Ecuadorian Gastronomy, Inspiration and Pride. A Conversation with Chef Alejandro Huertas

Who is Alejandro Huertas? How would you describe yourself professionally and personally?

Alejandro Huertas is a passionate chef who loves Ecuador with all his heart. I think there is no better place than our country. The gastronomy, culture, and everything that encompasses the country.

As a person, I consider myself calm and casual, and I wish to change the conception that people have of Ecuadorians. I think that whoever represents the new CEO of the world should be able to drive a Ferrari, but also be able to eat at a market, be dressed super stylish, but also wear sandals and shorts.

I believe being casual is not just about clothing but a lifestyle. Sometimes we carry heavy baggage, when in reality, life is very short. “YOU HAVE TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.”.

What are the flavors that marked the different stages of your life?

Flavors are like a common thread in cooking.
I've had several phases throughout my life. I started with a “Spicy Stage” because I've been rebellious since I was young, and I've tried not to follow the crowd so I wouldn't feel like a sheep. In fact, I don't think that's wrong; everyone has their own way of seeing life. I started this spicy stage in school, with several different paths I didn't finish. Then I moved on to other paths that I also didn't finish, and finally, I connected with gastronomy.

Then you have the “Bitter Stage” where you don't know what to do, until you find or have needs. For example, creativity is born from the difficulties of these bitter parts of what we see as complicated. As I see it, you have to suffer to be creative. That bitter part also represents the things you think and don't have so clear because you are looking for what you imagine, but you don't find it until you have it in front of you. And that's what happened to me with gastronomy; I found a passion, an adventure because it allows you to go out, to feel, and that's super cool.

Then there's the “Sweet Stage” where you find that creativity, that thing that excites you, and you say, "I finally did it!" That's where you find the love for what you do, and I relate it to the end of the menu, where people make room for dessert, for that sweet thing that makes them happy.

You find these umami flavors, you find the whole mix of flavors that I had to go through, and I understood a lot about life, and you start to laugh, cry, and this constant change is incredible.

How has 2022 been for you? What is the word that would define this year?

This year has been full of many obstacles, but also full of goals. I'm someone who feels uncomfortable when I'm content, and that's why I need to step out of my comfort zone. Building a solid, strong team and maturing as a professional means understanding that there's a lot out there beyond the egocentrism we chefs have, and realizing that we need to return to our roots.

What were your steps to qualify for this World Cup? How did you feel when you heard the news?

First, we participated in this World Cup for two specific reasons:

I feel the need for my partners and my team to feel proud and to know that anything is possible with hard work and effort. Professionalism doesn't mean filling yourself with titles, but rather in seeking excellence in what is done in Ecuador.

I wish that Ecuadorians would break paradigms and think that our gastronomy has much to offer and that it has nothing to envy from other continents. The premise is that dreams come true.

How was your preparation for this World Cup?

You are never ready until you really face everything we lived in Spain to understand a little more about what this World Cup was about. Being there, we understood that it's not just a competition, but also knowing what's happening on the other side of the world, knowing what's happening on a continent that is ten years ahead of us in culture and gastronomy. That's when you truly begin to appreciate our own.

Ecuador, being a small country compared to the rest of the world, has nothing to envy other countries, as it is a gastronomic stronghold of the world, which our own people should begin to appreciate.

I am convinced that Ecuador is a very rich country and we can become great exponents not only with gastronomy.

How did you conceive the recipes for these tapas? What was the conceptualization process from sketch to plate.

Always basing ourselves on the beginning of everything, which is in the field, not just as farmers, but in the field as people who are always looking for something different. I didn't want to make a traditional Ecuadorian recipe because I believe we should pay tribute to the grandmothers, aunts, and mothers who have these recipes that are very different from each other. I didn't want to centralize Ecuadorian cuisine in just one region of Ecuador; what we need in these world competitions is for them to realize that Ecuador is one. I based my work on the products, on what we have learned, on the trips we have taken, on the conversations we have had, on how the product arrives, based on how we can be more local, but without falling into the same old discourse.

So the cover was inspired by the producers, the team, the creativity in each person who is part of 3500, and also by you. I couldn't leave out República del Cacao knowing that the best cacao is in Ecuador. The inspiration comes from going to research where the products come from.

Which moment of the competition was most significant to you and why?

When it's your turn to present your dish and the video you competed with starts playing. The judges look at you, people look at you, and you experience that intense tension of having to present it right then and there, and it has to be perfect. That's the moment when all the tension you've lived through those months finally dissipates. So, it's a moment much more about adrenaline, about representing your country.

What was the most significant moment for you when collaborating with chefs Pachi Larrea and Rubén Arnanz?

With Pachi, initially, we got to know each other and realized someone was doing such incredible things in Spain with Ecuadorian chocolate. It was wild because it felt like we had known each other forever, both with the same ideals, seeking the same things, transmitting the same message, feeling just as proud as anyone anywhere in the world. We both admired each other immensely and were planning ideas for the following year. What we want is for Ecuador to know that there's someone from the country in Spain who won a championship in one of the most important pastry competitions in the world. Those things are incredible because they fill you with pride. With Rubén, on the other hand, it was about showing him that our country is full of great people, friends, and products, that we're not just Ecuadorians visiting, but that we are also Ecuadorians who have great things to show the world. So, Ecuador is an inspiring country.

What was the experience like for you cooking collaboratively with 7 other Ecuadorian chefs in Spain, and what do you think of these cooperative spaces among chefs?

It was an amazing thing because it wasn't something planned, and I didn't know any of them before. They just started calling us to help, and it was very significant for me because I traveled alone, without anyone from my team, due to visa issues, so I thanked them a lot for their support. We Ecuadorian chefs reunited in the same country and realized we are one. So it was more a matter of the heart than anything else, and those situations fill you up a lot.

What do you think Ecuadorian cuisine can contribute to gastronomy after participating in these experiences?

I'm returning in love and with much more desire to bet on what's ours. I believe we all seek that excellence from our respective trenches.

What has been the most important lesson for you from this trip and the experiences you've shared with other chefs in Spain?

Pride that many Ecuadorian chefs are creating haute cuisine with our ingredients in other countries. We can be a gastronomic powerhouse thanks to allies around the world opening doors and making us stronger.

How did it feel to be accompanied by República del Cacao?

I am a loyal admirer of the brand because I have always had their backing and support. I love them very much and admire their inspiration as an allied and friendly company to lend us a hand and support us. Knowing that you are not alone and that there is support behind you is very gratifying.

What makes you happiest about your profession?

Transmit our rich culture, which needs to be recognized by many in the world, through cuisine.

I would recommend that people who want to venture into the culinary world find a good mentor, read cookbooks, take classes, practice regularly, and experiment with new ingredients and techniques.

Fear is success's worst enemy. You have to take it step by step, but think big. Life presents us with moments and opportunities along the way that we must seize. Seek excellence in what you do and don't give up. I also want to give myself this message: love and respect your work.

We are proud to collaborate with chefs in over 20 countries around the world, sharing their creativity and vision. Speaking with Chef Alejandro Huertas was incredibly inspiring and motivates us to continue changing the world one cocoa bean at a time. Learn more in the following video: LINK