Abstract Though not unique to the Catalan situation, nationalistic claims attached to high-end culinary creations fit within the current political desires of many nations competing for international distinction. The various agents involved in the development of the local gastronomy shape their discourses, with language well beyond the preparation of foodstuffs articulating a discourse set in terms of natural uniqueness. The language describing the successes of the various players involved, as self-reported and announced by government agencies is set in terms of the ‘essential nature’ of the participants and their products, which are, in turn, echoed by commercial and governmental entities seeking to differentiate and successfully place local commodities in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. However, the case discussed, while apparently constructed in terms of nation building, illustrates how such branding belies social cohesion.