Interview: Cuisine makes peoples of different cultures closer, says Peruvian chef

MADRID, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cuisine makes peoples closer in their differences, the renowned Peruvian chef, Gaston Acurio, who has 46 restaurants in 14 countries worldwide, told Xinhua in an interview.

Cultural exchange, he said, should never stop. "Fraternizing peoples through cooking, making peoples closer in their differences," the chef stated. He participated this week in Spain in the presentation of a prize that will reward chefs who use the cuisine as a tool to transform society.

Acurio, representative of the Peruvian cuisine in the world and whose first restaurant, the Madam Tusan, was chosen the best in Latin America in 2013 by the prestigious British magazine "Restaurant," promote this exchange through its cuisine and restaurants.

The Peruvian cuisine is his main source of inspiration, but "we are a multicultural society," the chef said. He in 2011 opened a restaurant in Lima of Chifa food, which is Peruvian Chinese food.

In the Madam Tusan, the cuisine of the two countries, China and Peru, meet and combine their flavours. There Chinese and Peruvians work together under the orders of a chef from China. The restaurant "respects China's great culinary heritage, but also embraces that of Peru," Acurio explained.

"That is what we try to explore all the time, thinking of this embrace," Acurio said. He has two other restaurants of Chifa food in Chile, another in the Colombian capital, Bogota, and will open another one soon in Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Acurio has a strong commitment to society, something that he shows through the relationships his restaurants build with the environment and the local community.

"There is a chance to be very local, but there is a responsibility to be universal because it is good for world peace," Acurio said, explaining that he feels he represents the Peruvian culture in the world and promotes the brand of his country.

The commitment to their country and society can be seen in the various projects Acurio leads. An example is the creation of the Pachacutec Culinary School, which offers culinary training "for less fortunate kids of my society who have talent to be cooks," said Acurio, who was named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2010.

"The more we receive from society, the more you have to give back, it is a basic rule," Acurio said.

This commitment to society will be awarded annually by the "Basque Culinary World Prize," whose presentation took place this week in the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) in the Spanish city of San Sebastian (north). Acurio was part of the jury and member of the BCC International Council.