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Who is Gastón Acurio?: A Pioneer of Peruvian Cuisine
Gastón Acurio Jaramillo is a Peruvian chef, writer, entrepreneur, and ambassador of Peruvian cuisine. He was born on October 30th, 1967, in Lima, Peru, and is the only son of Gastón Acurio Velarde, a career politician, and Jesúsa Jaramillo Razuri.
Acurio first studied law at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, but his passion for food was stronger, so he decided to pursue a culinary arts career at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where he met his future wife Astrid Gutsche, originally from Germany, who was also studying to become a chef.
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Acurio opened his first restaurant, Astrid y Gastón, in Lima in 1994, which originally served traditional French cuisine. However, that later evolved into a gourmet Peruvian gastronomy, contributing to the development of the so-called Cocina Novoandina. He began remaking gritty Lima into one of the most important culinary capitals of South America. 17 years after opening its doors, Astrid y Gastón was included in San Pellegrino’s “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list.
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Today, he runs a food empire with more than 45 restaurants in 12 countries, with Astrid y Gastón franchises in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Spain. He also created other brands, including La Mar, Tanta, Panchita, Chicha, Madam Tusan, Bachiche, and Papacho’s. Acurio has helped establish Peruvian cuisine and offers typical Peruvian meals in a modern and attractive style.
Not only has Acurio made Peruvian cuisine the country’s proudest export, but he has also helped train some of the nation’s best chefs, including Virgilio Martínez, Pía Leon, and Mitsuharu Tsumura. He is recognized as one of the most eminent chefs in the world, receiving numerous awards for his work promoting Peruvian cuisine, including the international “Prince Claus of Holland” award in the category “Collective Memories and Journalism.” He was named Ambassador of Good Will for UNICEF in 2009.
Acurio is also a writer and has published several books, including Una Aventura Culinaria, Larousse de la Gastronomía Peruana, 500 Años de Fusión, Cebiche Power, and Perú: The Cookbook. He is the host of a weekly cable TV show, Aventura Culinaria, and has been featured in a number of programs and documentaries. He is a main supporter of the Pachacutec School of Cuisine, providing underprivileged youths with access to a culinary education.
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Acurio’s influence on the cuisine of Peru and Latin America has been very significant, according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). More than anyone else, he renewed the gastronomy of his country and paved the way for a new generation of Peruvian chefs. He has traveled around the world promoting Peruvian cuisine and is currently working with the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú to create the first gastronomic university in Peru.
Acurio is also a winner of the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award, the first in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2013, and was elected by the voters for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2018.
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