Original subtitles

I want you to come with me.

I want to show you one of my favorite spots in Madrid.

This magnificent capital city

has over 6,000 rooftop bars and terraces

with a cuisine that aims for the sky.

Madrid.

Sitting high above sea level,

Madrid's star is rising.

People from Madrid, they have a saying--

Madrid al cielo, which means

from Madrid, the next stop is heaven,

which is a very bold claim,

considering the city had such humble beginnings

and now it is the destination for the culture and the food.

Madrid is having its moment.

I'm Eva Longoria, and I'm a proud Mexican American.

11 generations ago,

my ancestor left Spain for the new world and a new life.

400 years later, I'm back.

I'm so excited! - Salud.

And I'm exploring Spain and its 17 regions

to see how the land and its people

have created one of the world's most exciting cuisines.

I think you know what you're doing.

Majestic Madrid,

for centuries a bastion of conservative tradition,

built around the royal court and the Catholic Church.

It was the stronghold of fascist dictator Franco...

...and his secret police.

But since his death, the city has exploded...

...and opened to the world.

The locals, known as Madrileños, have big appetites

rooted in centuries of food heritage.

Right now, the city is scaling new heights

of culinary innovation...

Oh. Oh, yeah.

...conjuring unexpected marvels.

It's a little crazy.

And when I say unexpected, I'm not kidding.

- This is a duck tongue. - Duck tongue?!

I didn't even know ducks had tongues.

Madrid wasn't always Spain's grand capital.

Founded by the Moors in the ninth century,

it was a humble military outpost

on a fertile plain crowned by mountains.

It took another 700 years

for Madrid to become Spain's official seat of power.

Lured by its central location,

King Felipe II moved the entire royal court here

from Toledo in 1561.

Like a magnet, it pulled in the best of everything,

which continues to this day.

People came from all over-- north, south, east, west.

And it's a city that migration built.

And the thing that holds it all together is food.

Madrileño and celebrated food writer Borja Beneyto

is an expert on the history of the city's cuisine.

iHola! - Hola.

¿Que tal?

Welcome to Madrid, our amazing city.

Thank you.

I'm already excited, I'm and already hot.

We're in Madrid's historic center,

heading to one of the city's oldest

and most influential restaurants.

Oh, wow.

This is Lhardy-- same facade as in 1839.

- This is the exact same way? - Same way, same face.

Fine dining in Madrid started right here 185 years ago.

Lhardy.

Wow. This is amazing.

Opened by a French immigrant restaurateur,

not only did Lhardy give Madrileños a choice

of gourmet fare from all over the world,

but also some revolutionary ideas.

This was the first place in Spain

where the self-service was invented almost 100 years ago.

That also was the first place

where women can come without a chaperone.

Well, I have my chaperone today,

but that's good to know I can come by myself.

This was also the first spot a lady could grab a drink.

Actually, it was the top cool bar

where you can find writers, artists, politicians,

who had also royalty.

Because it was the place to be.

It was the place to be.

Actually, there's a saying in Madrid that is...

So, it was that kind of cosmopolitan mix.

The sophistication doesn't stop here.

There's a high-class restaurant, three flights up,

serving one of Madrid's most celebrated dishes.

There's a friend of mine waiting for us.

He's a really famous progressive chef.

He has a bond with Lhardy.

Wow. Look at this dining room.

iHola!

Oh, my gosh, I don't know what I'm more excited to see--

you or this room-- - Welcome.

Dining room. ¿Que tal?

- Muy bien. How are you? - Great.

Three times in a row. Best chef in the world.

I've always wanted to meet this guy.

Dabiz Muñoz is a culinary maverick

who's won three Michelin stars for his trailblazing creativity.

What an honor. I get to eat with you.

This isn't Dabiz's own restaurant.

He's just a huge fan of Lhardy's famous cocido Madrileño,

meaning "Madrid's stew."

Some folks say it evolved from the Sabbath stew

created by Sephardic Jews in the Middle Ages.

How is the most innovative chef in the world

tied to such a traditional dish?

You know, when I was a child for my birthday,

my mom used to cook it for me.

