Virgilio Martínez (1977-)

My research project is about how Peruvian food connects with culture. I have chosen to
highlight the life of Virgilio Martínez. He is a Peruvian chief that makes Peruvian dishes with
outside influence from the other countries that he has visited. Martínez was interested in
cooking while he was growing up. There were no culinary schools near him in Lima, Peru so he
decided to travel. He has been to Canada, France, Italy, Southeast Asia, and the United States.
He went to school at Le Cordon Bleu in London, and he graduated in 1998. Martínez eventually
returned home after traveling for a while. He opened his own restaurant in Lima called Central.

Latin America is very culturally diverse. In Peru, the cuisine was influenced by other countries
such as Japan and Italy. People from Europe were encouraged to migrate to Latin America.
Europeans were thought of as superior because of their lighter skin color. When people
migrated to Latin America, they brought their food and culture with them. In Peru, there were
many restaurants that sold food with influence from other countries.

Martínez had an interest in food from other countries. He was interested in Chinese, Japanese,
and Italian cuisines. That could be because he grew up in a culturally diverse area. Martínez’s
restaurant served food influenced from the Pacific and Peruvian Andes. He also opened a
restaurant in London called Lima. It serves traditional Peruvian foods but with a modern
approach. Martínez’s food preferences and his restaurants that serve culturally influenced food
give us an idea of Latin America’s diversity.

Source:

“Chef Virgilio Martínez of Central Restaurante – Biography.” STAR CHEFS https://www.starchefs.com/cook/chefs/bio/virgilio-martinez.