Wednesday 20 February 2013

Award-Winning Chef Virgilio Martinez Offers a Taste of Peru at Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

Melbourne is about to get a flavour of Peru with award-winning Peruvian Chef, Virgilio Martinez, making his debut at this year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. The annual food fiesta, which draws foodies from across the nation, will take over Melbourne between 1-17 March, marking the 21st annual celebration of the festival.

Martinez will join celebrated international chefs from around the globe during the renowned Langham Melbourne Masterclass event, hosting his ‘from the Amazon to the Andes’ masterclasses on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th March. Martinez’s masterclasses, showcasing his award-winning gastronomic skills and passion for his home-grown cuisine, offer guests an exclusive chance to discover Peruvian gastronomy and its intricate heritage.

Martinez, one of Peru’s top chefs, is a former pro skateboarder turned chef who is redefining traditional Peruvian cooking, using lessons learnt from 10 years of travelling across the globe and working in resturants like Spain’s El Raco Can Fabe and Astrid Y Gaston. He currently operates two internationally acclaimed restaurants - Central Restaurante in the trendy Lima neighbourhood of Miraflores, in addition to his most recent, London-based venture, Lima. Martinez most recently made his mark in the gastronomic circles by claiming the 2012 ‘The One To Watch Award’ in The World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, and will be on a quest to highlight the great diversity of produce in Peru during his Melbourne appearance.

Martinez is a passionate advocate and pioneer when it comes to Peruvian cuisine, and states his home country and culture as the chief inspiration behind his creations:

“Peruvians are amazingly passionate about food and our cuisine comes from the soul. We are lucky enough to be blessed with an abundance of produce, varying from fresh seafood from the Pacific coast or delicious vegetables from the Andes, to tropical herbs and fish from the Amazon. Everything is very natural. In Peru you see a respect for nature – we’re always referring to pacha mama, which means mothernature in Quechua.”

He continues: “My dishes are heavily influenced by my travels around Peru from the Amazon to the Andes. I have been lucky enough to experience and see how wild and organic my home country is, from the way things are grown and done naturally. I take these experiences back to my own kitchen in Lima. I’m always experimenting and discovering new products and flavours.”
Virgilio Martinez

Peru’s unique and exquisite cuisine has become a reason to visit the country for travellers around the globe, with Lima being regarded the gastronomic capital of South America. The country is fast becoming the next culinary epicentre with a spotlight firmly fixed on the innovation of chefs.


For more information on Virgilio Martinez visit www.centralrestaurante.com.pe/en

For further information on Peru, please visit www.peru.info

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