Virgilio Martínez, one of Peru’s most influential chefs, has been named the recipient of the Andorra Taste Award 2026. The recognition celebrates his dedication to the ingredients, ecosystems, and traditional wisdom that give Peruvian cuisine its distinctive character.
This year’s Andorra Taste, now in its fifth edition, gathers chefs and food thinkers in the Pyrenees to explore how climate, altitude, and geography shape what ends up on our plates. The event, held in Escaldes-Engordany from September 16 to 20, puts the spotlight on the power of local ingredients to tell the story of a place.
At Central in Lima and through the research collective Mater Iniciativa, Martínez and his team have spent years traveling Peru’s varied landscapes, learning from communities and bringing native species to the fore. His approach is less about recipes and more about understanding the land itself—an invitation to see Peru through its flavors, stories, and the people who keep its traditions alive.
In his presentation, “Afuera Hay Más” (“There Is More Outside”), Martínez invited the audience on a journey from the Andes to the Amazon, using three dishes to show how ingredients carry the stories of their origins. It was a reminder that learning from the land can transform not just what we eat, but how we think about cooking itself.
France was this edition’s guest country, and the international lineup also included Emmanuel Renaut, Riccardo Gaspari, Paco Roncero, and the Torres brothers.