This is the second best cocido in the world.

The first one is the one my mom used to cook for me.

I'm coming over.

- I'm telling you that. - I believe it.

You know, this was the family meal for Sundays,

and every single family has its own recipe...

...the broth, the vegetables separated,

and the meat separated.

So, every member of the family

can choose the quantity of the perfect serve.

The first course is a silky umami broth with noodles.

Sometimes it's chicken broth

with some part of the lamb shank,

the beef shank, and many meats,

and there is no fat at all. - No fat?

- Like, a little bit texture. - A little structure, yeah.

And where does that come from? The gelatin of the bones?

Yeah, the bones from all the meats.

- Oh, my gosh. - This is so good.

This is a piece of art. - You're in love with cocido.

No, no, I can't be eating this every day.

I love this.

The broth is swiftly followed by the second course--

plentiful vegetables.

Chickpeas. Potato. Cabbage.

Cabbage.

Oh, my God. Meat.

Last but not least, a mountainous medley of meat.

So, what are these meats? - So, this is beef shank.

This is morcilla. - Blood sausage.

- This is chorizo. - Chorizo!

- She smells to Spain. - That's lovely.

If you go to areas of Spain,

you will find maybe just one or two of these meats of that area.

So, here is a gathering of--

More representative of the entire country.

I'm going to try the pork rib.

- Mmm. - Mmm. -Mmm.

The meat just, like, comes right off the bone.

- Mmm. - Oh! Oh, my gosh.

I love eating with people who loves food.

- We do. - This is my new best friend.

I mean, could my place-setting be any bigger?

So much stuff.

Just like those forward-thinking

19th century women

choosing as much as they liked in the deli downstairs...

All these amazing things. I want to put it all together.

...I'm going to run with this.

Definitely the tocino.

I need some of this beef

because I want to really get everything marinated.

There's so much meat, I don't even know when to stop.

This is like a party in your mouth.

Mmm.

Madrid is so in style now.

Why do you think that is?

The place to be for food

used to be Basque Country and Catalonia.

But now Madrid has grown up a lot in terms of gastronomy.

And you can find food from different parts of Spain

and all over the world.

You know, it's so eclectic, but as well, so close to tradition.

There are many, many talented young chefs.

So, I think now Madrid is number one for food in Spain.

- Mmm. - Mmm.

It's no surprise this glorious stew born in Madrid

has endured for hundreds of years.

Freaking good, huh?

Sometimes the old ways really are the best.

Cheers to Madrid.

So, I was born in Texas.

I'm a Texican.

And anywhere I go in the world,

I have a Latino radar.

And here in Madrid, that radar is working overtime.

And no wonder.

Tens of thousands of Latin Americans have moved

to the city's most exclusive neighborhood, Salamanca.

Historically the home of Madrid's nobility,

its affluent new arrivals are bringing different flavors.

I'm coming to meet a food writer

who moved here ten years ago from Venezuela.

- iHola! Alejandra. - Alejandra.

Alejandra Morrison knows firsthand

how the flow of people between Madrid

and the Americas has influenced the local cuisine.

- I have an important question. - Yes.

- Are you hungry? - Yes.

Let's go have breakfast.

I like a big breakfast,

though I don't think breakfast is a big Madrid thing.

They have a tiny little coffee

very early in the morning,

and then they'll have a second breakfast,

like around 11:00.

What we're having today

is actually Catalonian,

and they will kill me if I don't give them credit.

Like, they will.

But it's now kind of the official breakfast of Spain.

Yeah.

This is so cute.

Wealthy Latinos are kind of transforming the area

because you're opening these different restaurants

and everything.

Changing the gastronomy of the area.

Yes. They're even calling it the new Miami.

But you're Venezuelan, so you're a part of this movement.

I guess I am.

My grandmother and this whole, like,

generation of Spanish people who went to America

to look for a better life, right,

in the '40, '50, '60, '70s.

And now the granddaughter came back.

Gracias. Oh, my God, look at that.

Wow.

Unlike the Catalans

who rubbed the garlic and tomato over the bread,

Madrileños dice or grate the tomato with garlic and salt.

