Virgilio Martínez, from Egypt: Central chef and the challenge of preparing a dinner with Peruvian flavors at the base of the pyramids | Chronicle | ARE

First act

They have been in the kitchen for two days. A team of chefs, sommeliers and front-of-house staff at Casa Tupac are aiming to put together a central menu at the base of the pyramids during the second Cairo Food Week. A brief approach, not a complete menu, but six steps involved in the exhibition “Threads” that opened that afternoon in one of the rooms of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). Virgilio Martinez Commands deployment. There will be a sea floor with shells, sardines and lobsters; coastal deserts with prawns, loach, local onions and dukkah; Intense Elevation with Smoked Lamb, Dates and Corn; Coral reefs with octopus, squid and codium; Andean forest with ribs, olluco and oca; and the Amazonian of a trio of theobromas: Kobosu, Cocco, and Makambo. The pairing and service, led by Rodrigo Urbina and Gerald Saldana and the team (Chang Jeong, Hugo Llanos, Alonso Cardenas, and Jesus Vargas), set the dishes at a good pace for the “ecosystem.”

Second act

This is the first time Virgilio Martínez is cooking in Cairo and his sister, Malena Martínez, is the director of Mater. This is the first time they have opened a complete exhibition showing the work of the research center they founded with Chef Pia Leon (Kjol). “Threads” was already a few years in the making and had its first attempt in Italy, in October 2023 at the Ein Prosit festival (Udine). A few months ago, work continued in Seoul (2024) until completion in Egypt. With the participation of Veronica Tabja, Camila Novoa and Melissa Loiza. Beyond the importance of the framework event, Virgilio and Malena were the ones who launched the week with the organizers at a cocktail on the museum terrace, which had a very innovative impact on the exhibition. Then an interesting and instructive prelude to those who attended the dinner that day.

Organize the diversity and then cook the ecosystem. The day worked a bit like that. Between the stories of Huatia, the new colors created for the mill plate (their restaurant in Moray, Cusco), audiovisuals that tell a little more about the work in the field and the connection with the communities, and soft fabrics and ceramics in natural fibers. It complements the selection of photos from Novo, which has the right visual impact, fills us with more color and inspires us to immerse ourselves in a more edible world.

Third act

He did not work for a day, he has been building mater for 13 years. Through mistakes, successes, setbacks and breakthroughs, it has managed to create a distinct vision and cuisine from its headquarters in Moray and Barranco. Understand that gastronomy is culture and that it is cultivated by many disciplines, but it is a starting point to create art, not only that, but also used in everyday life, thus combining activities that can be proposed in projects to improve projects. Improving the quality of life of urban and rural communities and, in addition, fostering a culinary environment.

The last dots of i’s that go in translations are pasted on the walls, next to pieces of art. Outside you can already feel the hum of the waiting public. How do we imagine a day when Egypt will be on display and cooked up in the new Grand Museum? From ancestral culture to ancestral culture, a world of wandering biodiversity fits perfectly into the desert. At night, its flavors will surround the diners: with loving textures, lively crunches, deep flavors and cocoa, alluring and knowing its power, will become the final point of this encounter. //