In the nineties, Ferran Adrià created culinary minimalism, a form of haute cuisine that has influenced generations to come. Now, what is minimalism, asks the great chef at the 'Dreams' space of Madrid's Fusión Alimentos de España, in an intense afternoon session packed with participants, including other great chefs, who even sat on the carpet. Borrowing the term from the art world, he navigates the waters of styles and movements that Adrià, the god of elBulli, has reflected on and written about. We have to talk about cuisines in general, because they are impersonal characteristics that group together everything from techniques to preparations. Movements, on the other hand, are about people", while style "would involve describing the entire gastronomic offer", from interior design to "liturgy" and "tasting tools".

So what is minimalism? The answer comes from the food critic Alba Torres, who has researched the cuisine to develop a thesis that has impressed Adrià himself. It is based on limiting the number of intermediate steps (those that are visible on the plate), the main products and the techniques used,' explains Torres, who cites the example of 'tuétano y caviar' (bone marrow and caviar). It was conceived at elBulli in 1996, but the first dish was made in 1992.

To sum up in one sentence: "Less is more". A "less" that is exclusive to "creative haute cuisine" and that "appears in menu format", according to Torres.

Provocative, cheerful, dynamic, Adrià, in conversation with four chefs over three hours, gradually reveals some of the premises of his informal credo.

Adrià's first premise: "Have four intermediate elaborations, better two than three. Minimalist cuisine is neither good nor bad.

- If there is a small change, it is from minimalism to simplicity - assures chef Pedrito Sánchez of the Bagá restaurant in Jaén, as he explains his rusty pear with eel during the interview.

- And is Japanese cuisine simple? - Adrià asks him

- You're trying to get me! - Sánchez shouts.

Laughter. The mind games continue:

Nori is a processed product. When I buy it, there are magicians who cook it for you,' says Adrià.

Just like olive oil or butter,' replies Sánchez. Simplicity is a grilled steak. But to say it in that way is not a pejorative.

A second premise of Adrià's has to do with the quality of life of those who work in his restaurant: 'At elBulli we were the first to close at lunchtime and we were home at midnight. Josean Alija, chef at Bilbao's Nerua restaurant and one of the last to work 17-hour shifts in this temple of gastronomy, reminded him: "Cook what makes you happy, what distinguishes you, what identifies you, that's what will help you. You used to say that to us all the time.

Another fact, more than a dogma, from Adrià: "The restaurants I like best to eat in have only one Michelin star. That is a characteristic. (Those of the four chefs invited to this Valle Inclán-esque meeting at Madrid Fusión) are the restaurants where I like to eat. And they are among the least known. When I go out to eat, I don't talk about cooking. I don't want to be pestered. (The other two restaurants this afternoon are Enigma, run by chef Rubén Zubiri, and Aürt, run by Artur Martínez, both in Barcelona).

And more tips:

-Don't be dogmatic. There are 50 truths. You can change your style.

-A good sardine is better than a bad lobster.

-The soul doesn't think. It's the mind that thinks. Neither does the heart. The heart doesn't exist and love doesn't tickle. They are emotions produced in the mind.

-Good products are a must. If you pay 400 euros for a set menu, of course you should! If it's very good, that's fine, but if there's something great outside, I'll buy that too. If they tell me that they use the product very well in a place, I say to them: are you crazy? For 400 euros? It has to be! It's an obligation! Haute cuisine is based on this: good product and good execution.

- What is the opposite of raw? There is no opposite. It is not cooked, it is not worked, it is not cooked by fire.

Deep down, minimalism is like a discourse. It takes ten minutes to make one that lasts five hours, and five hours to make one that lasts ten minutes. But the court does not deceive.