{"id":51267,"date":"2026-09-03T09:58:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T07:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/itamae-balfego-da-el-salto-europeo-y-celebra-su-primera-edicion-en-lametlla-de-mar\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T10:04:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T08:04:44","slug":"itamae-balfego-da-el-salto-europeo-y-celebra-su-primera-edicion-en-lametlla-de-mar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/itamae-balfego-da-el-salto-europeo-y-celebra-su-primera-edicion-en-lametlla-de-mar\/","title":{"rendered":"ITAMAE Balfeg\u00f3 Brings Its European Edition to l\u2019Ametlla de Mar"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>The event has established itself as the undisputed benchmark for sushi culture in Europe, becoming the continent\u2019s most specialised competition, with bluefin tuna taking centre stage.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>The event on 28 September will combine high-level competition with technical workshops, the Balfeg\u00f3 Experience and the traditional Kaitai tuna-cutting ceremony, ahead of the awards gala.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>ITAMAE Balfeg\u00f3 is taking a historic step forward.<\/strong> The <strong>fourth edition of the competition<\/strong>, taking place on <strong>28 September<\/strong>, will not only open its doors to chefs from across Europe for the first time, but will also move to our facilities in <strong>l\u2019Ametlla de Mar (Tarragona)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>With registration now open to chefs from across the continent, the event is more than just a competition: it is positioning itself as <strong>Europe\u2019s leading showcase for sushi<\/strong>, offering the continent\u2019s most specialised and unique format, with <strong>Balfeg\u00f3 bluefin tuna taking centre stage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-51235 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/balfego-2025-300x168.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"861\" height=\"482\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/balfego-2025-300x168.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/balfego-2025.jpeg 739w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Since its creation, <strong>ITAMAE Balfeg\u00f3<\/strong> has set out to recognise and promote mastery in the preparation of bluefin tuna within Japanese cuisine, fostering the exchange of knowledge and highlighting the versatility of a product capable of inspiring world-class culinary creations. The competition\u2019s new European dimension further enriches the event, bringing together the continent\u2019s most outstanding techniques and culinary perspectives.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Two highly demanding technical challenges in a continuous competition format<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The championship will begin with the distinctive sound of the <strong><em>Taiko<\/em><\/strong>, the traditional Japanese drum symbolising energy, culture and tradition. The competition will consist of two timed challenges, with the itamaes competing in successive head-to-head rounds:<\/p>\n<ol start=\"1\" data-spread=\"true\">\n<li><strong>Sashimi Skills and Nigiri Trilogy:<\/strong> Competitors will showcase their mastery of traditional sashimi cutting techniques and their aesthetic precision in a trilogy of nigiris made with the three prized cuts of <strong>Balfeg\u00f3 bluefin tuna (Akami, Chutoro and Otoro).<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Signature Maki Creation:<\/strong> This challenge will focus on balance of flavours, elegance of assembly and conceptual harmony, with each itamae creating three maki of their choice.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p dir=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-51258 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2023-300x209.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"774\" height=\"539\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2023-300x209.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2023-768x536.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2023.jpeg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 774px) 100vw, 774px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Alongside the competition itself, the venue will host a series of specialised technical workshops designed to deepen participants\u2019 knowledge of Japanese gastronomy. Through presentations led by industry experts, attendees will discover the key principles behind essential disciplines such as sake selection and pairing, rice preparation, fish ageing techniques and the art of bluefin tuna cutting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Throughout the day, the venue will come alive with familiar faces from the gastronomic world, turning the rigour of technique and the artistry of tuna cutting into a true celebration of culinary knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>The day will culminate in the official gala, featuring the traditional <strong>Kaitai<\/strong> \u2014 the centuries-old Japanese art of tuna cutting and butchery \u2014 followed by the awards ceremony, which will crown the <strong>three best sushi chefs in Europe<\/strong> at the 2026 edition.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-51242 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Steven-Wu-ITAMAE-Balfego-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"792\" height=\"528\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Steven-Wu-ITAMAE-Balfego-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Steven-Wu-ITAMAE-Balfego-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Steven-Wu-ITAMAE-Balfego-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Steven-Wu-ITAMAE-Balfego-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Steven-Wu-ITAMAE-Balfego-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><strong>A Celebration of Culinary Excellence<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">As a recognition of technical mastery and the participants\u2019 professional development, the winner of this year\u2019s competition will receive a <strong>one-week gastronomic trip to Japan for two<\/strong>, \u20ac4,000 in prize money, the official <strong>ITAMAE Balfeg\u00f3 trophy<\/strong>, and an exclusive selection of products including bluefin tuna loin and belly, along with gifts from the event\u2019s sponsors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The second- and third-place finishers will receive <strong>\u20ac2,000 and \u20ac1,000<\/strong> respectively, together with their corresponding trophies and Balfeg\u00f3 product hampers.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>ITAMAE Balfeg\u00f3 Hall of Fame<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">The winner of this <strong>fourth edition<\/strong> will join the distinguished list of chefs crowned by the competition:<\/p>\n<ul data-spread=\"false\">\n<li><strong>1st Edition (2022):<\/strong> Steven Bosen Wu Zheng, Sen Omakase* (Madrid)<\/li>\n<li><strong>2nd Edition (2023):<\/strong> Masayuki Narumi, Daikichi Beach (Alicante)<\/li>\n<li><strong>3rd Edition (2024):<\/strong> Sergio Sol\u00eds, Ta-Kumi (M\u00e1laga\/Marbella)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-51251 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2024-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"861\" height=\"485\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2024-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2024-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2024-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/balfego.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ITAMAE-Balfego-2024.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 861px) 100vw, 861px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The event has established itself as the undisputed benchmark for sushi culture in Europe, becoming the continent\u2019s most specialised competition, with bluefin tuna taking centre stage. The event on 28 September will combine high-level competition with technical workshops, the Balfeg\u00f3 Experience and the traditional Kaitai tuna-cutting ceremony, ahead of the awards gala. ITAMAE Balfeg\u00f3 is &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/itamae-balfego-da-el-salto-europeo-y-celebra-su-primera-edicion-en-lametlla-de-mar\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":38740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51267"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51269,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51267\/revisions\/51269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/balfego.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}