Chef, culinary researcher, and Founder of CIGMexico, Center for Gastronomic Innovation, Lalo Plascencia joined the jury of the 1st Americas Young Chef Award, which took place in Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy 2026, from 8-12 October 2026.
Lalo Plascencia is a Mexican chef and culinary researcher with an 18-year professional career. He is the founder of CIGMexico, the Center for Gastronomic Innovation, the first space in Mexico devoted to research, development and innovation in Mexican cuisine, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2025. He holds a degree in Gastronomy with academic distinction from the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana and is a graduate of the Ferran Adrià Chair of Food Culture and Science at Camilo José Cela University (Madrid). He is currently pursuing a Master’s in the History of Thought at Universidad Panamericana.
He created the CIG Method, his own methodology for turning the empirical knowledge of traditional cooking into academic techniques by measuring time, size and temperature, drawing on ethnography, anthropology, history, chemistry and management science. It is the foundation of pioneering projects such as Mexican Dried Chiles as the Sixth Taste, which since 2016 has promoted dried chiles as an element of national identity, and the Quiroga Method for Perfect Carnitas and Mother Lard, which raises one of Mexico’s emblematic preparations to the level of an academic technique.
He has trained more than 2,500 professionals through 130 keynote lectures and seminars and 200 courses in Mexico, Spain, Peru, Ecuador, the United States and the Philippines. He has been a guest lecturer at the Basque Culinary Center, GASMA and the Master’s in Management and Innovation of Gastronomic Culture at the University of Cádiz, and academic director of ITAB Culinary Training Center (Monterrey). He served as a judge for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants (2013–2016), has judged Vatel Club México competitions and numerous student culinary competitions, and writes as a columnist for outlets such as 7 Caníbales and Gourmet de México.
He is an Emeritus Member of Vatel Club México (2011), an academic member of the Académie Culinaire de France (2019), a member of the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy (2022) and a Chevalier de l’Ordre Mondial de l’Académie Culinaire de France (2026). He received the Resilience award from Food and Travel magazine (2020), and the newspaper Excélsior called him “the chef who has revolutionized the way we understand Mexican cuisine” (2018).
About IGCAT’s Young Chef Awards
The first ever Americas Young Chef Award is an expansion of its European version, an annual competition organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) that gathers young culinary talents from the awarded and candidate European Regions of Gastronomy. This year, finalists from 7 different countries in the Americas came together in Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy 2026, to share their local food culture and test their skill in innovating a traditional dish from their region.
About the World & European Regions of Gastronomy
The World Regions of Gastronomy and the European 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 is the official secretariat for the World Region of Gastronomy and the European Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Foodie Websites Award and the international Food Film Menu.
