1 week Ago By Shilpi Madan
It is simply impossible to separate the chef from the artist when it comes to the Michelin-starred Virgilio Martinez—Peru’s de facto culinary ambassador, whose restaurant Central, in Lima, was judged the ‘World’s Best Restaurant 2023’, sponsored by S Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. The concept of altitude and verticality rules at Central. Martinez uses the Andes mountains, the Amazon river and rainforests, and the Pacific Ocean as his grocery store.
“The tasting menu plays with the unevenness of altitude cuisine, going deeper into the locally available ingredients,” says the 47-year-old chef, who has experimenting with over 120 varieties of salt; amazing varieties of coloured corn, wild cacao, and potatoes found 5,000 m above sea level. Blame his endless foraging trips as he dips into the manifold ecosystems of Peru, celebrating an organic movement with seasonality and flavours that take you back to the place of origin. “There are plenty of similarities between Peruvian and Indian cuisines.
There is no single definition of national cuisine in both cases since the topography and expanse of the countries lend plurality to flavours. The climate, region and availability determine the cuisine,” explains the chef, who was in India recently to host two dinners at Koishii at The St. Regis Mumbai.
“Just like the food in India is fragrant with spices, we in Peru use seasonings aplenty to create textures and tastes.” During his debut trip to India Martinez sifted through fresh spices at Mumbai’s famous market in Lalbag and bought Indian chillies to take back home. Having grown up in his family home by the sea, Martinez bonded early with fishermen, going to choose and buy the daily catch.
His comfort food is Peruvian ceviche—a citrusy marinated seafood dish. His fishy leanings landed him in a spot of trouble at the Los Angeles airport a few years back. “I was carrying 40-odd piranhas in a vacuum-sealed pack to try a new menu.
I was detained for declaring ‘flesh and bones’ in my baggage,” he laughs. Martinez was let off once he showed pictures of the dish he wanted to recreate in America. These is an Amazonian dish on the Central menu that brings piranhas, and all that they eat, on the same plate.
“Each dish is an expression of an ecosystem. It represents a certain ecological elevation, and all the components come together from the same region and altitude,” he explains. Central is a family affair, with his sister Malena, and wife Pia, forming the core team.
“Malena studies science and cross-checks what we are serving is edible. Pia is a superlative chef (with her own restaurant, Kjolle) heading teams across all restaurants,” he says. The trio has handcrafted the ethos of Central, together powering Mater Iniciativa—an epicurean initiative that delves deep into the cultural history and science of local Peruvian ingredients which they use in their restaurant dishes.
They focus on reviving ancient cooking techniques. “I grew up learning pottery from my mother, and the vessels and plates we use to serve food in our restaurants are rustic, raw in its simplicity,” he elaborates. Martinez confesses to representing his country and cooking for people to make them happy.
“The accolades are a result of 15 years of hard work and consistency,” he says. What next? “I want to spread the joy of Peruvian gastronomy across the world, and make Central the best place in the world to work at,” he smiles. Peru is one of the world’s most biodiverse places and the food reflects that.
It is the secret in Martinez’s repertoire..
