Dominican Gastronomic Academy Sponsors Workshop on Importance of Good Writing Skills

Santo Domingo, September 10, 2018 – The members of the Dominican Gastronomic Academy participated in the workshop “Creative Gastronomic Writing Skills,” organized by Foodblogger and gastronomic journalist Elaine Hernández. Academy members participated in the workshop to improve their writing skills, specifically for digital media outlets. The overall goal of the initiative is to promote Dominican gastronomy as a tourism attraction.

This year, the eighth annual workshop focused on specialized writing for gastronomic publications. The initiative is part of the Academy’s attempts to recognize and grade restaurants, promote regional integration as well as the gastronomic traditions of the Dominican Republic.

The workshop was held from August 28 through September 4 in the offices of DMK Esquires and the Business Center of the El Embajador Hotel in Santo Domingo.

Participating members included Academy president Luis Ros, Marcial Najri, Lil Esteva, Sarah De Marchena, Johnny Núñez, Edgar Pichardo, Juan Daniel Balcácer, Luis Felipe Aquino, Esperanza Lithgow, Sigfrido Pared Pérez, Arturo Villanueva, Simón Suárez, Enrique de Marchena Kaluche, Vinicio Mella, Luis José Núñez, Herbert Stern, Begoña Stern and Martha García.

The workshop also provided Academy members with techniques and tools to help evaluate and describe with a specialized language dishes, products, destinations and gastronomic events. The goal is to be able to put out stories on these specific subjects through various media outlets, including social media outlets.

Academy president Luis Ros highlighted the importance of having effective the correct writing skills to promote good food and wines. Gastronomic writing continues to grow as an attempt to guarantee good food, services, culinary techniques and current international tendencies.

The workshop was led by expert gastronomic writer Elaine Hernández Pión. The workshop program also included food tasting, specifically tapas. The Ministry of Tourism’s gastronomic adviser, Esperanza Lithgow, and chef Israel Gata were in charge of this part of the event.

During the workshop, participants wrote on the food tasting segment of the workshop. The participants used new techniques in their writings to describe specific characteristics, such as ingredients and overall ambience in order to stimulate the dish being described.

Journalist Hernández, with a Masters in Gastronomic Journalism from The Foodie Studies in Madrid, explained that “writing for a publication must not concentrate exclusively in the description of the gastronomic or tourism product, but rather to connect the reader with the emotions generated by the event in order to create a memorable experience.”

“Aside from the newsworthy aspect of the event or gastronomic product, writers must adequately describe the presentation, quality and freshness of the ingredients, and highlights the flavors, aromas, texture and overall characteristics of the surrounding ambience and services provided,” explained Hernández.

The workshops are part of a national initiative that is designed and implemented by Plato Grande, with the support of press associations, hotels, restaurants, chefs and gastronomic entrepreneurs.

Plato Grande is a communications and marketing agency that specializes in the gastronomy and tourism sectors. The company also provides training, consultations and development of gastronomic projects.