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A little chat with Blas : Chef Extraordinaire
“Cooking from and for the soul.”
~ Blas Claira~
Blas Claria is the head chef of our kitchen. His passion for cooking comes from travelling and organic farming. His motivation comes from a place of wanting to create positive change and see the transformation towards conscious food.
He has been travelling around the globe, constantly learning from different cultures, new dishes, and new flavours. His main inspiration is the Caribbean nature and its life cycles.
What were the first steps towards becoming a chef and starting this project?
I had the opportunity to visit various permaculture farms and therefore learned how to use local ingredients. I started being inspired by healthier food, fresher nourishments non-ultra processed, ingredients without so many chemical alterations.
A long time ago I used to work in a multinational food technology company and experienced that dark side of the industry. Some convenience foods and many products in the supermarkets are trustless, cause it actually involves a tremendous amount of bad processes. People usually don’t know what they are eating. So I started my revolution and decided to explore the other side, where local healthy food is involved.
Then with the help of my crew, we started planting at the gardens, growing, plowing the earth, preparing the land and using all the spaces that we could, this with the idea to open a kitchen, therefore, get many of the ingredients from our organic garden.
What is the philosophy of your kitchen?
Freedom of expression and creativity…Yes, freedom to imagine and create. Also being spontaneous is the Key; because it is about seeing what we have, what we harvest and what is good. So it is all about having seasonal ingredients and definitely pure spontaneity.
Conscious food made from the soul – cooking from and for the soul.
As I said for me it is very important to avoid the chemical alterations of the food and it is also about the relationship with the things we eat. Be more conscious, create a deeper connection and get back to respect the food as medicine.
What inspired your lust for food and travel?
I am a very curious person. I was always interested in other cultures and being open to knowing different people and traditions from a very young age. I had the opportunity to travel with my family and started tasting food from different places. Now more than ever I’m receptive to see different places and get deeply involved in the cultures, the food and learn about the preparation methods.
How long have you been traveling?
Now it has been 6 years since I fully moved from my country. I first went to Colombia with the age of 21 years and from there moved towards the north.
What is your favorite cook style/dish?
After the last trip I made to India, I really like everything that is full of flavor and spices, so food influences from Asia to the Middle East, with intense flavors, are the experience I am looking for in food at the moment.
How would you dismiss any myths about vegetarian/ vegan food?
People think that the textures on this type of food are weird or that plant-based food is always the same and leaves you hungry. But of course, this is not true. There is always something different to create in the kitchen and to break those myths. Food can always be filling and made with conscious. It is just about knowing how to combine the sources.
In closing; What is your biggest advice for the conscious traveler?
To be free. Don’t be afraid to travel and to leave your comfort zone, express yourself, break the limits and go on adventures!
