Our guest for our Flavors segment is a native of the historic town of Las Tablas, where he lived until he was 18 years old, as well as winner of two Gourmand Awards 2023 (the Oscars of gastronomy) for his book “Fusión Tropical Cuisine”. Gabriel Augusto Grimaldo studied architecture but also developed his cooking talent so much that reached second place in the reality show Master Chef where he showed to the entire country his enormous passion for cooking. His culinary creations have been achieving international recognition, helping to position the country in gastronomy and in this occasion dedicates time to The Visitor- El Visitante to share his analysis on Panamanian gastronomy and how to elevate it to new heights internationally.
What does it mean to you to take Panamanian cuisine abroad and how do you feel foreigners react to these dishes?
“Taking Panamanian cuisine abroad means a lot, it fills me with pride and makes me feel a great responsibility, not only for showing our ancestral gastronomic heritage, which is transmitted from generation to generation, through traditional recipes with a lot of Creole flavor, rather, delivering a piece of our history goes beyond our idiosyncrasy; it is about delivering a piece of our history, of who we are through local ingredients with flavors, colors and aromas that characterize us.
Panamanian food is well received by foreigners, despite the fact that it is not as well known as Peruvian, Mexican, Asian or Spanish food, to mention some current gastronomic trends. However, when they try our dishes, they react very eloquently to the flavors.”
Where does inspiration came from to make a book like “Fusion Tropical Cuisine” awarded at the Gourmand Awards and what do you have planned for these recipes in Panama?
“The book Fusion Tropical Cuisine, is inspired by that duality between traditional and avant-garde cuisine, in making noble products of our country, where they dress up, through dishes with Creole flavors, but with an aesthetic characterized by the elegance, color and simplicity of contemporary tropical cuisine. Fusion Tropical Cuisine offers my worldview of the gastronomy of Panama and of regions that are within the tropical zone, where tropical fruits are fundamental in both sweet and savory preparations, something that characterizes the countries or regions of the tropics.”
How do you see Panama in gastronomy compared to other great countries that have been developing this art?
“I see Panama as an emerging country within global gastronomy, thanks to the path that chefs such as Cuquita Arias de Calvo, Charlie Collins and Mario Castrellon have opened, to name a few, who have served to forge the Panama brand through their personal imprint, but at the same time reflect what Panama is at its best. Thanks to them, those of us who are crossing borders today, the journey is easier, which aims to position our name and our gastronomy within the great powers of international gastronomy. However, I believe that the work is not only for those of us who dedicate ourselves to cooking, but that it is teamwork, where no Master which government is in power can develop State policies that transcend time and serve as a platform to promote new ventures of chefs, specially of “fondas” who are the soul of our country.”
How important do you feel is gastronomy in the tourist experience and what do we need to elevate it to a point where people abroad easily recognize it?
“As a country, we still need a lot to do in order to really become a highly recognized gastronomy at a global level, but we are walking in the right direction, despite the obstacles that those of us who dedicate ourselves to the art of cooking always encounter. It is important to highlight that, despite the differences in criteria that may exist, there are more things that unite us than those that separate us, we must put our “egos” aside, we cannot continue to see each other as competition, but as allies that we are in the same boat, rowing towards the great objective that is to make Panama a destination for gastronomic tourism. I am a faithful believer that gastronomic tourism is a fundamental pillar to position Panama before the world, as a country with a diverse, delicious gastronomy and with its own identity”.
What is the great strength of Casco Antiguo in terms of its culinary offer and what do you feel it needs to elevate it, being the second most visited destination after the Panama Canal?
“The main strength of this area in terms of culinary offer is that there is a diversity of places, for all tastes and budgets, ranging from a tiny cafe to large restaurants with different levels and rooftop areas with wonderful views, which offer Visitors national and foreign menus inspired by various trends and concepts, however, I consider that the lack of measures to facilitate access and circulation in this area of the district of Panama is not encouraging the influx of people to this crowded sector of history. I can mention an example that I was able to appreciate a few weeks ago when I visited Stockholm historic center, how in the “Gamla Stan” sector there were pedestrian streets exclusively for the convenience of visitors, these streets (central and accessible) were crowded with people who were looking for not only “souvenirs” and places of artistic/historical interest, the gastronomic offer was also immense and varied, thus promoting the economic dynamism of the sector and of course generating greater comfort because in this sector you could find places with gastronomic offers that ranged from American fast food, to supermarkets, traditional nordic food and other cultures.“
