A James Beard award-winning Puerto Rican chef explains what that means to her.
Raised in the mountain town of Cayey, Puerto Rico, James Beard award-winning chef Natalia Vallejo carries the memories of the women of her family preparing traditional meals over an open fire to feed people. Those memories inspire cuisine at her restaurant Cocina al Fondo in San Juan, which puts a modern and global lens on traditional Puerto Rican ingredients by combining history with the future. Dishes like mofongo, hen soup and fritura (fried food) aren’t unique to Puerto Rican households. Still, she made it her own, taking her lived experiences studying and working in South America, Europe and Latin America. In this Voices in Food story, Vallejo shares how significant it is to be the first James Beard chef from her country, the importance of the agroecological farmers’ movement and her role in it, and what she thinks in the future of Puerto Rico’s food scene.
On how she started her culinary career
While I was studying at the University of Puerto Rico, I did a student exchange program with the University of Madrid for six months. There, I discovered the world of food and fish markets. I cooked for myself and my roommates, and it was there that I discovered my passion for cooking.
After I returned to Puerto Rico from my student exchange program with the university, I decided not to continue studying nutrition, and that is when I decided to study cooking. I went to the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and studied at the Gato Dumas and Mausi Sebess schools.
On being Puerto Rico’s first James Beard winner
It is a true honor to become the first person in Puerto Rico to receive such recognition. I am filled with pride and joy knowing that the prestigious James Beard Foundation has recognized and celebrated our cuisine, our culinary identity.
As Puerto Ricans, we want the world to know and celebrate us for who we are. This award means a lot because it validates and supports the work we’ve been doing for years with farmers and our culinary culture. My intention has always been to proudly and valuably showcase Puerto Rican food. This award paves the way for an entire culinary industry that also plays a part and contributes to this country every day.
On the food scene in Puerto Rico
The food scene in Puerto Rico is active and united. There is a palpable desire to connect with our cuisine and local products and a strong eagerness for visitors to get to know us beyond how we’ve been portrayed gastronomically up until now. We are a colorful country full of flavors and heritage. We are Caribbean and Antillean, but we are also a U.S. colony, and that has somewhat impacted our table and our relationship with food. We want visitors to immerse themselves in our culture.
Puerto Rico has significant culinary wealth, with various typical dishes throughout the island. I always recommend that tourists explore the mountainous areas of Puerto Rico and immerse themselves in those landscapes. That’s where I draw much of my inspiration and nourishment. From there, one can also appreciate everything happening gastronomically and nationally. Experiencing the central mountain range of the island is very special.
On the importance of farm-to-table
The agroecological farmers’ movement in Puerto Rico has grown in recent years, recognizing that we must work on our food sovereignty and security as a country. More young farmers are organizing and returning to the land, understanding the immense value of growing your own food. That’s where we, as chefs, unite with this network of horticulturists, fishermen, ranchers and farmers to create a solid network of support and solidarity. We, as chefs, have a great responsibility to strengthen this work. Every time we support local products, we support an entire economic network, allowing us to advance and build a better country and food culture.
We understand that from the table and through what we serve, we are making a political statement and educating as well. That’s why I never get tired of defending and supporting local products, expressed through our culinary identity. Cocina al Fondo has a significant network of Puerto Rican producers who have made it possible to carry out a project like this daily. It is of utmost importance to strengthen these networks and protect our seeds.
On what’s next in Puerto Rico’s food scene
Root vegetables and greens will be essential to the new Puerto Rican cuisine. Food sovereignty is the way forward. Caring for the seeds passed down from generation to generation is also about preserving and protecting our traditional dishes. It’s also about education. That’s why supporting local producers is so important. As chefs continue to connect with, support and value our gastronomy by strengthening this network of local farmers and fishermen, we will be ready to usher in the new Puerto Rican cuisine.
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