Virgilio is the new star of Peruvian cuisine. His restaurant, “Central”, is located in the heart of Lima. This distinguished chef, in his thirties, draws on the history of his country’s ecosystems in all their incredible diversity.
Members of Mater Initiativa, an interdisciplinary research group founded by Virgilio and his sister, travel the country from the Pacific coast to the Andean peaks, discovering little-known produce that Virgilio can include on his menu. He lets us sample his favourite mountain salt, a native sweet potato, ceviche made by local fishermen and a whole host of other surprising and amazing flavours. For the loquacious, generous, insatiably curious Virgilio, cooking is a perpetual exploration.
