The Puerto Rican Academy of Gastronomy (APUGA) has announced the nominees for the second edition of the APUGA National Gastronomy Awards through its social media. The awards, which recognize Puerto Rican culinary concepts across 13 categories, received 227 nominations from different sectors of the island’s gastronomy industry. The most-nominated concepts are AgroCocina-La Faena, with three (Agricultural, Healthy and Sustainable Gastronomy), Bakku (Service with Passion and Satisfying Gastronomy), Próxima Generación (a nomination for chef and restaurant owner Joerick Rivera) and Sottovento (Satisfying Gastronomy, Fusion and Innovation, and Puerto Rican Mixology with global projection).
Others with multiple nominations include chef Mía Castro, Verde Mesa, Casita Miramar, Casita Blanca, Produce, Andaluz and Vegan Délice Plant Based Culinary Arts. Selection is in its third stage: a local jury of professionals from gastronomy, academia and culture will evaluate nominations and choose finalists for an international jury. The local committee includes Stanley Tapia and René Ñeco of Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Noraima Ramos of Escuela Hotelera de San Juan, Clarissa Jiménez of the Hotel and Tourism Association, and Jesmarie Ramírez and Dorian Lugo of the University of Puerto Rico.
At the November 17 gala at the Hotel Royal Sonesta, chef Iván Clemente will receive a special recognition, with an award named for him honoring the Solidarity Gastronomy category winner. Academy president César Cordero-Krügger said the awards aim to broaden the conversation about what gastronomy represents for Puerto Rico.