Mizukami Riki
Vegetable cone with fried fishby Heinz Beck
Signature Dishes Spaghettino al "pomodoro d'inverno" è il Piatto del 2023 di Paolo Gori
Mauro Colagreco with Audrey Azoulay, Unesco's Director-General, as she awards the Italian-Argentinian chef with the title of Unesco Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity
On the 25th November, during a ceremony at the Université de la Terre in Paris, Mauro Colagreco was appointed 'Unesco Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity'. An exceptional fact - this is the first time a chef has received this appointment. Massimo Bottura is in turn 'Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Environment Programme', read here. - and at the same time very consistent with the path taken so far by the Italo-Argentine chef, originally from La Plata, who for years now has dedicated his work and efforts to promoting an awareness of the impact that food choices have on ecosystems. A mission that the patron of Mirazur - three Michelin stars and best restaurant in the world in 2019 according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants - shares with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco for short) which, in establishing the Man and the Biosphere programme in 1971, set itself the goal of 'restoring the balance between human beings and their environment'.
Mauro, congratulations on this assignment, which is also a recognition of your work and commitment. It is the first time that a chef has received this recognition. Honour and honour, we say in Italy. How do you feel? And what does this assignment imply in concrete terms? 'I am happy, honoured and excited, and already at work shaping future actions which, of course, will go in the same direction as what we have done so far. Specifically, this recognition opens the door to a concrete and active collaboration with Unesco, which will entrust me with several projects for the promotion of biodiversity and environmental protection. There will also be a proactive part in which we will be the ones to present projects to Unesco in order to obtain its patronage and, above all, to help the United Nations to involve partners, i.e. companies interested in sponsoring various initiatives'.
The ceremony that 'crowned' Mauro Colagreco on the 25th November
What is the most difficult part of this mandate? ‘We live in a society where contradictions abound. There are many issues for which we have not yet managed to find answers and solutions. Even in my own path there are contradictions. I am thinking for example of contracts signed in the past that I would not sign today because they do not match my commitment and my vision of the role of fine dining. In some contexts it is very difficult to have access to local products, but the important thing is to keep asking questions in order to find solutions. The goal is to change people's mindset on these issues, to draw attention to the interdependence between all living things and the impact that our food choices have on the environment in which we live. This new title of Unesco ambassador coincides with another post I have just been given: that of vice president of Relais & Châteaux [the association of luxury hotels and restaurants that currently has 580 members in 68 different countries and on five continents]. I hope that these two important positions will give me a great capacity for action, given the possibility of counting on a network and visibility that will allow me to involve other players. The main challenge is to redefine the concept of luxury. My predecessor, Olivier Rœllinger, presented a Relais & Châteaux manifesto before Unesco in 2014. My commitment is, ten years on, for 2024, to present one focused on the challenge of sustainability."
Mauro Colareco with his sons Luca and Valentìn
Biodiversity is a complex topic that can be approached from ethical, biological, nutritional, political, sociological, economic, moral and bioethical perspectives. What is your approach as a chef and why do you put it at the top of your priorities? ‘When you start to take an interest in a certain subject and go in depth, a world opens up in front of you: you learn new things, you expand your understanding of many things. When I arrived in Mentone, one of the first steps was to get to know and explore the local products and the context. My cooking adapted to what the place offered. When people saw that I was working with 30, 40, 50 different varieties of tomatoes, they asked me what was the reason for this obsession of mine, which was probably seen as an exaggeration, but which actually had very precise motivations. Taste first of all: it is very important for a cook to have different expressive nuances at his disposal, not all tomatoes taste the same, there are the sweeter ones, the more acidic ones, the juicier ones, the fleshier ones. Then there is the question of the season, of the harvest time: not all tomatoes are ready at the same time, some earlier than others: using different qualities of tomatoes guarantees a supply of different tomatoes for a longer period of time. Biodiversity in the garden also protects you from attacks by bacteria and diseases. One pest does not attack all varieties in the same way. If you only grow one type of tomato, for example, and it is attacked, you are left with nothing. If you have 6, 7, 8 types, it is easier for some of them to show resistance to the pest and save part of the crop. Study and experience have led me to understand many things. The importance of protecting biodiversity is one of them. Knowledge, study, are very important. Knowledge can save the world'.
The lemons of Menton
Flower, Leaf, Fruit, Root: the menus at Mirazur
Recently visiting Mirazur, Carlo Passera used adjectives such as 'amazing' and 'extraordinary' (read more here) to describe his experience (documented among other things by Tanio Liotta's beautiful photos). Colagreco has not lost his grip, not at all, and in fact continually exceeds himself: sitting down at one of the tables in his restaurant is an awe-inspiring experience. Gustatory, sensory and aesthetic, and more.
For those fortunate enough to one day find themselves in that room and to get a deeper understanding of the work of the Italo-Argentine chef, we recommend watching the documentary Reinventing Mirazur and to keep in mind the words, written in the last century, of the American biologist and zoologist Rachel Carson, author, as it happens, of what is considered the founding book of the environmental movement, Silent Spring: "The more we can focus our attention on the wonders of the universe around us, the less we should find relish in destroying it."
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
born in 1979 in Milan, her mother is from Alto Adige and her father is a Croatian grown up in Trieste: she’s the daughter of Italian irredentism and is strongly attracted by the southern hemisphere. She has written (for Diario and Agrisole among others), translated (includingPellegrino Artusi’sLa scienza in Cucina ), eaten and tasted – without ever stopping taking pictures – in Argentina, Chile and Guatemala for over 5 years. Since she had to move to Italy, she went as south as she could. Since 2016 she lives in Sicily, and collaborates with Wine in Sicily and Identità Golose
The Kulm Hotel in Sankt Moritz and chef Mauro Colagreco
Mauro Colagreco and, right, in the photo by Tanio Liotta, one of the most beautiful and delicious dishes in his menu Univers Mirazur Fleurs, that is to say Tartellette of rose with chantilly and smoked eel
The scenic dining room at Mauro Colagreco's Riviera, inside the Maybourne Riviera in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, between Menton and Monte Carlo (most photos are from Matteo Carassale)
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