By: José Carlos de Santiago
Paco Torreblanca, penciled in as the world’s finest pastry chef, will make a presentation in Cuba that takes after his desserts: delicious, provocative and good enough to unleash a multitude of emotions. That’s what he has in store for the upcoming First International Gastronomic Seminar Excelencias Santiago de Cuba 2015 and the First “From Cacao to Chocolate” International Symposium, slated for May 26-30 in Santiago de Cuba.
During a press conference held in Havana at the Memories Miramar Hotel, Mr. Torreblanca thanked the invitation to attend both events in a land he learned to love many years ago, perhaps influenced by his father’s republican heritage.
Mr. Torreblanca was introduced in Havana by Jose Carlos de Santiago, editor-in-chief of the Excelencias Group, who underscored the tremendous privilege of having a humble man who has through the years learned that happiness takes less things that one might think, as long as his profession and his family are around. “I’ve devoted myself to working to such an extent that working is virtually the only thing I do.
I’ve dedicated my life to the study of raw materials, to dictate lectures and to open school. I do what I want to do and that’s good for living my life. Therefore, I’m a lucky guy,” he said.
Though he admitted to be virtually in the dark as far as Cuba’s traditional desserts are concerned, Mr. Torreblanca said he does know and value the products the island nation has to offer, such as cacao.
Asked whether the traditional can be construed as gourmet, he warned that even the boldest and transgressing desserts share a common foundation. “If you don’t know the roots, evolution is hampered. You can update a dessert without killing its essence. And I strongly believe those principles of character have to be defended at any rate,” he went on to say.
The fact that he studied in Paris from ages 12 to 24 under the wing of great pastry chef Jean Millet actually left a profound footprint in his personality. “I was lucky to study in a country where rigor and strictness are the name of the game. That made he come back to Spain with a different thought and way of being,” he explained.
As to his presence in Cuba, Mr. Torreblanca said he didn’t come for the money, but rather for his fondness to the Cuban people. In addition to taking the chance to scour the croplands of eastern Cuba, Mr. Torreblanca will speak about the evolution of chocolate in terms of forms and textures, knowledge he splayed in a book entitled “El Arte Efímero” (The Fleeting Art).
“I think the seminar will be absolutely successful and I truly hope to see other renowned professionals in upcoming editions,” he concluded.
Source: www.caribbeannewsdigital.com
Related Publications