Right after the discovery of fire,

the thing the most changed gastronomy as we know it

was this exchange between America and Europe.

Yeah, it's such a big part of Spanish culture.

The tomato comes from Mexico.

- Should we try it? - Let's try it.

Good luck.

Mmm.

Oh, wow.

That's so great. - Yeah.

It's like, uh, fresh and light but also filling.

I do love this exchange of ingredients.

I'm obsessed with that because food had no color.

Chorizo was like this brownish tube,

and suddenly with peppers,

it became this beautiful bright red.

Not only did things land here,

you know, Mexicans ate chocolate very bitter.

It was sugar and leche

that the Spaniards brought that made us change

how we eat chocolate today.

This beautiful, like, ongoing conversation.

And I think it's even going on today.

I want to take you to meet a good friend from Peru.

And he made himself, like, this beautiful bakery

where they make amazing breads for some of the top chefs.

And it's already time for our second breakfast.

Exactly.

Locals often call Madrid the Madrids, plural,

because each quarter has its own distinct community

and style.

The working-class neighborhood of Pueblo Nuevo,

a couple of miles away, is also home to many Latin Americans,

but has a completely different vibe.

Something I love about this type of Madrilenian barrios

is that they really remind me of Caracas.

Oh, really? It reminds me of Mexico.

- See? - Yeah.

Like, for a second, you're back, right?

- Definitely different. - Yeah.

I love the smell of bread.

John Torres emigrated from Peru 20 years ago,

carrying a recipe that revived one of Madrid's

long-forgotten gastronomic gems.

- Hola. - Hola.

This is John.

He's the creator of all this magic.

Taking its name from the French bakers

who brought it to Madrid in the 18th century,

the francesilla made its way to Peru

after the Spanish Empire's colonization of the Americas.

Lard gives bread a silky soft texture.

But this recipe didn't suit Madrid's move

to mass production,

and the francesilla had fallen out of favor by the early 1900s.

Okay, okay. He's putting me to work.

Mira. That's the secret.

After 20 minutes,

John's francesillas are ready to savor.

Oh, my God, look at this.

Count me a convert to baking with pork fat.

It's so good.

The lightness of this bread

is the perfect foundation for another local classic.

The calamari sub has its roots

in the Catholic character of Madrid.

During Lent, Catholics restricted meat.

Calamari was a cheap and delicious alternative.

John has brought a Latin American twist

to his take on the sandwich.

Lime juice added to red onion, cilantro, and aioli

is mixed with the fried calamari.

I love that. I like a saucy sandwich.

It's my first time having a calamari bocadillo.

Oh, yeah. That Peruvian twist.

Oh, my gosh, this bread is so easy.

Sometimes, you know...

Every single ingredient shines in it.

You can taste everything.

After so many travels,

what was once the bread of high society

has made a triumphant return to Madrid for all the people.

Thank you for bringing this bread back to Spain,

because now I wouldn't be enjoying this amazing bocadillo.

Okay, you guys, I don't think we're all going to fit.

I mean, we can try.

iHola!

Madrid is party town right now,

boasting 18,000 bars and 10,000 restaurants.

I'm hitting Boca Nada, a micro bar

that's Madrid's hottest hangout.

This was voted best bar in Madrid.

Congratulations.

Owned and run by Amanda, a Brazilian sommelier.

It has no wine list.

I just ask, "White? Red? Bubbles?" And that's it.

I do the decision for them. I help them.

How did this idea even start?

Madrid is such a big city, you know,

that I think people, more and more,

we're looking for these kind of spaces

where we don't feel lonely.

So, I wanted to build a home.

And since it's such a small space,

I guess you're forced to talk.

You're so tight, you're like, "Hi."

- You have to. You have to. - Yeah.

Has something changed in Madrid?

Madrid is like boom.

You feel at home and you connect with people,

and that's, I think, for me that's Madrid.

With our mobiles and work,

we're becoming a lonelier society.

Something like this is not only fun, but it's important.

This is a toast to your micro tavern

and to the family that you've created.

- Thank you. - Cheers!

Belonging is important to Madrileños.

