Give us three reasons why your country is considered a foodies paradise . Mara : Guatemala ’ s cultural diversity offers a variety of ingredients and dishes specific to each region and this translates to , in gastronomic terms , endless possibilities . For a foodie , doing a gastronomic tour of Guatemala is a must . Specifically in the city of Guatemala , we have several small restaurants that were created by people who love food and wanted to share a little of that passion with others . This is demonstrated in the delicacy of their dishes and the service they offer their diners . In Guatemala , being a foodie means much more than just eating your favorite dishes . It ’ s about understanding the depth of the culinary arts , of getting to the root , learning how to create recipes and dishes from zero . This is the reason why projects like Distrito Gastronómico are born , living a gastronomic experience that educates and embeds a love for the culinary arts . Jorge : The only country where you get from the Atlantic coast ( Caribbean ) to the Pacific in less than 2 hours . You have a lot of influences in one place . Our Caribbean food is spectacular . It ’ s extremely easy to move around and the country is small so you can eat everything . Rafael : Gastronomy in Puerto Rico is influenced by three cultures : Taino Indian , African and Spanish . It ’ s a combination of ingredients , processes , flavors and textures that are unique to Puerto Rico . The flavor of our sofrito with recao or coriander and sweet peppers that our lands produce is unique for the flavoring of our Puerto Rican dishes . Thanks to our geography you can savor a dish on the coast and in 20 minutes savor one in the mountains , two types of different flavors that you cannot miss when you visit Puerto Rico .
Describe the current culinary and gastronomy scene in your country . Mara : It ’ s a circle of love for the food stimulated by the diners as well as the chefs or cooks in charge of preparing the food . Jorge : It ’ s the one that grows the most in all of the Central American and Caribbean region . The most diversity in restaurants that you ’ ll find . Rafael : At the moment Puerto Rico is being influenced by a third culture , the United States , from which we inherited canned corned beef , just like Hawaii inherited canned ham . The country ’ s gastronomy has been progressing constantly in recent years , thanks to the concern for nutritional safety . The island was consuming 90 % of what was being imported , and this trend was a big concern for the government and the population , which launched a campaign to start working the land . The new generation has shown interest in agriculture , creating agricultural micro-businesses that provide the island ’ s cooks with the opportunity to create new dishes with our own ingredients and flavors .
Where would you take a foodie to taste the most authentic flavors of your country ? Mara : I would take a foodie to the famous Mercado Central in the City of Guatemala . There is where you find the most authentic flavors of the country , all prepared by people who know know every recipe for every dish perfectly . Jorge : I would take them to see the sunrise and have breakfast on a tropical island in the San Blas Caribbean , to later travel to the Pacific and east at Pedasí in the Los Santos provence .