Ecuadorian chef obtains third place in the world tapas contest in Valladolid

Juan Pablo Holguín (36 years old), from the Tapatú restaurant in Quito, sent a video to compete in the fifth edition of the World Tapas Contest that took place in Valladolid (Spain) on November 10. Holguín’s proposal was Aya Huma or Devil’s Head, a tapa that fuses Ecuadorian and Spanish flavors. “Aya Huma is a typical character who, when invoked, blessed the harvests of June, mainly potatoes and corn.”

The website of E.Spain, the company that organized the contest in conjunction with the Valladolid City Council, quotes the words of Elena Arzak, president of the international jury, together with Jesús Sánchez. She encouraged everyone to “feel proud” of the cover, “something unique and original from Spain”, while Sánchez, also president of the National Pinchos and Tapas Contest, He praised the “talent, concern and passion for cooking” deposited in each of the participating tapas.

“In June I applied to participate. The chefs who want to compete send a video with the cover, fill out a form and from there the judges select. I understand that 45 chefs applied worldwide, but 16 were selected. My proposal was designed under a concept. I used the character of the Aya Huma, which is very popular in the Inti Raymi; It has two faces and uses a bull’s tail to drive away evil spirits. Ecuador has products of the highest quality and that when fused with other cuisines or vice versa gives incredible results. With the concept and also understanding the context of the competition and the jury that was going to test the tapa, I designed this proposal by merging Ecuadorian products with more Spanish flavors. Gastronomically speaking, My proposal is a stew of oxtail that is wrapped in a crispy of potato leone —A variety grown in the provinces of Pichincha, Cotopaxi and Tungurahua—, On top it has some sauces that are a beet aioli, an apple gel and a fine chocolate ganache with a smoky aroma, and I decorated it with some sprouts ”.

In total there were fourteen judges, among them many are renowned professionals with Michelin stars. “The presidents of the jury were the Spanish Elena Arzak (restaurant Arzak / San Sebastián) and Jesús Sánchez (Cenador de Amós / Villaverde de Pontones-Cantabria). I adapted to the Spanish flavor, to the concept of tapa, which is a bite of food that is ideally eaten with your hands and that in that bite you have several flavor notes. My proposal had the strong flavor of the stew, but also the crunchy part of this waffle (cannoli) of potato, smoky notes, the sweet of the chocolate, the sweet of the apple and some sherry ”, Holguín stands out from Spain via Zoom, since it is still in Valladolid.

Holguín owns the Tapatú restaurant in Quito, along with his partner David Muñoz, whose specialties are precisely tapas. It is located within the Paseo San Francisco. “It’s like a dream come true. Receiving international recognition is very good, but what interests me the most is raising the name of my country. For me it was super exciting when they said ‘third place was won by Ecuador’ and they didn’t mention my name. It was the best. It is not just any competition; They are spectacular chefs, each one presented very innovative proposals. Although I did not obtain the first place, this third place makes the name of Ecuador heard “The Ecuadorian chef comments excitedly, who also pointed out that, as part of the contest, it also includes the sponsorship of a restaurant in Valladolid, which sells the tapas of each of the 16 participating chefs. The prize for third place was 2,500 euros ($ 2,860).

This goes beyond the contestHolguín says. “Whoever wins, what I like to see is that the economy becomes more dynamic. The bars and restaurants in Valladolid are full and that’s a pleasure. The style of tapas in Spain is part of its identity and Valladolid is positioning itself as the world capital of tapas ”.

Holguín studied at the UTE (Equinoctial Technological University) in Quito, did an internship at the Quito Tennis and then he worked for the Marriott and Sheraton chain. “Then I left the country and started working in a resort in Costa Rica.. I returned to Ecuador and opened some businesses and started teaching at the UTE, where I have been working for eleven years. professor and now I am dean of the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences and Tourism ”.

The website of the Ministry of Tourism also echoed the congratulations to the renowned chef, who they said “left the name of the country high.”

Results

The winners’ locations were:

1. David Quevedo (Mexico), from the restaurant Viñedo San Miguel, in San Miguel de Allende (Guanajuato state), with the ceremonial Chile tapa.
2. Emilio Martín (Spain), from the Suite 22 restaurant in Valladolid, with the corchifrito cover.
3. Juan Pablo Holguín (Ecuador), from the Tapatú restaurant in Quito, with the Aya / Huma / diablo head cover.

Second prize for the best tapas concept: Manuel Sánchez (Portugal), from the Vintage-Douro restaurant in Lamego, with the oxtail and alheira tapa.

Second prize for the most traditional tapa: Takuya Yuri (Japan), from the Pablo restaurant in Tokyo, with the cover battered with sea bass with truffle sauce.

Second prize for the most avant-garde tapa: Pilar Astorga (Chile), from the La Cava del Sommelier restaurant, in Santiago de Chile, with the brava de mar tapa.