Gastronomy is a living art. One that is built in collaboration, and that is based on innovations, trends and shared customs. And although for a long time Argentine gastronomy It had a strong influence from other countries due to its migratory waves, since a few years ago a local identity began to be revealed. One that is made up of the traditions of each region, and that is finding its own language and form of expression.
The Prix Baron B – Edition Cuisine It has been running for five editions in search of the best projects that embody this identity. “The award recognizes the stories of those who are transforming their environment, proposing an innovative look, in tune with the environment, and Adding value to regional gastronomy”, they describe from the organization of the same.
In search of the new vanguard
The premise of the award is to present not only a gastronomic project concrete and a transformative vision, but also a plate that represents those ideas. There are no types of food that must be included in a mandatory way, which broadens the panorama to the different food variants that can be considered. The choice of ingredients is completely free, to allow participants to display all their creativity, knowledge and excellence. The main condition is that the dish is paired with one of the three labels of Baron B: Baron B Extra Brut, Baron B Brut Nature or Baron B Brut Rosé.
To select among the great and varied offer of Argentina in an award with a huge call, the choice of the jury is not minor. As in previous years, the president is Mauro Colagreco, Argentine chef celebrated around the world and winner of six Michelin stars, three for Mirazur, his restaurant on the Costa Azul. The team includes this year the Brazilian Manoella Buffaradistinguished as the Best Female Chef in Latin America in 2022; Pablo Rivero, gastronomic entrepreneur, sommelier and creator of the restaurants Don Julio and El Preferido; and Martin Molteni, creator of the renowned Puratierra -which today functions as catering- and Land Kaffe. They will be in charge of evaluating each project that is presented, seeking to reward an integral gastronomic venture, which is transforming local gastronomy through the management of raw materials, the relationship with the environment and local producers.
This is reflected in the winners of previous editions, which range from Corrientes with the Iberá Project (2018 award), to Tierra del Fuego with “Kalma Restó”, the proposal by Jorge Monopoli that shows the richness of the cuisine of southern Argentina (2022 award). In between, the magnifying glass was also placed on La Cumbre, Córdoba (2019 award), and on Tilcara, Jujuy (2021 award).
The call for the 2023 edition will last until July 21 and you can register on the Baron B website. The announcement of the three finalist projects will be on August 1, and the final event and winner will be revealed on September 8.
The importance of opening doors
Until the creation of this contest, there was no platform in the country where chefs could show their work in a comprehensive way. “This award is very important for Argentine chefs, because it makes local culinary projects and their stories visible. It gives them the chance to show what they can do with their inventiveness, their added value and their craftsmanship, and it multiplies the number of people who can see them”, points out Pablo Rivero, who joins the jury in this edition. For him, the fact that there is an award that values the avant-garde is a fact that is as fundamental for the field as it was unprecedented until not so long ago.
Florencia Rodríguez, winner of the 2021 edition, can attest to this. “The juries act as a springboard so that all that enthusiasm that is in the cooks of the whole country gains more strength and encourages them to register. After winning the award, many young chefs began to contact me to ask how I could help them and exchange ideas”, she details. In addition, he finds it very valuable that he accompany you to recover and take regional gastronomy seriously. “Not because they are far from a big city do they stop being excellent, respectful for the environment and with a lot of identity. And the prize serves to enable to continue betting and fighting for something that is lived every day ”.
Jorge Monopoli, 2023 winner, based in Ushuaia, is above all grateful for the possibility that the award offers to decentralize gastronomy so focused on Buenos Aires. “There are many very good chefs outside who are making Argentina a gastronomic destination. It seems beautiful to me to be able to show them, share them and give them air so that they continue to grow and help them build the Argentine identity ”, he maintains.
To continue deepening this recognition, it is also necessary to think about a national strategic plan. According to Martín Molteni, a jury, it is time for the gaze to also focus on cooking from the point of view of social development, education above all, and support for new concepts. “May all the legislation help the products arrive, the equipment is available and the beginnings are possible”, encourages the chef. Rodríguez contributes an idea along this path: “I think we need a little more study about our roots and what food is now. It would be good if cooking schools have subjects that have to do with the land, the territory and the terroir, that they can study both ancestral and local techniques as well as European and traditional cooking to see what to do with those products”.
For now, the call is open. And the winner will not only receive great recognition from the jury and their peers, but also a gold-plated cork carved by the goldsmith Juan Carlos Pallarols, a prize of $1,000,000 (and $500,000 for the other two projects that arrive to the final) and, possibly most enriching, the opportunity to travel to France to do a one-week internship at Mirazur with Mauro Colagreco. There is no better way to debut in the big leagues.
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