Denis Martin
Turnips with sheep yogurt mousse and nasturtian leavesby Christian Puglisi
Dall'Italia Sempre più viaggi di gusto! Cosa ci ha spiegato il Rapporto sul Turismo Enogastronomico Italiano 2023
Virgilio Martinez and Pia Leon, restaurant Central, Lima. On the first of July 2022 they will also open Maz in Tokyo, Japan (photo Brambilla/Serrani)
They are regulars at Identità in Milano, having participated for the sixth time, as recalled by Gabriele Zanatta («no other international chef has participated as often»). The most famous Latin American chef takes us on a journey through the vertiginous variety of ecosystems of his country, Peru, together with his wife Pia León. And Virgilio Martinez also seems to be in the mood for taking stock, after two years of stopping and going. More reflexive and serene, he says he used the time to further research the relationship with his suppliers, visiting farmers and artisans in their homes, all over Peru, sharing with them work, efforts, discoveries.
Fishes from the Amazonia
Theobroma (the name of the cocoa plant)
We start again with a dish that Virgilio and Pia offer almost at the end of the tasting menu, a sort of interstellar journey around cocoa, which Virgilio makes personally («What's the point of sending our cocoa to Belgium and then buying it back?»). In fact this is a detailed work made on cocoa itself, on the sister plant called Macambo, also known as white cocoa – a real superfood from the Andes – with pepino melon.
Massimo Bottura, arrived on stage at one point to celebrate his colleague
The room was packed for Virgilio Martinez's sixth lesson. The first was in 2013
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
Roman, now living in Milan, sommelier, he's reporter of Il Giornale. He's been writing about taste for years
The circular terraces of the archaeological centre of Moray, home to Mater Iniciativa and Mil Centro, two projects by Virgilio and Malena Martinez and Pia Leon, already known for restaurant Central in Lima, 2nd in the 2022 World's 50 Best and 1st in the LatAm 50Best (photos by Zanatta)