The history of the Mediterranean at the table

"No! I'm a chef," he says flatly when asked if he feels comfortable with the label of artist. But, reviewing his career and his dishes, it's hard not to think of delicate works of art, albeit edible ones. Paco Pérez, sixty years old and rooted in Llançà, but also at the helm of other projects such as Enoteca in Barcelona, Arco in Gdansk, Tast in Manchester, Edge in Marbella, or L'Olivera in Peralada, is one of the undisputed references in gastronomy.

Awarded several Michelin stars, he recalls that the first thing he cooked was a pizza when he was 11 years old; and the first culinary technique he investigated in depth was freeze-drying (the process of dehydrating a biological product by freezing and then evaporating the water at reduced pressure). Since he embarked on this path inspired by Ferran Adrià, over the years he has developed preparations that freeze-dry and convert into what he calls "pigments", original essences of raw materials that add flavor and intensity to dishes. Freeze-dried codium algae pigment is one of those he uses a lot in his dishes, because it gives them the marine intensity he is looking for.

We know that its essential ingredients are: water, olive oil, salt and seaweed. A list that connects me to the territory that surrounds me. He assures that he has a bond of commitment with the raw material he works with: "I like to treat it with care and curiosity, imagining different possibilities and trying to take advantage of all its parts. We look for a marine concept, innovating me with simple products and trying to be groundbreaking in the lines of work that we develop." And while pulling the thread of his creative process, he says: "It is necessary to live with a curious attitude for creativity to flow. From here, any product, moment, conversation, walk, bath, look, can inspire me. I draw a lot, to transcribe what I imagine, and it is often from a product that ideas begin to arrive. Praxis is a very important space and moment, where ideas are verified or refuted, and it is often a source of new ideas."

Faced with this way of cooking, and dishes like L'Anxova (an anchovy pressed in an infusion of grilled tomato and garum), it is difficult not to think that yes, he is a chef, but also a culinary artist.