By César Marcos
2015 August, 10
It is one of the Peruvian chefs whose work has been recognized with a Michelin star in Spain. In this web section, Jorge Muñoz, head chef of Pakta in Barcelona, personifies the icon of lemon and says that gastronomy takes part of the culture of a country, “with it we can tell our angers and experiences”.
eComercio. His career is a risky adventure. What do you value the most in your cuisine and which new projects are you in?
Jorge Muñoz. What I value most in my cuisine is the people, the stories and products that make it possible. My colleagues because without them this would not be possible Pakta, the products because without them we could not develop our cuisine. The stories of each of us and of the dishes we elaborate throughout the menu; it is very important that behind every dish there is a story to tell. At the moment I’m concentrating on Pakta but I do not rule out opening new projects.
eComercio.- From local to global, gastronomy melts boundaries like no other discipline. Both in Europe and Latin America, exactly where are your recipes inspired?
JM. Of the memories that I have of my childhood, they say that living in the past is bad, but I think I have learned to use to remember certain moments of my life and to develop with them dishes that tell a story.
eComercio. How does the Basque and the Spanish cuisine influence in your cuisine?
JM. Pakta is a restaurant Nikkei in which not only two cultures are linked, but there is a third one, the Spanish culture and I think that is cuisine influences my cooking since Pakta is based on product, the Spanish cuisine is present with the different products that the earth gives us and that generally would not use in Peru (as the truffle), but we know how to take advantage to find the perfect combination with another product whether is Peruvian or Japanese.
eComercio. ¿Which are the raw materials with more personality of your country for developing new culinary creations?
JM. Certainly peppers, potatoes and exotic fruits that unfortunately we don’t have all of them here in Barcelona, but with the ones that we can get in the market we can elaborate traditional dishes or create new flavors with local products.
eComercio. What about local ingredients of your country’s cuisine that combine with others in Spain and Europe?
JM. Well, potato is an example which appears today in the Mediterranean diet and it’s a product that has adapted to a cuisine, we are talking about a long time, a current example would be the Andean peppers and herbs that little by little they are making a hole in the European cupboard (yellow pepper and marigold). These products can be used to make from stews to ceviches.
eComercio. We are a pioneer media which focus its food and agriculture informative content from two perspectives: the European and Latin American. Do you think that platforms like ours are necessary to bring the cuisine and culture together to consumers on both continents?
JM. Of course, we need a bridge to unite the gastronomy and culture, and lest we forget that eating is part of the culture of a country, through which we can tell experiences.
