Claus Meyer, who is the chef of the considered best restaurant in the world, Noma, in Denmark, has contributed 1.5 million of his own resources to help ignite a gastronomic revolution in Bolivia.
What is your first impression after visiting the country?
You in Bolivia have many very good products. My experience at Rodríguez Market was very pleasant. There are very fresh and very diverse products, things not seen anywhere else in the world. I saw many different types of corn, different kinds of potatoes, many herbs that are not seen elsewhere, and quinoa, an extraordinary cereal. So, for someone who loves European food, shopping at the market was an excellent experience.
Also, you had lunch at Rodríguez Market. You ate karachi, a fish.
Yes, it was tasty, it was a pretty good fried fish, had a good flavor but it was a simple dish.
What is your opinion about the food, not necessarily about Bolivian products?
It is a cuisine that could be called old school. I believe the dishes are very hearty and that they combine things that shouldn’t go together. I think many improvements can be made that are easily achievable. If you ask me whether there are many things to change, I say yes, but that’s what makes this challenge interesting. However, I think the food is not on par with the products, which are excellent.
I believe there are universal standards for excellent gastronomy, and I think they are in the hands of the chef. It’s not enough that the products are excellent because those are the things that make a difference in the food.
High-level food should have a hint of bitterness, saltiness, and sweetness. There must be a balance among these flavors, and the dish should have a certain texture and aesthetic. That’s missing in Bolivia. Finally, ingredients should be added to give the dish a certain aroma. Those are the universal rules I speak of, and I believe they are not present in Bolivian gastronomy. I think that Bolivian food, in the way it’s presented, is not attractive to a foreign person. Either the food is very greasy, or very spicy, but without balance. To improve this, people in the field need training. Look at what has happened in Peru over a decade, see what has happened in Denmark in less than that.
Is it possible to carry out in Bolivia the same gastronomic revolution that happened in Peru? Is that what is being sought?
Well, it’s up to Bolivians to create their own reform movement. I don’t come here as a savior or a boss. I hope to help, I hope to inspire some chefs, but the change must come from Bolivians themselves. The movement in Bolivia must be led by Bolivians, so I can’t specify what those characteristics will be. Nonetheless, I believe much can be learned from the Peruvian experience, both in the positive and the negative aspects. Also, in Peru, there’s more cosmopolitanism—Japanese, Italian, etc. cuisine—that has influenced the local food; I would prefer Bolivian cuisine to be more distinctly Bolivian. It’s not bad to have French or Italian food in a country, of course, but I think we should aim for the best Bolivian restaurants to have more personality and character, and to serve local dishes.
You are going to open a restaurant in Bolivia. What will be the characteristics of the food you want to offer?
First, I want to surround myself with the best chefs in Bolivia, and they should be catalysts in this process. I could say what I want to do, but what’s most important is to see what Bolivian chefs do with this new perspective I am proposing. I don’t define how Bolivian food should be; as I mentioned before, I am a facilitator.
But I believe we should strive for dishes to have a clearer idea of what they are. If I am going to work with potatoes, the flavor of the potato should stand out, using only one kind of potato, not mixing several. I want the potato to stand out, not be covered with dozens of types of meats, more eggs, and corn, as is common in Bolivia. For example, if I make a dish with potatoes, I want it to be a tribute to potatoes, not a tribute to ten different ingredients. The same applies if I want to make a fish dish, with carrots, with meat—those flavors should be highlighted individually. Also, generally, I think there should be more vegetables and less meat; more fiber and less refined sugar; more grains and less fat. Ultimately, we should highlight biodiversity and cultural diversity. In a country with such biodiversity, I believe this should be reflected in the food.
Well, we are proud of that cultural diversity.
And you should be. It’s a bit like France, where each region has its cuisine, wines, cheeses, dishes, and they are proud of those particularities. The same could happen in Bolivia. For you, it’s a treasure to have so many varieties of products, and I think that treasure should be revalued. Just as France values its flavors and practices, Bolivia can do the same.
You want to train new Bolivian chefs, but generally, in Bolivia, these future specialists lack sufficient context about international cuisine and those international standards you mentioned.
What’s needed is for us, international chefs, to bring our own experience and knowledge into the discussion with Bolivian chefs. We can’t say: from now on, you will do this because we think it’s better. No, what we should say is: We do this this way; what do you think? How could you adapt it to Bolivian cuisine? Also, a Bolivian chef should start by saying what they like, what they want to do, and based on that, we can suggest reforms.
Why was Bolivia chosen for this attempt at a revolution? Why not Paraguay or Ecuador?
Because the quality of the food is fundamentally good. Also, because South America, in many ways, is a continent yet to be fully discovered from a culinary perspective; from the mountains to the Amazon, I believe this continent could become the next global region to contribute high cuisine. Bolivia was also chosen because it’s relatively peaceful, with some stability; because of the products I mentioned earlier; because of the various ecological floors and climates; and because, in general, its cuisine is not yet highly developed, so we can make a difference. Moreover, the Danish NGO IBIS, which supports this project, works in Bolivia and suggested coming here. I also value Bolivia’s good craftsmanship, the people’s care to create beautiful things with their hands—an aesthetic of care. Bolivian textiles are rich in detail. I believe a country like this has an advantage in leading a gastronomic revolution, which is essentially a cultural revolution, of course.
What objectives do you hope to achieve? Where would you like to see yourself in ten years?
Well, it’s not just me but myself and a group of Bolivian chefs. But overall, I hope that in ten years, the quality of Bolivian food has improved, that Bolivians’ self-esteem about their cuisine has increased, and that they feel pride in their national food. I also hope tourism to the country has grown and that gastronomy helps develop other economic activities like agriculture, meat production, beverage industries, etc. I believe Bolivia can leap to the forefront of internationally recognized cuisine. As you see, it’s a long-term project.
