Moroccan Chef Among 12 Finalists in World Paella Championship

For this edition which takes place in Spain for the second consecutive year, the twelve finalists from Morocco, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, India and Japan will try to succeed Eric Gil, the French chef, winner of the trophy in 2022. In total, 60 chefs from 30 countries registered for this competition. The twelve finalists were selected based on the number of votes received and their communication efforts in the media and on social networks.

From September 16 to 19, the 12 finalists, including the Moroccan Mohamed El Jaouhari, will share their passion for paella on the occasion of World Paella Day celebrated on July 20, the date on which the tournament final will take place. Paella and Valencian gastronomy experts will also be at this paella mass. The finalists will be supervised this year by four coaches, namely champions Chabe Soler (2020) and Noelia Pascual (2021), as well as Rafa Margós, chef of the restaurant Las Bairetas, and Santos Ruiz, director of DO Arroz de Valencia.

In addition to four masterclasses with their coaches, the finalists will discover the most emblematic places in the city of Valencia, including the Albufera natural park. A particularity of this year, they will also visit the Costa Blanca, the new centenary Carmencita factory, the Cachito de Noelia Pascual restaurant in Elche and Denia. The final will take place on September 20 in Valencia, which hosted the last edition of the contest of the 50 best restaurants in the world or the Michelin Gala Spain and Portugal 2022.