‘The Pork and Fork League’ is born with the aim of reclaiming breakfasts

Oriol Bosch/Lleida - The Pork Sanitation Group of Lleida is promoting, with the wine and gastronomy consultancy Como Pomona and within the Catalonia World Region of Gastronomy programme, the first Pork and Fork League. It is presented as a tasty competition, in the form of a fork breakfast championship, which will take place between the months of August and September, with four semi-finals, one for each region, and a Catalan final. In all rounds, the participants will present their dishes to the jury, while the public enjoys a popular fork breakfast. The promoter Rafa Gimena explained that the aim is to promote this traditional meal as a “gastronomic heritage” while boosting the pork sector.

Gimena explained that the league will be a “friendly” competition. In each region there will be a group of restaurants that will present their dishes to a jury. They will be related to the gastronomic culture of each territory. Thus, in Torrelameu, in La Noguera, braised pork cheeks with potatoes will be made; in L’Espluga de Francolí (Conca de Barberà), where it will coincide with the harvest festival, a black and white with allioli will be made; in La Garriga, a breakfast will be made with botifarra from La Garriga (Vallès Oriental) with black beans; and in Santa Coloma de Farners, a sea and mountain of meatballs with cuttlefish will be made. The final will be held in Lleida as part of the Sant Miquel Fair, on September 28, where a pork casserole with ribs, sausage and snails will be made.

At the moment there are about ten restaurants registered in the league and the objective with which the organization is working is to have about 12 per demarcation. In case this number is exceeded, a selection will have to be made.

The jury for each event will be made up of experts and disseminators, including journalist Albert Molins, author of the book ‘Esmorzar de Forquilla’; content creator Jonathan Nuevo, of esmorzarsdeforquilla.cat; sommelier Marta Cot; and journalist and sommelier Rafa Gimena, also director of the league.

The league is sponsored by bonÀrea and Gust de Lleida of the Diputació de Lleida as well as the collaboration of the city councils of Lleida, la Garriga, l’Espluga de Francolí, Santa Coloma de Farners and Torrelameu, which will host the different qualifying and final competitions.