Exploring the unique flavours of Latin America at #50BestTalks

Rachael Hogg - 28/10/2024

Exploring the unique flavours of Latin America at #50BestTalks

João Diamante, Pia León and Mario Castrellón are just some of the great speakers who will take to the stage in Rio de Janeiro

On Monday 25 November, leading chefs from across Latin America will meet at the Copacabana Palace Theatre to share their thoughts on the unique flavours of the region as part of #50BestTalks.

Champions of Change winner João Diamante, Metzi restaurateurs Eduardo Ortiz and Luana Sabino and Oaxacan chef Thalía Barrios García are part of the impressive line-up sharing knowledge about their distinctive cuisines.

Lovable chef Micha Tsumura, Kjolle’s Pía León and S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award winner Nelson Freitas, plus Panamanian fusion flavour king Mario Castrellón.

As diverse as the region itself, Latin America’s cuisine is influenced by Indigenous peoples, modern immigration and the huge amount of biodiversity. From protecting and re-discovering Amazonian ingredients to exploring La Chombasia – the Panamanian flavour profile that’s a mix between Creole, Afro curry, Cantonese and Indian curry  it’s set to be a fascinating event.

Since 2014, #50BestTalks has seen countless chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers dig into the hottest topics in gastronomy. Now learn more about this year’s speakers:

Rediscovering Amazonian ingredients with Micha Tsumura from Maido
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Micha Tsumura is a people pleaser, in the best possible way. The super-popular Peruvian chef and restaurateur has been delighting diners at his flagship restaurant, Maido, for the past 15 years. He’s also a leader who wants to nurture individuals in this team to shine. Having brought Nikkei cuisine to the attention of the world, Tsumura is now developing a menu at Maido which focuses on Amazonian ingredients.

Brazilian and Mexican fusion from Eduardo Ortiz and Luana Sabino of Metzi
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Before joining forces in São Paulo, Brazilian Sabino cooked in renowned restaurants such as Arturito and Tuju, while Oaxaca-born Ortiz worked his way up from dishwasher to chef in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The pair met and fell in love at Cosme in New York and started to talk about opening a restaurant together in Sabino’s hometown before finally fulfilling their dream during the pandemic. With Brazilian ingredients and Mexican techniques and recipes, the two chefs take the best of both cuisines to create something unique.

Diamonds in the kitchen: João Diamante, Diamantes na Cozinha 
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Growing up in a Rio de Janeiro favela, João Diamante was surrounded by violence. Now he uses food to help thousands of people out of poverty. After training in Paris, Diamante returned to Rio in 2016 and Diamantes na Cozinha (Diamonds in the Kitchen) was born. Its main component is Diamantes Empreenda, a month-long culinary and entrepreneurship course where people from vulnerable backgrounds learn cooking, pastry, hospitality, food security, sustainability, marketing, sales and inclusion. Diamante is also set to open an Afro-Brazilian restaurant.

The unique flavours of a great team: Pía León, Kjolle and Nelson Freitas, S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Award winner
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In the 18 years since she first donned chef’s whites, Pía León has been instrumental in building the restaurants that have become synonymous with Peru’s stellar culinary reputation, first with Central and then with her own restaurant, Kjolle. León believes strongly in building teams that are not just interdisciplinary, but also versatile, with a willingness to take risks.

Nelson Freitas was the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition in 2023. The chef, from Fifty Seconds restaurant in Lisbon, wowed the Grand Jury of world-renowned chefs – Riccardo Camanini, Hélène Darroze, Vicky Lau, Pía León and Nancy Silverton – with his signature dish of crispy red mullet with sea urchin and homemade black garlic. The dish was praised for its intensity, creativity and perfect balance. Freitas worked a stage at Central, learning how to cook with new techniques, flavours and ingredients.

Food as ceremony and tradition with Thalía Barrios García, chef-owner of Levadura de Olla
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Chef Thalía Barrios García’s restaurant, Levadura de Olla, is a tribute to the traditional foodways of her hometown of San Mateo Yucutindoo (a small village in Oaxaca’s southern mountains). It’s a sincere exploration of the ingredients that make Oaxaca one of the world’s most exciting culinary destinations. Barrios García has always cared about food and business – selling chocolate from the age of six, her grandmother’s tamales from the age of seven and starting a birthday cake company at 12. As well as business, she cares deeply about Oaxacan ingredients and tradition.

La Chombasia – happiness and flavour: Mario Castrellón of Maito
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There aren’t many people credited with creating their own cuisine, but Mario Castrellón may well have done it. La Chombasia is a Panamanian flavour profile that’s a mix between Creole, Afro curry, Cantonese food and Indian curry. This gastronomic movement consolidates his nearly two-decade mission to promote a new Panamanian cuisine, while working closely with Indigenous communities and native ingredients.

#50BestTalks will be held at Copacabana Palace Theatre in Rio de Janeiro on Monday 25 November from 11:30-14.00. Follow 50 Best’s social channels for highlights from the event.

The list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be announced on Tuesday 26 November from Rio de Janeiro. To stay up to date with the latest news, follow us on InstagramFacebookX and YouTube, and sign up to our newsletter