“My goal is to keep learning and gaining experiences that fuel my passion for gastronomy and allow me to build the professional future I want,” states Nicolle Jiménez, chosen to represent Costa Rica at the 1st Americas Young Chef Award.
Born in San Vito de Coto Brus, Nicolle Jiménez grew up in the kitchen alongside her mother and grandmother, and it was her mother who encouraged her to pursue cooking. In 2023 she moved to Heredia to study Gastronomy at the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica.
She won first place in an internal competition at her university and third place representing it at the Feria Alimentaria in Guatemala. This year she assisted chef Rodrigo Vargas in the fine-dining category of the Mayca Food Show. Her cooking celebrates the flavours of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast with zero-kilometre ingredients, and she is not afraid to take them into unexpected territory such as fine pastry.
Her next goal is to complete her professional internship in Spain, to step out of her comfort zone and keep growing.
At the 2026 Americas Young Chef Awards, Nicolle presented Recuerdos del Caribe, a disruptive tribute to Rice and Beans, a dish that stands for cultural blending, resilience and the smart use of local resources. Nicolle takes this savory comfort food into the realm of fine pastry, turning it into a dessert of sweet, sour, spicy and earthy textures. She uses zero-kilometer Costa Rican ingredients: black beans, Caribbean coconut, ripe plantain and Panamanian chili. Her message: Caribbean flavors know no limits.
Awarded 3rd Prize in the competition, Nicolle impressed the jury with the boldness of transforming a traditional savoury main course into a dessert. This adventurous interpretation demonstrated an impressive range of techniques and retained many of the original dish’s defining elements.
About IGCAT’s Young Chef Awards
The Young Chef Award is an international competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from awarded and candidate Regions of Gastronomy annually, and hosted its first Americas edition in 2026 in Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy 2026. Selected each year through local contests, finalists of the Young Chef Awards compete by innovating traditional recipes from their regions using local ingredients.
IGCAT counts on the support of the official ambassador of the Americas competition, Manabitan-renowned chef Valentina Álvarez who truly endorses its principles. Valentina stated that “Gastronomy is a magical intersection that blends landscapes, people, culture, products, and heritage, from which a fabric is woven that builds an identity allowing us to call ourselves!”
The 1st edition of the Americas Young Chef Award is organised and promoted by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) and hosted by Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy 2026 at Iche School-Restaurant-Lab, with the support of the Fuegos Foundation, Prefectura of Manabí and CAF.
About the World Regions of Gastronomy
World Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to strengthen food security through the celebration of distinctive food cultures; create employment by stimulating creativity and gastronomic innovation; nourish children and adults through culinary and cultural education; driving environmental sustainability in tourism, hospitality and agricultural sectors; supporting balance and sustainable tourism practices; highlighting and supporting expertise from within rural and urban communities, creating connections and sharing good practices; and contributing to community health and well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance of protecting and promoting distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguarding our planet, health, wellness and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.
IGCAT founded the World/European Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World/European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Websites for Foodie Travelers Award and the international Food Film Menu.
