2024 Global Plant-Forward Culinary Summit: Puerto Rican Cuisine

General Session VI: The Importance of Puerto Rican Cuisine Made from Puerto Rican Ingredients
Bacoa Finca + Fogón, a farmstead restaurant in Juncos, Puerto Rico, has been described as “possibly the best restaurant in America.” Created as a nod to cocinaos, a rural tradition of casual cookouts, this restaurant’s approachable, sustainable menu embodies Puerto Rico’s rich culinary heritage. Situated on a 3.4 acre farm with a greenhouse, vegetable garden, and chicken coop, Chef Raúl Correa and his two partners, Xavier Pacheco and René Marichal, are at the center of a vibrant movement to make local food production possible in partnership with island farmers and food producers and to create Puerto Rican food with Puerto Rican ingredients-currently the island imports 80% of its food from the mainland U.S. due to government policies that favor mainland vendors. Chef Correa will demonstrate how grilling is central to their menu-cooking “al fogón”-and used to create innovative dishes across the menu, from mains, salads, and inventive vegetable dishes to dessert, imparting a deep, unforgettable flavor.
• Cheryl Tiu (Lifestyle Journalist and Culinary Consultant; Miami, FL)
• Raúl Correa (Co-Owner and Co-Chef, BACOA Finca + Fogón; Juncos, Puerto Rico)
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Founded in 1946, the Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.