BY MARI DE ARMAS
With more than three decades of experience in the culinary industry, Chef Kathryn Kelly, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Executive Director of Culinary Enrichment, has spent plenty of time at sea and traveling around the world.
Cádiz, Andalusia’s world-renowned capital, is a beautiful city. Palm trees, gracious squares, flower-filled parks, ubiquitous red-tile roofed buildings, and bustling street markets delight at every turn. Then, there’s the beach. Many of those perfect shorelines have received a Blue Flag designation, the most famous being Playa de Caleta. This spectacular stretch of sand in the shadow of San Sebastian Castle is so photogenic that it was chosen as a film location for the James Bond movie Die Another Day . Yet, the true treasure of this region is often found on a plate. People have been living in Cádiz for more than 3,000 years, and along the way, the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and North African Muslims have influenced the local gastronomy. It was also here where the single most remarkable change to the Mediterranean diet took place. “This is where Christopher Colombus returned from the New World with never-before-seen ingredients,” Chef Kelly said. “Before the Age of Exploration, Europe had never tasted, let alone seen, a tomato, a potato, a pineapple, a blueberry, or corn. All of those ingredients were brought into the port through Cádiz.” Cádiz served as a vital hub for Spanish exploration and trade with the New World, facilitating the departure and arrival of ships and the exchange of goods, people, and ideas between Europe and the Americas.
We sat down with the beloved Chef to chat about the rich epicurean heritage of Cádiz and the best foodie experiences that await while visiting Andalusia.
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