What does it mean to you to be a host in your restaurants and also an ambassador of Mexican cuisine abroad?
I adore it. It’s a tremendous responsibility and honor, equally fulfilling. I enjoy sharing food and the joy around the table, and for that, every detail must be cared for, with a reliable and willing team to ensure everything goes as I like. It’s essential to me that my guests and customers always leave content with the attention, the food, and eager to return.
With which ingredients do you most like to cook and why?
With fresh and local ingredients. There’s something very practical about sustainability in using what’s readily available, and it presents the best challenge when imagining dishes and menus.
From your perspective, where are we in terms of sustainability in the culinary world?
There’s still much to be done! At Contramar, from the beginning, we’ve strived for sustainability, adopting practices that are now more common in the industry, fortunately. From the basics, like taking care of our staff in every way; to separating waste, composting, working with local producers, training and supporting suppliers who do things right; and also respecting fishing bans, reducing water consumption, offering more vegetarian options, etc. The path to sustainability takes time. We must do things step by step and make changes whenever possible. Even if a change seems minor at the moment, the overall effect of these small changes is significant. We still have a long way to go because there’s always more that can be done, but as restaurateurs, we have the responsibility to do it.
What actions can we take as consumers and travelers to contribute to more responsible consumption?
Respect local cultures and traditions, be more curious, always inquire about the origins of products or why things are done the way they are.
What corners of Mexico do you think have yet to be explored?
All of them. Mexico is a country of endless richness, and fortunately, the study and appreciation of the food from every corner are increasingly active. There’s growing pride in our origins in places where it was lacking before, and this is never-ending. We might think that everything is known about Oaxaca or Michoacán, but the truth is that not even these emblematic states in terms of gastronomic wealth have been fully explored, because gastronomic richness is inexhaustible as long as it remains alive. What needs to be explored in Mexico are better ways to maintain agricultural and gastronomic traditions so they can thrive and continue to be understood without being lost. Above all, what needs exploring and resolving is how to make effective the fundamental right of all inhabitants of this country to eat well and participate in the extraordinary boom of our cuisine since, unfortunately, in Mexico, we have enormous health problems related to how most of the population eats.
How do you envision the landscape of Mexican gastronomy in the next 5–10 years?
I see it as a pivotal development axis for our country.
What inspires you most about Mexico?
Its diversity. In Mexico, there’s everything, in all its
forms, colors, and flavors.
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