This year, San Sebastian Gastronomika Euskadi Basque Country will experience a historic moment: its delegates will begin a selection process to determine who will cook on the replica of the San Juan. This 16th-century Basque transoceanic whaling ship is being completed at the Albaola Shipyard-Museum in Pasaia San Pedro, Gipuzkoa, and will set sail for Canada.

Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria, an innovative space dedicated to showcasing and reviving traditional maritime technology, has been working on the project to rebuild the San Juan cargo ship, which sank off the coast of Canada in Red Bay in 1565. The ship is being built using techniques and materials available in the 16th century, and once completed it will sail across the Atlantic from Gipuzkoa to Canada. A cook will be among the crew who will make this voyage possible, and participants in this year's Gastronomika conference can apply for this position, which will be subject to a selection process supervised by Albaola. This will be the first time gastronomy and historical navigation have come together in this way on a transoceanic expedition.

Accredited professionals with congress tickets who meet the requirements set by Albaola — to be announced during the congress — will be eligible to apply for this unique opportunity. The prize is the chance to cook on board a 16^(th)-century ship, just as was done five centuries ago to feed the crew who will recreate one of the greatest maritime feats of Basque fishermen. This initiative highlights the essential role of cooking during those long voyages.

According to Benjamín Lana, the director of the conference, ‘the connection with the sea will be a constant theme at San Sebastian Gastronomika and will continue to grow, as evidenced by the fact that this year, Gastronomika conference attendees will learn about this exciting project and have the opportunity to be part of history’.

The San Juan sank in the waters off Newfoundland in 1565 and is considered the best-preserved ship of its time. It was discovered in 1978 by archaeologists from Parks Canada, a government agency, and has provided detailed insights into naval engineering and the life of Basque whalers. Since 2014, Albaola has been working on constructing a replica of the San Juan, faithfully following the techniques and materials used five hundred years ago.

Xabier Agote, a shipbuilder, navigator, researcher and cultural promoter, is the driving force behind this heritage project. He has transformed this old shipyard into an international centre of excellence in the field of maritime heritage. Under his direction, the Pasaia shipyard museum not only builds heritage ships, but also revives endangered crafts and works to pass on knowledge and raise awareness by opening its doors to the public. Here, tradition and the future intertwine in a heritage shipyard that can be visited. At this edition of the event, Agote will be on stage at the Kursaal to give an interesting talk alongside historian and Albaola research director Xabier Alberdi, and chef Aitor Arregi (Elkano*, Getaria), discussing the importance of products and gastronomy in the Basque maritime world over the centuries. They will be joined by four Basque chefs: Pablo Loureiro (Casa Urola, San Sebastián), Josean Alija (Nerua*, Bilbao), Roberto Ruiz (Hika Gastronomiko, Villabona), and Javier Rivero and Gorka Rico (AMA Taberna, Tolosa). The chefs will also offer a tasting of recipes made with ingredients that were transported by the ships of that era.

Albaola now enjoys great international recognition and acclaim. In 2015, the shipbuilding project received sponsorship from UNESCO, which has since been confirmed by the organisation's award of the Good Practices certificate. National Geographic has named it one of the most exciting heritage initiatives of recent decades. The San Juan is emerging as the emblem of a maritime heritage that is being revived.

By selecting a chef from San Sebastian Gastronomika, Albaola is taking another step forward in its efforts to connect this history with today's society. Gastronomy is thus becoming an ally of traditional navigation, helping to write a new chapter by feeding the crew of a 16th-century ship that will once again cross the Atlantic in the 21st century.