Can you imagine uniting all Latin America through its gastronomy? A palpable option and quite possible in these times thanks to the creativity of Tico chef Pablo Bonilla and his ancestral project materialized in the Sikwa restaurant.
In 2020 there is an organization called 50 Best, which aims to give support and recognition to restaurants of all kind in Latin America. They must represent their culture`s idiosyncrasy and that is where the project that shows the spirit of Latin America is more alive than ever.
The selected restaurants show the diversity of the region in the various succulent and rich culinary traditions that originally come from our native ancestral forefathers. This wide choice is made of places that embody the true spirit that identifies the region.
Latin America shows its best through gastronomy
Thisaforementioned spirit of Latin America reflects a varied range of establishments with culinary traditionthat have become important parts of their society.
Examples of this are restaurants such as ChifaTiti in Lima Peru and El Jarocho in Mexico City, to pioneering restaurants that highlight the pleasure of indigenous food such as Sikwa in Costa Rica and Pakuri in Paraguay, along with otherexcellent establishments that have been included in the 50 Best select list.
From Costa Rica to the world, a different concept:Sikwa
Sikwa is located in the famous Escalante neighborhood of San José, and it isa restaurant that has been dedicated to revaluing and saving traditional Costa Rican indigenous food.
“Sikwa was born to highlight what the ancestral communities of Costa Rica can offer, combining it with gastronomical contributions that can be achieved with various passionate cuisine options from all Latin America”, Chef and owner Pablo Bonilla highlights.
The idea seeks not only to be a place to taste excellent dishes, but also that the diners are educated aboutthe gastronomic roots of Costa Rica, those that have remained a secret for a long time inside undervalued indigenous communities.
Connecting the region through its dishes
This project has been intertwined with other similar traditional native cooking options throughout Latin America. Sikwacollaborates with akin restaurants in different countries such as Intimo (Panama), Sublime (Guatemala), Raíz (El Salvador), Mercat (Costa Rica), among others.
Chef Pablo Bonilla continues working to rescue ancestral indigenous gastronomy, he is proud to know that he is contributing to native Tico indigenous communities, forgotten by many but which offer great excitement to the pleasure of eating.
In harmony with nature
What motivates Bonilla the most about working with these communities is the simplicity that characterizes them, noting that the inhabitants of these tribal spaces take care of nature in a special way, which guarantees the continuity of their traditions.
The Chef points out the fact that most of us have grown up with all these natural elements at hand. There are many ingredients we add to our food and are unaware of their origin. It is almost a sin not to know that in our garden there are very tasty edible plants or herbs that can cure different ailments. Therefore it is time to educate ourselves and take advantage of the edible wonders that nature offers us.
