Dominican gastronomy is preparing a new step in its international push with the third edition of RD Exquisita 2027, a festival that will run from January 16 to 19 and for the first time adds the historic Spanish city of Salamanca to its official route, alongside its traditional venues in Madrid.
Organized under the theme "Taste that drives tourism, culture and trade," the event is co-organized by Foro DoMadrid and carries the official sponsorship of Banco Agrícola of the Dominican Republic. The formal announcement was made at a press gathering held at the Mesón de Iberia restaurant, which joins the festival as a strategic gastronomic collaborator.
Salamanca marks first territorial expansion
The addition of Salamanca is the festival's first expansion outside Madrid, driven by both commercial and institutional considerations. Organizers said the Castilla y León region holds one of Spain's most important agri-food distribution networks, with the capacity to supply northern Spain and links to logistics corridors in Portugal and France, opening a channel for Dominican agricultural products into the European market.
The Salamanca leg is being carried out in partnership with the Círculo Hispanoamericano de Salamanca, an organization known for strengthening ties between Spain and Latin America. Organizers said the festival is adopting an itinerant format and plans to add further Spanish and European cities in future editions.
The initiative aims to move beyond a traditional culinary festival by helping products such as cacao, coffee, tropical fruit and agro-industrial goods find formal distribution channels in European supply chains, taking advantage of the quality and sustainability standards the market demands.
Wholesale markets seen as gateway to Europe
The program includes professional sessions at the wholesale agri-food markets of Madrid and Salamanca, where Dominican exporters will be able to make direct contact with Spanish importers and distributors.
Organizers described these meetings as the festival's most significant commercial component, putting Dominican agricultural products in front of the operators who control fruit and vegetable distribution in Spain and its re-export to the rest of Europe.
Madrid's Tetuán and Arganzuela districts
In the Spanish capital, the Madrid districts of Tetuán and Arganzuela will once again serve as centers of Spanish-Dominican exchange. Both areas are home to a dense network of Dominican restaurants, diaspora entrepreneurs and community groups.
The agenda there will include culinary activations, cultural gatherings and tastings aimed at connecting with the local Spanish public, reinforcing economic and personal ties between the two countries.
"Consume lo nuestro" spotlights producers
The festival's agricultural production side will feature prominently through an alliance with the Fondo Especial para el Desarrollo Agropecuario (FEDA) and its "Consume lo nuestro" program, represented by chef Solangel Velázquez.
Her participation in talks and culinary demonstrations will highlight the traceability of native ingredients and the importance of fairly compensating the families who sustain rural production in the Dominican countryside, organizers said, underscoring that fine cuisine begins in fertile land and the work of farmers.
New model for the awards ceremony
The festival's central event, the Gala de Turismo y Gastronomía (Tourism and Gastronomy Gala), will bring together authorities, business people, communicators and figures from the tourism and gastronomy sectors of both countries.
This edition will introduce a new technical scheme for nominating and evaluating award recipients. Organizers said the renewed format widens the selection criteria to recognize individuals, companies, and public and private institutions that have spent years protecting and promoting the Dominican Republic's cultural, gastronomic and tourism identity abroad. Details of the evaluation panel and the nominees will be released within the official program.
Timed ahead of Fitur
RD Exquisita is scheduled strategically for the days before the Feria Internacional de Turismo (Fitur), reinforcing its role as a platform for gastronomic diplomacy and destination promotion. Organizers said the initiative shows that a nation's international profile rests not only on its beaches but on its ability to connect with the world through food, cultural memory and the strength of its export sector.