These days, outsiders are welcome here,

and communities of every stripe feel at home.

Today is a big day. It's Pride,

and it's one of the largest street parties in Europe.

It's a really special celebration

of rights and freedoms

that the LGBTQ community has long fought hard for,

especially here in Madrid.

And when Madrid has a party, everybody knows.

The fiesta's taking place in the city's

famous gay barrio, Chueca.

Before heading there, I have a lunch date

with one of Madrid's most influential LGBTQ+ activists.

Federico Armenteros and his husband, Ino,

run a foundation called 26 December

for the elderly LGBTQ+ community.

The charity is hosting a pride parade potluck

and Federico and Ino are bringing a Madrileño staple.

So, wait, in this house, who's the cook?

The tortilla is beloved throughout Spain

and generally has just a few key ingredients--

potatoes, eggs, and onions.

But don't be fooled into thinking this is a simple dish.

Debate about the best way to make it

even led to a national referendum.

There's a lot of opinions.

I like with onion, and I like it not so well done.

I like it a little

Ino and I could live together.

We definitely don't want our mascara to run.

This makes a lot of sense.

This will help it marry into the egg better.

Oh, you put the hot potatoes in the eggs

because it already starts to cook so nice.

This is what I love about a tortilla,

that it already starts to bubble up.

Y tres.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh!

Why is the foundation called 26th of December?

Cosmopolitan Madrid was something of a haven

for gay people,

but Franco's regime ruthlessly cracked down on anyone

deemed a threat to society.

Gay people were branded as a social danger

and jailed or put in asylums.

Although there's been vast progress since,

some members of the community are still overlooked.

Oh, yay! It's done.

Oh, my gosh.

- Oh, yeah. - Oh.

Hey!

Look at that! It's perfect!

It's perfect.

It's just a short walk to the Pride lunch

at the charity headquarters.

Everyone has brought a home-cooked dish

to celebrate Pride and community.

Wow.

This is...

Mmm! So good.

Up to two million people come to Madrid Pride each year,

and I'm honored to be adding to that number.

You feel the love from everyone,

not just the LGBT community.

There's so much support and love.

It's so beautiful.

Oh, my God, what a day.

I wanted to cry about ten times today

because of the amazing work that this organization does.

And to be able to be here during Gay Pride in Madrid,

it's pretty special.

I'm so excited.

Javi Estevez opened La Tasqueria

with a mission to transform one of Madrid's

oldest culinary traditions into high-end cuisine.

- You like the offal? - I do.

You need to come with me to the kitchen.

Are you ready? - Yes.

Madrid has a long history of eating offal,

the usually discarded parts of the animals.

In the early 19th century,

poor Madrileño families would line up

outside the city's slaughterhouse for offcuts,

a resourcefulness that helped many survive a famine in 1811.

What started from necessity

eventually became a menu fixture.

Oh, my God.

There's a lot of jewels here. Is this liver?

My dad used to cook lamb's liver,

but Javi's taking me into unchartered territory.

This, I'm a little nervous about.

What is this?

We are talking about testicles.

This is very special.

Whose testicles are these?

- From a beef, male. - A bull.

Obviously a male.

You need to try. Okay? Please.

Sure.

You don't have to load it.

Let's save some for the customers.

When we think in this recipe, something like a pizza.

Okay, you have the cheese and some dried tomato.

This is a little pizza, a testicle pizza.

- Enjoy. - Oh, thank you.

Okay.

Okay, one bite.

That seems, like, really big for one bite.

Mmm.

That does taste like sausage. - Yes.

The texture is very, very soft.

- It tastes like a pepperoni. - Mm-hmm.

And that crispy tart. Wow.

And the sweetness of the tomato.

But that's a great way to serve this offal.

We try to cook offal for people that don't like offal.

To convert people to offal.

- It's our religion. - It's our religion.

I can see how you convert people.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Seeing Javi's artistry up close in the kitchen

has been eye-opening.

I really don't know what to expect.

And in the restaurant, he's taking it to another level.

The baby pig head.

It's not what I thought.

Look at that guy.

Welcome to La Tasqueria again.

