Juan Mari Arzak, awarded the Presidential Medal of the Miami Dade College

Juan Mari Arzak received the Miami Dade College Presidential Medal last night, with which the relevant university wants to reward a lifetime of work and the significant international impact of the renowned  Basque chef. It is a recognition promoted by the Basque Culinary Center with the support of the Etxepare Basque Institute.

The president of the Miami Dade College, Eduardo Padrón and the Miami Mayor Tomás Pedro Regalado, highlighted the figure of Arzak, "a revolutionary chef", before granting the Presidential Medal. It  was not the only award received by the cook yesterday, as the mayor of Miami also gave him the key to the city. Arzak  thanked sincerely this award and recalled his career with words full of emotion. "Each people has its culture"; what we cook should  "say we are Basque", he said.

The Presidential Medal  recognizes one of the key promoters of the New Basque Cuisine, which was the beginning of the global culinary revolution occurred in the last 15 years. Juan Mari Arzak and Pedro Subijana, along with 10 other cooks, prompted a renewal movement that changed the way the cuisine is understood and practiced.

With this award, Juan Mari Arzak joins the select group of personalities distinguished with the Medal, among which are Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Clinton, or Muhammad Yunus, Barack Obama, Madeleine Albright or Alvaro Uribe.

Besides Juan Mari Arzak himself and his family,  Joxe Mari Aizega , director of the BCC, Aizpea Goenaga,  director of the Etxepare Basque Institute  and Mari Jose Olaziregi, director for the Promotion and Dissemination of the Basque Institute also attended the ceremony.  There they met the Consul of Spain, Cristina Barrios, and the Basque chef Bruno Oteiza: both of them have played an important role in achieving this award, and the Basque Etxepare Institute wishes to thank in a special way the great effort they have made.

Juan Mari Arzak received the Miami Dade College Presidential Medal last night, with which the relevant university wants to reward a lifetime of work and the significant international impact of the renowned  Basque chef. It is a recognition promoted by the Basque Culinary Center with the support of the Etxepare Basque Institute.

The president of the Miami Dade College, Eduardo Padrón and the Miami Mayor Tomás Pedro Regalado, highlighted the figure of Arzak, "a revolutionary chef", before granting the Presidential Medal. It  was not the only award received by the cook yesterday, as the mayor of Miami also gave him the key to the city. Arzak  thanked sincerely this award and recalled his career with words full of emotion. "Each people has its culture"; what we cook should  "say we are Basque", he said.

The Presidential Medal  recognizes one of the key promoters of the New Basque Cuisine, which was the beginning of the global culinary revolution occurred in the last 15 years. Juan Mari Arzak and Pedro Subijana, along with 10 other cooks, prompted a renewal movement that changed the way the cuisine is understood and practiced.

With this award, Juan Mari Arzak joins the select group of personalities distinguished with the Medal, among which are Lech Walesa, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Clinton, or Muhammad Yunus, Barack Obama, Madeleine Albright or Alvaro Uribe.

Besides Juan Mari Arzak himself and his family,  Joxe Mari Aizega , director of the BCC, Aizpea Goenaga,  director of the Etxepare Basque Institute  and Mari Jose Olaziregi, director for the Promotion and Dissemination of the Basque Institute also attended the ceremony.  There they met the Consul of Spain, Cristina Barrios, and the Basque chef Bruno Oteiza: both of them have played an important role in achieving this award, and the Basque Etxepare Institute wishes to thank in a special way the great effort they have made.

Miami Dade College is a public university located in Miami, Florida (USA), with eight campuses and more than 160,000 students. Is the largest higher education organization of the State of Florida and the second largest in the United States of America.