Ecuadorian Chef Pía Salazar is the Winner of the Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef Award 2022!
An incredible pastry chef who transforms Ecuadorian products into unique creations, enchanting everyone with her flavors.
Descending from the mountainous Ecuadorian city of Cuenca, Pía Salazar's confectionery career has reached equally great heights. After completing her culinary studies in Quito and Mexico City, she learned from some of the region's most renowned chefs, including Astrid Gutsche, the famous pastry chef from Lima at the restaurant Astrid y Gastón, before establishing her own restaurant alongside her partner, Alejandro Chamorro, in 2014.
In Nuema (named in honor of his three children, Nuria, Emilio, and Martín), Salazar expertly transforms Ecuador's biodiverse products into avant-garde desserts. Dancing across flavor profiles, he not only uses fruits but also vegetables, spices, and various herbs to elevate his creations.
Salazar and Chamorro spared no expense in their astounding 15-course menu. Each dish, enigmatically named after some of its main ingredients, is exquisitely plated with a unique combination of flavor and color. Eggplant, macambo bean, and arracacha; arapaima fish with lemon balm and cashews; mackerel served with jicama and guava, are followed by desserts that will turn anyone's head.
With the goal of fully showcasing the versatility and underappreciated nature of Ecuadorian cuisine, Salazar takes her clients on a culinary tour of the nation through her creations: yuca is combined with orange blossoms and spicy tangerine; white seaweed is plated with yeast, black garlic, and orange; and leeks are accompanied by lemon verbena and vanilla.
History and art combine at the restaurant, which is housed in an 18th-century colonial home decorated with artwork and custom designs. Operating from the corner of one of Quito's most historic neighborhoods, San Marcos, Salazar and Chamorro are open to supporting and showcasing Ecuadorian suppliers and sustainable practices: much of the silverware has been created by ceramic artisans, while most of the fermented products, including vegetables and tubers, are produced in-house.
With original pastry creations, decades among the region's best kitchens, and a restaurant that has been named the best in Ecuador, Salazar is a deserving recipient of the Latin America's Best Pastry Chef 2022 award, sponsored by República del Cacao.
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