Carlos Garcia

Should we ever end up discussing New Venezuelan Cuisine, we would owe this to Carlos García, a very common combination of name and surname in the Latin world, but in this case marked by a unique and pioneering attitude. In order to become the number one chef in his country, García, born in 1971, completed an important training in 1996, at Escuela de Hosterlería Hoffmanin Barcelona. From here, the doors to the greatest restaurants of the time (of yesterday and today) opened for him: el Bulli(he crossed the doors to the temple of Roses in 1998) and Celler de Can Rocain Gerona (2005). His destiny was defined: from Ferran Adriàand the Rocabrothers the young Garciastarts to understand how cuisine has much wider horizons than he had ever believed.

It’s the first virus of signature cuisine, which finally takes over in 2003, when he first gets the chef stripes at Malabarin Caracas, achieving respect thanks to an international and creative offer. Yet he takes the ultimate leap in 2007 when he opens Alto, his current restaurant: a few months later, the Academia Venezolana de Gastronomíaawarded him as "Chef of the Year". And in the last ranking in the Latin America 50Besthe’s one of the first 30 restaurants in the entire continent.

The cooking of señor Garciafollows the model of many enlightened colleagues: he tries to overcome the clichés of tradition, grows the branches always keeping an eye on the roots, develops constant relationships with local producers and becomes their cooking ambassador. He builds edible metaphors inviting people to explore the flavours of the country.

His symbol and flag, a real obsession, is the precious cacao criollo, an ingredient he uses in all the dishes in his tasting menu, from starter to dessert, including the meat courses. «Cocoa», he always says, «is the key to understand our identity, from the times when we were a simple colony to our days. Still it has always been considered more like a currency of exchange than an ingredient. But you can’t eat money. And cocoa can shine with strength on our journey. It’s a symbol of overcoming and development and we work daily so that it can have the role it deserves».