I was thinking of another offal,

like, oh, we haven't eaten the intestines, we haven't eaten--

I did not think that it was a baby pig head.

It's a little crazy. - Yes, I don't know.

This has never been on a table at a restaurant

that I've been to.

It has the ears and everything.

I think we sell probably thousands and thousands.

Really?

This is one of the most popular dishes?

- Yes. - I don't even know.

Is it a fork? Is it a knife? Is it your hands?

I'm going to prepare for you.

I'm excited about this salad, to be honest.

Yes.

So, we start first with the ear, okay?

Okay. Oh, look at that. Falls right off.

How did you prepare this?

We cook first at the oven 12 hours,

90 degrees, and then we fry the whole head.

Yes. - Wow.

And we start with the ears,

then nose, and then we open the mouth.

And then you find different parts.

Okay. - This is the cheek?

- Yes, this is the cheek. - I love the cheek.

I always tell people that if they don't like offal,

try the outside of the head...

Why do you like to present it this way?

Because we want to respect the animal.

Many people think that we are...

but it's not true.

- It's the opposite. - Yes, it's the opposite

because we need to use the whole animal.

So, it's important to you, this usage of the whole animal.

- Always. - Yeah, yeah.

So, now it's time to play, okay?

Okay.

You have easy parts. Could be.

The ear is very crunchy. Try it with your hand.

Starting with the ear.

Mmm.

Oh, it tastes like fried chicken.

That is good.

I recommend you the cheek.

Oh, there it is.

So lean, there's not a lot of fat in that.

- Yes. - Mmm.

Wow, that was so good.

The brain? Do you like the brain?

You try the brain.

I try it for you. There is no problem.

I'm just gonna sit here while you eat that.

It's very interesting, the brain,

because the texture is something like a pate.

- Foie gras? - Yes. It's very, very soft.

When you came up with this concept,

did your financiers think you're crazy?

Yes, many people tell me, "You are crazy."

They said that's an "offal" idea.

Yes.

An "offal" idea.

That's good.

But now they tell me, "Oh, you were very smart."

Did you ever think this concept would win you a Michelin star?

For us, it was a surprise.

I think we make something very special, unique.

That's the reason Michelin give us the first star.

With new ways of making beauty from the beast,

Javi's revitalizing offal for modern Madrid.

Cheers to you, because I've never had an experience

like this in a restaurant.

This is truly unique,

and I'm so happy I got to experience it.

Thank you. Thank you so much. It was a blessing for me.

Thank you.

I'm only 40 minutes outside of Madrid,

and the landscape is totally different.

There's olive trees and farms.

It's very rural.

30 miles southeast of Madrid is a unique farm

near the medieval town of Chinchón.

That's home to a cornerstone of Madrid's cuisine.

Ready to off-road.

I'm meeting a local chef

who's waging a one-woman crusade

to save a pungent piece of Madrid's culinary heritage.

Miriam Hernandez cultivates a type of garlic called ajo fino

that only grows in these fields.

Okay, this is really nice. You can see?

Very strong. You need less garlic.

Yeah, yeah, you need not a lot of this.

It goes to the end of the mouth,

but it's like, "Ah!"

- Yes, now, but then it's light. - Yes.

That's lovely.

Oh, I would love to cook with this.

Yes, yes.

This variety almost died out

because it's much harder to farm than other types of garlic.

Oh, between 40 and 60% less? - Yes.

You need the the sun, the river, and love.

The ajo can only grow here because of this.

How did a chef become a farmer?

I love to cook with ajo fino.

I try to buy, but it was impossible.

- And you couldn't find it? - Yeah.

- So, it was necessity? - Yeah.

Oh, my gosh, you love garlic.

- Sí. - Mira.

I think you tattooed this exact garlic.

Definitely a passion of yours. - Sí.

Just 20 minutes away, near Chinchón's famous bullring

lies Miriam's family-owned restaurant,

La Casa del Pregonero.

Oh, this is where the magic happens.

I've never had garlic soup. - Your first time?

It could be amazing.

Well, it was never gonna be better than this

because we have this garlic.

So, is garlic soup very popular here?

So, they had to use this?

