mexico renews itself - ProMéxico

72 Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle
Mexico According To
ENRIQUE
OLVERA
by naomi palovits
photo courtesy of pujol
Pujol is by far the best restaurant in Mexico City and, according
to the prestigious San Pellegrino list, one of the
top 50 in the world. Behind Pujol’s kitchen is Mexican chef
Enrique Olvera (1976), who after graduating from the Culinary
Institute of America in New York, returned to Mexico to start
his adventure as a restaurateur.
To celebrate Pujol’s 10th anniversary in 2010, Olvera published
the book UNO (ONE), documenting 10 years of his culinary experiences,
his philosophy and his views on the current state and the
future of Mexican gastronomy. His second book, En la milpa (In the
Field, 2011) delves into the chef’s new approach to the art of foodmaking.
Olvera experiments with traditional and contemporary techniques,
aided by Mexico’s vast universe of ingredients.
Imagination, sense of humor and a peculiar attention to detail
are the secret ingredients of Olvera’s success.
The list of his awards and achievements would not fit on this
page: “Chef of the Decade” (Chilango) and “Best of the Best” (Travel
& Leisure), are only a few of the chef’s accolades.
This season, Olvera stars on Diario de un Cocinero (Diary of
a Cook) TV series in Canal Once –broadcast television network
owned by the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN). Directed by
filmmaker Juan Carlos Rulfo, the series documents the life behind
Pujol’s kitchen.
—What is your favorite place in Mexico to relax?
Home.
—What is your favorite Mexican beach?
Playa del Carmen.
—What is your favorite Mexican dish?
I have lots, but I would have to say black mole and quesadillas.
—Which part of Mexico would you recommend every
foreigner visit?
Oaxaca.
—Do you have any traditional Mexican craftwork at home
that you are really attached to?
A huge clay pot.
—Name one place in Mexico on your “must visit” list.
The Tarahumara mountains.
—What do you like most about Mexico?
Its people, food and geography: the landscapes, nature and weather.
—What Mexican ingredients do you use most in your
cooking?
Avocado, corn, chili peppers and lime.
—Which is your favorite regional cuisine?
It is hard to choose just one. Mexico has an amazing culinary diversity
and each region has its own unique cuisine, from the North right
down to the South, passing through Central Mexico, and from the
Pacific Coast right across the Gulf of Mexico. But if I had to choose
one, I guess it would be Oaxaca.
—What inspires you the most?
My passion for what I do; enjoying my job every single day. n