Virgilio Martinez has worked in restaurants around the world, and in 2009 he opened Central in Lima. In 2013, he was first listed among The World's 50 Best Restaurants, and in 2015 he reached 4th place and was named the best chef in Latin America. He is the founder of the Mater Iniciativa, which documents Peru's indigenous ingredients. In London, he runs the restaurants Lima and Lima Floral. He lives in Peru.


Reviews

"For hundreds of years, Peruvian biodiversity has been a hidden treasure of thousands of unique ingredients. Today, in the Peruvian Amazon, deserts, Andes, Altiplano, and all these ecosystems, some ingredients, such as quinoa and native cacao, are already traveling worldwide. A small group of chefs wanted to explore the potential of each ingredient and each environment of Peru more deeply than ever — listening, smelling, touching, and learning — through a cooking style that is completely modern, unique, and Peruvian. Leading the creativity of this young and free generation of chefs is Virgilio Martínez. If you want to discover Peru and its treasures in their most contemporary form, to feel our unique biodiversity, celebrate the multicultural society, and taste the spirit of young Peruvians proud of their culture, this book is the perfect way to do so. In Central, Virgilio will take you on a journey from the Pacific Ocean to the high Andes, revealing the magic of Peru's ingredients." — Gaston Acurio, Astrid & Gastón (Lima, Peru)

"Central is about Virgilio's desire to tell the story of a collective aspiration, as well as a passion stemming from history, through a personal impulse. His book exudes an authority achieved through culture and creativity." — Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)