But when you try that, the soup is really nice.

With some of the harshest winters in Spain,

Madrid's peasant families used this warming soup

as survival food.

I can work in the field or the kitchen.

Now...

That is so pretty. Look at that.

The bread absorbs all the grease.

For a smoky punch, paprika goes into the mix.

Now we start to toast that.

- You leave that for a week? - Yes.

Well, thank God you made some in advance.

Mmm. Oh, yeah.

The garlic enhances all the other ingredients.

This, rich tasty mixture is then simmered.

Three hours more.

- Three hours. - Yes.

But the garlic just keeps on coming.

Look, they're opening up.

Good morning, clams.

Yes. I'm ready.

I've been laboring in the fields for this.

I should taste it. It would be rude not to.

What a beautiful dining room.

I'm sure it's going to be good.

This is the first time I'm eating garlic

with the skin on.

I'm very excited to try it.

Got a little garlic candy and then my clam.

Oh, my gosh.

Wow. I love the clams.

It's like land and sea.

Garlic is powerful, but not overpowering--

- No. - ...which is very hard to do.

I love that. So, I feel like you're trying to

preserve a very particular taste of Spain.

It's part of Spain.

If we lose our identity, we lose everything.

Farmer, chef, keeper of Madrid's ancient ajo fino flame--

Miriam is a marvel.

Muchas gracias.

Salud. - Chin chin.

- Chin chin? - Chinchón.

A Chinchón.

Chin chin, Chinchón.

Lucky me, I have a lunch date with my new friend,

rock star chef Dabiz Muñoz,

who I first met at the restaurant Lhardy.

Inspired by Cantonese cuisine and the best of Madrid,

Dabiz's three Michelin star restaurant, DiverXO,

is spearheading this city's food revolution.

- Hola. - Hola.

-Que tal?

I'm so excited.

I feel so special.

What are we making?

Yes, I want to drink this. - Yeah.

Dabiz's version of cocido

is light years from the traditional stew we last shared.

For his reinvention, he's making the noodles from fish.

- Wait, that has become this? - Yeah.

Okay.

Shark fin soup is a traditional Chinese dish

and highly controversial.

When the shark is caught, the fin is cut off,

but the rest of the animal is discarded.

This cruel practice has made shark finning illegal

in much of the world.

Now, why do you want this...

The same taste?

Just for their fins. - Yeah.

Joining these noodles is another Asian influence.

Dumplings! - Dumplings.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah. - Okay.

You know, I've never made a dumpling,

so this will be a first.

Yeah.

But this Cantonese classic is stuffed with jamón

and chorizo, decidedly Madrileño flavors.

You have to give your ham, okay, for a second.

Okay.

I'm sweating. I'm so nervous.

All of it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like that.

- Yay! - That's perfect.

In his globetrotting cocido,

Dabiz can't resist one last surprise.

Oh, Lord, you're gonna trick me again.

Can I taste it first?

Shiitake mushroom.

Oh, God, don't tell me, like, a bull's balls

or something. - No, no, no.

Oh, okay.

Duck tongue? - Yeah. This is the--

Maybe I should not have eaten it first.

I didn't even know ducks had tongues.

I did like it because I thought it was a chicharrón.

Well, at least it's not the duck's balls.

Dabiz's embrace of the city's food heritage

and diverse cultures

point to the future of Madrid's cuisine.

And then how does one dig into this?

I think the best way is starting with the dumpling.

Just one bite. - One bite.

Yeah, because it's liquid inside.

Mmm.

Mmm.

And now my recommendation is

a little bit of

the chorizo.

So, this is the perfect bite from the chef.

- Okay. - So, it's going to taste cocido,

but you are going to get touches from Hong Kong.

Very exciting.

That's a lot of flavors happening at one time.

Oh, that was fantastic. Bravo.

That was... - Thank you very much.

...such an experience.

Oh, my gosh. - Thank you very much.

Madrid is one of the world's greatest cities,

and everyone is invited to its party.

Constantly changing without losing its sense of place,

elevating its historical dishes with global influences

and inventing new wonders,

this city is on fire,

from Madrid to heaven.