Tourism Today 13 th Edition | Page 5

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TOURISM TODAY

Academic Trek

Diego Ibarra: My experience as a professional cook

I have been a professional cook for over 9 years, throughout this experience I have been able to understand the world of gastronomy from the real point of view in regards to the historical and cultural relationship of societies and how something is so common for living beings, it goes so unnoticed by the monotony of the usual.

And it is that when talking about gastronomy Sagarribay says: “It is the only science that involves the 5 senses of the human being” (2017, p. 20); so talking about gastronomy is not just talking about an aesthetically well presented dish, or the flavor that reminds your childhood.

It's not just that... talking about gastronomy is talking about science, art, inspiration, flavor, color, passion and culture. This is a conglomerate of basic and complex needs that are part of who we are in essence.

This profession has been what has forged me as a cook and even more, because when I have the responsibility of leading my teams, the most important thing is that the people I work with can understand this feeling in which they can evolve together with my leadership. It is a science that constantly teaches us.

Every day you learn to understand souls with the responses of people's palates, so being a professional chef it is about understanding the art and the place that this must have at the sociocultural level.

Photo courtesy: Diego Ibarra

By Diego Ibarra