Chef Giacomo Gaspari


Maldives
Interviews
Chef Giacomo Gaspari
PUBLISHED July 01, 2018

<p class="MsoNormal">The Islandchief had the pleasure of sitting with Executive Chef Giacomo Gaspari from two of the most beautiful luxury resorts in the Maldives: Diamonds Thudufushi and Diamonds Athuruga Beach and Water Villas. Known for their purified, authentic experience and peaceful surroundings, Diamonds Resorts are a dream destination for leisure and luxury. Chef Giacomo has been creating and experiencing with different kinds of cuisine for over a decade at Diamonds Resorts and continues to offer a class-apart experience to his guests every single day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This year again, Chef Giacomo took part in &ldquo;Dining with the Stars&rdquo;, an initiative from Planhotel Hospitality Group for all Diamonds Resorts (Maldives and Africa) in partnership with JRE. The 4th edition of this 3-month event was yet again a success, creating memorable culinary experiences for guests with Chefs from all over Europe.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When sojourning at Diamonds Resorts, guests have the chance to experience a wide range of international cuisine. The resorts indeed comprise five different dining options to appeal to all tastes and provide guests with the opportunity to explore various culinary styles. Everything from a sumptuous buffet and modern European flavours tossed with Asian spices to authentic Maldivian cuisine, Japanese live cooking, and seafood delicacies on a beach setting are available at the resorts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The islandchief had the chance to experience this luxurious setting at Diamonds Thudufushi, one of Planhotel Hospitality Group&rsquo;s properties in the Maldives, which promises a stay with breathtaking views and hospitality to make you feel at homeaway from home.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a candid interview with Executive Chef Giacomo, The islandchief got an insight of the chef&rsquo;s favorite ingredients and the importance to cater to every guest&rsquo;s needs and wants, to ensure the perfect culinary experience.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>You are from Italy. What was your motivation to leave your country and become a chef in the Maldives? Was it to popularize Mediterranean cuisine or a fusion of it?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first time that I came to the Maldives was in 1986 and it was my first trip to this part of the world. It was a very nice experience. I witnessed the real essence of the Maldives and I had a fantastic time. After that, I moved out of Italy and travelled around 26 countries to get some international experience and then decided to settle here, in the Maldives. I first came in 2004 and stayed until 2007. Then, I came back in 2011 and have been here ever since. I have grown with the people of the island. As the years passed by, I also witnessed the island change and improve along with me. Being here has given me the opportunity to learn the local cuisine and incorporate it in my culinary style and creations. I would not say that I came here to popularize Mediterranean cuisine, but more to experience with how both cuisines can come together to create something truly unique and offer this experience to our guests.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>How do you come up with different dishes every single day? What is the motivation behind it? What is your secret?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">During the course of my career, I have studied Ayurveda and strived to become an expert in Ayurvedic cuisine. Ayurveda is an Indian healing medicine based on an elemental system from three doshas that constitute a person. From these doshas, you can know what is best for a person to eat. Therefore, my motivation comes from attempting to deliver the best food that every different body needs to receive in order to stay healthy. Ayurveda also forces me to be creative and combine different ingredients to come up with the best option for every person, every day, as each body requires something different. In the context of working here at Diamonds Resorts, the environment also makes me adapt my cuisine to what guests need, as their body needs different proportions of nutrients in a tropical setting than they do at home. It is therefore another element that eases the creative process of coming up with so many different dishes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>You must have a lot of kitchen memories. Can you talk about your best one?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Every day there are new kitchen memories made, it is hard to choose one.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, I have had the honor of cooking for Sir Elton John and Phil Collins in Nottingham, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer at the Seven Stars Galleria in Milano, to prepare meals for Ayrton Senna during a whole week, to prepare his body for the Grand Prix 1991, and to cook for Lady Diana Spencer for the opening of the Diplomat Residence in Bahrain in 1986. It is impressive, looking back, to have the opportunity to meet and cook for these people and I am grateful for these memories. Nowadays on our islands Thudufushi and Athuruga, we have many famous repeat guests from the show business, sports and entertainment world, global company bosses, etc. with whom I have a very nice relationship and can always talk &ldquo;food and wine&rdquo; with.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What does Diamonds Resorts provide in terms of gastronomy?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Diamonds Resorts provide international cuisine, combined with local dishes. It has now become easier to have access to quality local produce, so we try to incorporate them in the meal options offered to our guests, to offer that local authenticity at the highest quality level.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What are the food trends or the ingredients that you focus on mostly?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I would have to say tuna fish and lobster here in the Maldives. I also like to incorporate coconuts and bananas as they are full of nutrients needed in a tropical climate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Do you have any difficulty sourcing the ingredients needed for your cuisine in the Maldives?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With the help of technology and support from foreign companies, it has become easier to find all the ingredients directly in Male. If I need a special ingredient for a recipe, I can usually get it within one week, which was not possible when I first came here in 1986. The development of the Maldives is truly impressive and it is now easy to find almost everything guests request.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What is the first thing that comes to your mind while preparing a new dish or creating a new menu?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To give people&rsquo;s bodies what they need. I always keep in mind the climate in which we are, focusing on creating light dishes, rich in potassium, as the body needs it more when sweating. One&rsquo;s body becomes weaker in the heat, so it is important to have a dish that is rich in potassium, salt, vitamins and proteins. Most of our guests have travelled a long way to arrive here, so it is important for us to provide light, but very nutritious meals for them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Chef, do you feel that we can promote the Maldives as a culinary destination?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, I do, and I have spoken to a few other chefs who also feel that it could be possible. As a resort, we are trying to promote it as much as possible with, for instance, initiatives like &ldquo;Dining with the Stars&rdquo;. However, we feel that it would ease the process if there were more schools to teach the art of cuisine and more people who would get involved in that field locally.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What do you think of the younger generation of chefs?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next generation of chefs wants to grow too fast. The process takes time, like in any other field. You have to go through all the stages one by one to become a reputed chef. It is not possible to do all the best things as soon as you start and young chefs should not strive to rise too fast, as they will not be able to go far in this industry that way. My philosophy is that if you do not have a past, you cannot have a future. Therefore, building up your past is crucial if you want to succeed in life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>What does good food mean to you?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Good food for me means ingredients that are closer to their natural state.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Something that tastes good is pleasant, but you should also get energy from the food you are eating. Tasty food does not do any good if it does not bring what your body needs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>According to you, a chef should a) be friendly with the guests or b) should know more about the ingredients?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With the type of cuisine I specialized in, it is very important for me to know the guests. I need to know what they like and dislike and then decide what the best option is for them. Friendliness helps the process, of course. Then, it is also important to know your ingredients as well, once you know what people need, as you need to have the knowledge of which ingredients are going to provide the necessary nutrients. Most guests do not have that kind of knowledge; this is the chef&rsquo;s job.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Can you tell us what &ldquo;Dining with the Stars&rdquo; is all about?</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">&ldquo;Dining with the Stars&rdquo; is a 3-month event occurring in all Diamonds Resorts (Maldives and Africa) in partnership with JRE. Every week between January and March, a different JRE Chef comes to each resort and takes part in four events: a cooking show, a gala dinner, a cooking lesson, and a four-hands dinner with me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I work in collaboration with these chefs to help them incorporate the Maldivian local ingredients into their creations. The fusion of each chef&rsquo;s unique cuisine with the Maldivian produce is truly fascinating and is the base idea of this great initiative. For our guests, it is a memorable experience to have a renowned chef creating a new dish in a tropical setting.</p>
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