Terrae highlights the contribution of Gastón Acurio
More than 40 rural chefs discussed their present and future at the second edition of Terrae, in Gáldar (Gran Canaria, Spain). The idea put forward by Asturian chef Pepe Ron sums up the spirit of the gathering: “You don’t have to be in Madrid or Barcelona to make fair, honest, and seasonal cuisine.”
The presence of Colombian chef Miguel Warren and the tribute paid to Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio solidified the Latin American presence. The Peruvian chef was honored as an "adopted son" of Terrae for his work promoting Peruvian cuisine and advocating for the relationship between chefs and producers. He also shared the motto "not to compete, but to share," which he hopes to instill in younger generations within the industry.
The gastronomic event held in the Canary Islands traveled to Antioquia with a presentation by Miguel Warren, who shared his Gesto project, which led him to move from the city to the countryside. Located 40 minutes from Medellín, his restaurant began to take shape after he realized there was no point in traveling the country in search of ingredients when he could produce them himself and take advantage of Antioquia's abundant resources. His guiding principle is "cultivate, raise, and transform."
At Terrae, he showcased his work, which includes raising San Pedro pigs, a nearly extinct local breed descended from the Iberian pigs brought by the Spanish. With these pigs, he makes sausages, but also dishes like the ones he presented: pork shoulder with mushroom broth, tongue confit in smoked oil with raw pumpkin, and purple beans cooked in pork broth with cabbage. He described them as “simple dishes that evoke the countryside and enjoyment, making full use of the product.”
Tribute to Gastón Acurio
Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio was honored for positioning Peruvian cuisine worldwide, hand in hand with the country's producers, with initiatives such as Mistura, an event that helped awaken national pride in Peruvian cuisine, local recipes and the ingredients that make up the native pantry.
In a conversation with Benjamín Lana, director of Madrid Fusión and San Sebastián Gastronomika, he highlighted that all of this was possible thanks to the union of the chefs, who did not see each other as competitors but as allies, and thus managed to enhance the prestige of the work of small local producers.
Acurio emphasized this point: “The cook’s job is not to negotiate the price with the farmer, but to accept the price that the farmer considers fair; to respect the minimum sizes, the closed seasons, to buy everything they bring you…”.
In this way, he argued, "the kitchen will always be a weapon loaded with the future."
