina, was part of the International Multidisciplinary Conference of Gastronomy and Tourism (CIMGAT) in Asuncion, Paraguay.  For two days, more than 1,500 people representing countries like Mexico, Chile, Honduras, Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Cuba, Argentina and the Basque Country were introduced to rich and different specialties from the participating countries.  The event, whose goal is “to promote cooking as culture, develops and transcends local borders,” had a great repercussion in various media (see for example notes here and here).

Itziar Aguirre feels very comfortable in this roll, she tells EuskalKultura.com.  “It is truly a pleasure for me to bring Basque cooking outside of the borders of Argentina and extend our culture as much as possible.  I assume this role as a true gastronomic-cultural ambassador of the Basque Country, with the responsibility and the greatest commitment, without leaving my other great passion behind that is Argentina… At these events, the ikurriña shares the stage with flags from all the other invited coutnries, and to see this gives me goose bumps…,” she explains.