The diversity of styles and cultural roots determines the current pulse of politics Gastronomy Argentinawhere Chefs They explore new ways to reinterpret tradition and highlight their identity in every dish.
Eve End of year partiesThinking about the meaning of cooking and the balance between innovation and respect for heritage has become essential for those leading the culinary scene.
A commitment to authenticity is at the center of the philosophy when considering dinners like the one served Christmas or New Year.
Leonardo Fumarolaa chef from Puglia, Italy, reviewed in a conversation with information: “Many Argentines travel a lot to Italy, and when they try the food there, they later want to rediscover the same flavors here: the right acidity of the sauce, the taste of the pasta, the simplicity of making. My cuisine is characterized by my training in Italy and the recipes I learned since I was a child, and that identity remains intact in every dish.”
For Fumarola, who works in… ladiso, Product quality is the key: “Product quality is everything. We work with Italian ingredients whenever possible – oils, tomatoes, cheeses, sausages – and when not, we look for the best from the local market. I think the proposals that last are the ones that don’t follow trends.”
Regarding innovation, Fumarola believes that it only makes sense if it respects the roots: “Italian cuisine is also evolving – it has been doing so for thousands of years – always improving, adapting and updating. I look for a lighter, more modern cuisine, but always based on traditional techniques and recipes. Sometimes I take preparations from different regions of Italy and combine them cohesively in one dish, seeking the result to have logic, balance and originality. Classic recipes coexist with updated versions, and both can coexist perfectly together.”
Memory and cultural fusion are the driving force behind the cuisine Raul ZorrillaAnd the Peruvian chef is at the helm Camai Casa Jardel, Grau Sebicceria, Torre Chicchi and Coro Neko. Zorrilla expressed information: “For me, cooking is the most honest manifestation of memory. My Peruvian roots are the foundation of everything. I grew up with the smell of yellow chili peppers and the flavor of tiger milk, and that is non-negotiable. My cultural identity is reflected in that Creole base and transformed through the Nikki fusion that has made me grow so much. The historical union between Peru and Japan, is not a fad; it is my heritage and my philosophy.”
“It’s about taking Japanese technique and precision, respecting the product and the perfect cut, and applying the Peruvian passion, flavor and product,” Zorrilla said. He said he usually strives for balance, which he explained with an example: “The discipline in cooking rice is Japanese, but the sauce that accompanies it, with passion fruit or rocoto, is purely Peruvian. It is my personal story in every bite, a combination of precision and intense flavour, reflecting this unique combination that we carry inside.”
“If there is one thing I have understood over the years, it is that innovation should never destroy the spirit of a dish. When we reinterpret a classic ceviche, we respect the matrix: the catch of the day, the acidity of limes, and fresh leche di tigre. Innovation is in the support or in the details, using a specific cutting technique or infusing leche di tigre with an unexpected local product, but always keeping the red onion and crunchy corn,” the chef said.
He continued: “For example, when making rolls, the assembly technique is purely Japanese school, but the fillings contain yellow chili peppers, glazed sweet potatoes or pachamanquera sauce (a mixture of cilantro, parsley and huacatay). Innovation means improving the presentation, extending the life of the product or making it more efficient, but without changing the DNA that makes it Peruvian. Tradition tells you where you come from, and innovation tells you where you are going.”
vision Gonzalo Aramburuchef Aramburu The two-Michelin-starred artist focuses on fusing technique, story and emotion. In the latest edition of “The Trace of the Brave 2025” event, Aramburu cooked with Iñaki López de Viñasperi, celebrating Basque traditions. For Aramburu, “Identity and roots are not an ornament: they are the starting point of everything. What one has experienced, what one has heard at home, the memory of taste that is formed since childhood: it all comes back every time we cook.”
“Over the years, I realized that technique can evolve, but passion always comes from behind,” says Aramburu. “In my kitchen, Basque and Argentinian roots coexist without forcing anything: they transform naturally, through a contemporary look and precision. A dish tells you who you are, even when you are no longer looking for it.” information.
Iñaki Lopez de Finasperian anthropologist and creator of Sagardi and Peria, investigated the weight of Basque cultural identity in cuisine. “In our case, cultural identity permeates all the work we do. In the Basque Country, gastronomy is the central axis of life. Everything happens around the fire and the table. Men and women eat well but they also cook since they were children,” Lopez de Viñasperi said. information.
This luggage, which he calls his “wardrobe,” refers to the way he cooks and his restaurant suggestions. Regarding the essential elements of the permanent gastronomic proposal, López de Viñasperi said: “For me, cooking and eating are very serious things. Let us not forget that eating is the second most intimate act of a human being (after sex, of course). It is true that we eat with sight and smell, but fundamentally we eat with the mind, the heart and the guts. This means that in the kitchen not everything is perfect. We managed to have a very attractive dish in front of us that later gave us indigestion due to its ingredients.
The expert said: “The search for the authentic product directly from the producers, the use of technology in the service of respect for this product, and the careful care in preparing it, I believe are the basic elements of a kitchen that overcomes passing fads.”
Regarding the balance between innovation and tradition, he advocated fidelity to the original recipe book and the experiential transmission of culinary knowledge: “If you have cooked a lot with your grandmother and with older chefs, you receive their wisdom and knowledge. In the world we live in, too often the chef’s vanity leads him to want to place himself in a childlike way above centuries of accumulated gastronomic culture. And yet, for me, today, revolutionary and contemporary, Vanguard is the interpretation of traditional cuisine in a respectful and humble way.“.
to Juan Carlos Ortizchef Gordo ShantaSometimes an ingredient or seasoning method can evoke the origins, and Latin American gastronomy seems to naturally dialogue, allowing a Caribbean twist on an Argentinian dish to produce interesting results.
“Tradition for me is a strong starting point. They must be respected but not limited. The world of Neapolitan pizza has very clear rules that help keep its essence alive. But precisely by knowing them deeply, one can also decide when and how to break them to generate something different. I think the goal is to try to suggest a different look, a look that moves away from the classic without losing respect for what came before,” Ortiz said. information.
Konstantin Voroninchef mossHe also shared his perspective, highlighting the importance of diverse taste experiences from childhood. “The richer the palette is, the easier it is to create: even if in the end you use not all the colors but only one, it will be a conscious choice, not an external constraint. The same thing happens with flavors: the more you taste in childhood and the more your ‘gustatory outlook’ increases throughout life, the more deliberate your choice will be when creating a dish,” says Voronin. information.
For him, the influence of the indigenous cuisine is less decisive than the variety and care with which one learns to taste. He cited the theory that French cuisine has achieved its status because children learn from a young age to taste foods consciously and maintain a varied diet with the same seriousness as hygiene before eating. When addressing the creation of gastronomic proposals, Voronin stressed that “the main thing when creating a gastronomic proposal is not to try to impress with originality, but to look for flavor combinations that really work. Flavor is the main thing; the ‘wow’ effect and novelty come later.”
“By working with classic recipes, we do not allow people to forget them; on the contrary, in some cases, we awaken a new interest in them,” Voronin said. “In general, the history of gastronomy is a continuous series of experiments, and I believe that we must move forward and contribute to the flavors of future generations.”