STARTERS Chef Marsia in the kitchen.


Previous, from left: Cured alligator with Andean cucumber; Marsia


Fish in tacuara Packed full of flavour, this simple yet colourful dish is inspired by the ancient Amazonian tradition of cooking river fish inside bamboo. If you can’t find cupuaçu pulp, blend an equal amount of jackfruit and passion fruit to create a similar texture and flavour.


SERVES: 2 TAKES: 15-20 MINS


In many cases, Marsia tells me, the producers


themselves are unaware of the value of their own product. Take, for example, the raw alligator meat she uses in one of Gustu’s signature dishes, which is cured for three days with an acidic Amazonian flower and served alongside diced Andean cucumber. The dish was added to the menu to make use of what was essentially an unwanted byproduct of the Amazon’s alligator leather market. “Amazonian communities export alligator


skin to Europe to make their living,” Marsia explains. “But, as the meat was no longer popular, it was just going to waste. “If we support and consume local products,


we’re not only supporting the entire productive chain of our country, we’re helping to maintain our gastronomic identity,” she adds. On a trip to Bolivia’s Southern Highlands,


the Gustu team and the Wildlife Conservation Society identified dozens of other potential ingredients that could be adopted by chefs and local home cooks, including edible algae such as murmunta; flavoursome herbs and plants like rica-rica and chachacoma; and protein-rich grains like royal quinoa. It’s a discovery that could not only supplement Bolivian farmers’ incomes, but also lower the environmental impact of exportation and reduce the reliance on processed sugar and fat in diets. After graduating from culinary school in


La Paz, Marsia spent much of her early career in Europe, training at Geist and Michelin- starred Studio in Copenhagen. Yet despite her European restaurant experience, Marsia has turned to ancestral Bolivian cooking techniques for inspiration. “We’re not a traditional Bolivian restaurant,”


Marsia says. “But everything we do is inspired by a strong sense of identity.” A recent dish of filete de paiche (filleted


Amazonian river fish), for example, was cooked 30 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/FOOD-TRAVEL


inside bamboo — a centuries-old Amazonian style of cooking Marsia learnt during a Sabores Silvestres trip to Madidi National Park, in northern Bolivia’s upper Amazon river basin. Gustu has also incorporated a huatia — a traditional Andean earth oven that cooks food underground — into its kitchen. “These are ancient techniques, but we’re


losing them,” Marsia says. “It’s our role as chefs to tell their story and make them a source of pride.” It was this yearning to share an untold


culinary story that encouraged Marsia to return to her homeland. When Gustu first opened, Marsia worked as a kitchen assistant under the guidance of Meyer and Kamilla Seidler (awarded the title of Latin America’s Best Female Chef 2016 by Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants). Now, she hopes to encourage other Bolivian chefs to use food as a tool for social change. “The Gustu team not only offer delicious food, they seek to generate a positive impact on our community based on a deep understanding and respect for the products of our land,” she explains. So what’s next for Marsia? Is she hoping for a


Michelin star for Gustu? Perhaps unusually for an emerging chef, she isn’t focused on awards. “International rankings are important, but it’s always more important to be clear about your own identity,” she says. Instead, Marsia is set to continue with her mission to improve Bolivia’s socio-economic situation — something she believes can be achieved through a sustainable gastronomy project. “Right now, Gustu has a very ambitious


goal: to promote an anthropological, cultural and historical revaluation of native Bolivian products,” she says. We want to work with more indigenous communities, offer them a stable source of income and rescue more endangered ingredients and cooking techniques.”


INGREDIENTS 110g white fish 10g coriander stems, finely chopped


small handful coriander leaves, finely chopped


2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 50g white onion, finely diced 50g red pepper, finely diced 5g salt 30g cupuaçu pulp 10ml freshly juiced ginger


METHOD Heat oven to 180C, fan 160C,


gas 4. Rub the fish with the coriander stems and leaves and half of the garlic, then set aside. Tip the onion, pepper, salt


and remaining garlic into a pan. Set over a low heat and cook for around 8 mins until the ingredients are caramelised. Transfer the onion mix (also


known as sofrito) into a blender. Add the cupuaçu pulp and ginger and blend to form a well- mixed paste. Chop the fish into small


chunks, then tip into a large bowl with the blended ingredients and stir to combine. Carefully spoon the mixture


into a tacuara (a piece of bamboo) or an ovenproof dish and bake for 9 mins. Remove from the oven and serve straight from the tacuara or dish.


IMAGES: PC GUSTU


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