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Superchef Sénior Elche: Seniors Share Their Best Recipes

Carmen Fernández wins the municipal contest with her rice with beans, honoring memory and traditional Elche cuisine.

Generic image of a traditional Valencian cuisine dish.
IA

Generic image of a traditional Valencian cuisine dish.

The eighth edition of the municipal Superchef Sénior contest brought together fifteen participants over 60 in Elche to cook their most emblematic recipes, highlighting local culinary tradition.

The Municipal School of Hospitality (CdT) in Elche hosted the eighth edition of the Superchef Sénior competition, filled with cooking and aprons. The event, promoted by the Department of Childhood, Family, and Seniors, aims to be more than just a culinary contest, serving as an intergenerational meeting point and a way to preserve gastronomic heritage.
Councilwoman Aurora Rodil emphasized the contest's importance in maintaining "the legacy of our elders and something as important to our culture and traditions as gastronomy." She highlighted that cuisine is integral to Elche's identity, beyond its recognized heritage sites.
Participants, assisted by family members as helpers, finalized ingredients and reviewed inherited recipes, while professional chefs oversaw the process. Traditional home cooking, which many feel is being lost due to the fast pace of modern life, was the central theme.
Carmen Fernández took first prize for her rice with beans and fennel, a dish she proudly described as "typical of our gypsy people." Her daughter, Sara Amador, acting as her assistant, shared the pride and nerves of their first experience. The third prize went to her sister for a "gypsy gazpacho," and the silver medal was awarded to Francisca Quiles for her "merluza a la marinera," assisted by her sister María Asunción Alonso.
Other participants, such as Maricarmen Moreno and Maricarmen Porriño, who prepared macaroni with turkey, noted that the activity helps them break their routine. Meanwhile, Rosa Giménez, alongside her granddaughter Paula Yaniz, lamented the decline of traditional Elche meals.
The jury, including chef Noelia Pascual (Cachito restaurant) and chef Odón Martínez (Mesón El Granaino), praised the contest's historical, cultural, and social significance. They tasted dishes like Manchego gazpacho, lamb stew, chicken with apples and raisins, and Valencian paella, which evoked family memories and popular cuisine.
The event concluded with awards presented by the City Council of Elche, including dinners and product baskets. However, participants valued the enjoyable atmosphere and the sharing of culinary secrets most.
The department plans to compile all the recipes into a cookbook, which will be distributed to participants and the public via the municipal website, creating a gastronomic archive for the city.

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