Albert Adrià

With a restaurant in the World’s Best 50, the El Bulli legend discusses the food philosophy he shares with brother Ferran, creating new dishes and why he rates margherita pizza so highly. By Imogen Lepere

Where is your favourite place to go on holiday?

I always return to the Canary Islands. The influence of South American culture on its food is fascinating. Potatoes are known as papas (like they are in Mexico) and are treated very creatively but it’s the sauces I find really exciting. Avocado and coriander are everywhere there yet they’re relatively unusual in the rest of Spain. My favourite countries are those where the climate sustains a wide variety of produce like China, Japan, Peru and Italy. I also really admire the knife skills of Japanese sushi chefs.

Where is the best restaurant you’ve eaten at recently?

I had a meal at a restaurant in Tokyo called Umi that was exceptional. It was the quality of the ingredients and the way they were treated that set it apart. The chefs clearly had a deep understanding of seafood and took advantage of the whole fish.

Where do you look for inspiration?

Travel and nature are my two main sources of inspiration. Getting away from your usual routine stimulates your imagination and we can learn so much from other cultures. El Bulli was perched above a beautiful bay called Cala Montjoi in the Cap de Creus National Park, an ongoing source of inspiration.

How do you go about researching a new dish?

Today I spent five hours in the lab doing an exercise in creating new dishes. My restaurants – all in Barcelona – are like my sons and it’s important to bear in mind the personality of which one you’re creating for as they are so different. This morning we invented a dish for Tickets (creative tapas), something for Bodega 1900 (traditional tapas) and something totally different for Enigma, which I’m opening later this year. Some results were very good and others were a car crash, but that’s the way it goes.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?

If I had to pick one it would be my liquid olives which I invented at El Bulli. They are essentially bubbles of green olive juice submerged in a liquid bath of calcium chloride, alginate and xanthan gum until they form olive-shaped spheres. I got the idea in 2003 after visiting a factory and seeing a sauce pot with bubbles in. The factory owner explained it was a reaction between calcium and a seaweed called algine, so I bought a jar of calcium solution and experimented with it in the lab. To make each liquid olive, you need about six real olives.

What’s the most important thing in cooking for you?

What means the most to me is that people enjoy my food. That’s what it’s about. If they don’t enjoy it, the vision’s not important. My brother and I share the same food philosophy. It’s built around quality products, simple cooking and enjoyment.

What is your favourite thing to eat?

Margherita pizza. If you can’t get the base of a dish absolutely perfect it doesn’t matter what toppings you add.