Sergio Viña, chef at La Pradera del Campanal, in Luanco, wins the Central Lechera Asturiana contest

 In February, Central Lechera Asturiana launched a new collaborative creation project within the Asturias hotel industry: to find the cream-based sauce that best evokes traditional Asturias flavours. After a meticulous selection process and blind tastings in which professionals, food critics and nine Michelin-star chefs participated, “Grilled Apple Sauce” was selected as the winning recipe.

 Reflecting the traditional flavours of Asturias with the flavour perhaps most representative of the Principality, the apple, in a sauce made using roast apple, an ingredient with a long-held tradition in the region. These are some of the values that led to Sergio Viña Rosa’s creation being proclaimed as the best “Salsa de Asturias” (Asturias Sauce) with a cream base from Central Lechera Asturiana.

 Sergio Viña is the chef of La Pradera Campanal, a restaurant in Santa Eulalia de Nembro (Luanco), founded by his grandparents in 1960, offering the most traditional recipes of Asturian cuisine.

 The finalists selected by the judging panel were: Afuega’l Pitu Tineo and Cangas Wine Sauce by Carmen Fernández Parrondo from Hotel Palacio de Merás (Tineo), and Llanes Forest Sauce by José Miguel Naves Gómez from La Provenzal Restaurant (Llanes).

 The creation of the “Salsa de Asturias” (Asturias Sauce) was open to all gastronomy professionals in the principality, with the requirement that the recipe has a base of cream from Central Lechera Asturiana and no artificial ingredients, to comply with the brand’s all-natural commitment.

 In a first phase, the projects were evaluated by the Asturias Gastronomic Critics Association and by members of the dairy company’s R&D Department in a blind tasting, from which twelve semi-finalists were selected. The second phase of the contest was held at the 3rd Gastronomic Clinic of Asturias, in which accredited gastronomic professionals selected the three finalists. The final phase took place within the framework of the 12th Asturias Pinchos and Tapas Championships, where a special judging panel, made up of relevant figures from the world of gastronomy, including those from the nine Michelin star restaurants of the principality, who selected the creation by Sergio Viña as the “La Salsa de Asturias” (The Asturias Sauce).

 The winning recipe receives a cash prize of 5,000 euros and the possibility of being marketed by Central Lechera Asturiana.