Declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, Mexican cuisine has taken the world by storm. From the country’s iconic tacos to its pre-Hispanic mole, Mexico’s cuisine is as diverse as its people, incorporating both Old and New World traditions.
Until relatively recently, however, Mexican cuisine was not necessarily considered the stuff of fine dining. That has changed with the opening of world-class restaurants led by renowned chefs such as Enrique Olvera and Gabriela Cámara. Considered by many to be the best restaurant in Mexico City, Chef Olvera’s flagship restaurant Pujol was ranked number 12 on the 2019 edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
On September 11, IPADE was proud to welcome Chef Olvera to its campus in Mexico City to kick off the 2019-2020 CEO Lecture Series. When they arrived, the more than 200 members of the IPADE community that attended the highly anticipated event were greeted by waiters serving one of Chef Olvera’s most well-known specialties: smoked baby corn with coffee mayonnaise and powdered chicatana ants.
After this welcome treat, the evening session began with a brief introduction from IPADE Dean Rafael Gómez Nava, who welcomed Chef Olvera and thanked him for being a powerful ambassador for Mexican traditions.
After a short video, Chef Olvera took the stage to share some of the history and highlights of his career. Over the course of the evening, he highlighted how innovation is a constant for entrepreneurs, focusing on the necessity of leaving behind one’s comfort zone to gather inputs from one’s environment.
“Many of those in the audience this evening were able to try the peculiar flavor of chicatana ants for yourselves,” said Chef Olvera. “I first tried chicatana ants in Juquila, and it was the best moment of my career as a chef because it gave direction to Pujol. Every time I see this dish being prepared, I feel proud of the range and diversity of Mexican flavors.”
Towards the end of the session, Chef Olvera opened the floor to questions from the audience, who were eager to learn more about the challenges of running a restaurant.
The CEO Lecture Series provides members of the IPADE community the opportunity to engage with and learn from global business leaders, as well as a welcome occasion to network with their peers.
