“At the European Young Chef Award, my recipe carries the strength of family transmission, the creativity of a young woman, the value of local products and the pride of a community, whose contribution to Balearic gastronomy deserves to be named and celebrated. It brings Gitano heritage to an international audience, remaining rooted in the intimate world from which it comes,” affirms Cristina Sánchez, chosen to represent the Balearic Islands, World Region of Gastronomy candidate 2030, at the 10th European Young Chef Award.
Cristina Sánchez grew up within a Gitano family and community, where family ties, traditions and a strong sense of belonging have played an important role in her life. Her professional journey began through Mater’s Dual Training in Cooking programme, where she found an opportunity to turn this connection with food into a professional career.
In 2025, at the age of 20, Cristina won first prize in IBJOVE’s Xef Jove 2025 competition, part of the Art Jove programme launched by the Government of the Balearic Islands. This achievement recognised her potential as a young chef and opened the door to further professional training. As part of the prize, she continued her education at the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián, where she completed the Intensive Course in Classical and Modern Viennoiserie in 2026. Today, Cristina combines her professional experience at Mater’s Kitchen Service with her continued development as a young chef.
At the European Young Chef Award 2026, Cristina will present Gitano Memory, a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Gitano recipe of chicken and wild fennel rice. Honoring memories of family kitchens, Gitano community celebrations, and street market flavours, her creation showcases local meats, cured sausages, and seasonal produce from Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa, and Formentera. Rather than reproducing the traditional recipe, the innovative dish will preserve its memory, ingredients and identity, while expressing them through contemporary techniques and textures.
About IGCAT’s European Young Chef Award
The European Young Chef Award is an annual competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from the awarded and candidate European Regions of Gastronomy. Selected each year through local contests, finalists to the European Young Chef Award compete by innovating traditional recipes from their regions using local ingredients.
The 10th edition of the European Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by IGCAT and hosted by Gozo, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2026. The competition will be held at the ITS-Institute of Tourism Studies on 29 November-2 December 2026.
About the World/European Regions of Gastronomy
World/European Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to strengthen food security through the celebration of distinctive food cultures; create employment by stimulating creativity and gastronomic innovation; nourish children and adults through culinary and cultural education; driving environmental sustainability in tourism, hospitality and agricultural sectors; supporting balance and sustainable tourism practices; highlighting and supporting expertise from within rural and urban communities, creating connections and sharing good practices; and contributing to community health and well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguarding our planet, health, wellness and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.
IGCAT founded the World/European Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World/European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers Award and the international Food Film Menu.
