Giacomo Centurión from Peru was awarded the winner of the 1st Americas Young Chef, on 12 October 2026. With the dish Los Castigos, Giacomo impressed the international jury, chaired by Edgar León – a leading figure and ambassador of Ecuadorian cuisine.
The jury unanimously awarded this dish first prize, praising its exceptional depth of flavour and its powerful connection to Afro-Peruvian heritage. They commended the way Giacomo elevated a humble, symbolic recipe while preserving the values at its core, resilience, resourcefulness, and profound respect for the land and its history.
The first prize was given by Economist Leonardo Orlando Arteaga, Prefect of Manabí, and Dr. Diane Dodd, IGCAT President.
The jury commended all participants for their exceptional commitment to their culinary heritage, which greatly enhanced the quality of each dish. With such outstanding representation of their regions, every one of the finalists is a winner!
Seven finalists from across the Americas
The competition was held at Iche School-Restaurant-Lab in Sant Vicente (Manabí) on 09-12 October 2026 and gathered finalists from 7 regions across the Americas, including:
- Dayanary Vergara (Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy 2026)
- Jovan William (Martinique, candidate World Region of Gastronomy 2030)
- Landen Hickman (First Coast, candidate World Region of Gastronomy 2031)
- Dedrick Taylor Jr. (The Bahamas)
- Diego Chévez (Honduras)
- Nicolle Jiménez (Costa Rica)
- Giacomo Centurión (Perú)
Diego Chévez (Honduras) won second prize, presented by Dr. Leñam Parreño (Economist, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean), with the dish Arroz del Sol. The jury found the dish incredibly enjoyable, praising it as a vibrant and authentic expression of the Lenca region and culture. They commended how the flavours of the traditional dish were faithfully preserved while being presented in a refined and contemporary way.
The third prize went to Nicolle Jiménez (Costa Rica), presented by Orazio Bellettini Cedeño (Director, Fuegos Foundation and Iche), for her dish Recuerdos del Caribe. Nicolle was commended for taking a savory comfort food into the realm of fine pastry, turning it into a dessert of sweet, sour, spicy and earthy textures. The jury also praised her use of zero-kilometer Costa Rican ingredients.
Under the theme “Innovation on Tradition”, the finalists presented their traditional dishes and shared insights into the local products of their regions, on 10 October. The following day, 11 October, they competed by presenting their innovative interpretations of these classic recipes. Beyond the competition, the chefs participated in a gastronomic tour of Manabí, which included visits to the Manta fish market, the Portoviejo gastronomic festival, Restaurante Valentina Collibri, Isla Corazón, and Saiananda.
The participants also had the opportunity to learn from an international jury composed of world-class chefs, researchers, and food writers from Mexico, Ecuador, the United States, the Caribbean, Spain, and Uruguay. Ultimately, the competition served as a platform for young chefs to experience each other’s cultures, build a professional network, and promote culinary innovation and sustainability through traditional cuisine and local produce.
The international jury
The young chefs’ innovative dishes were evaluated by an international jury of chefs and experts chaired by, Chef Edgar León, researcher, writer, Gastronomic Ambassador of Ecuador for World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), and author of “Sopas, la identidad de Ecuador”. The panel also included: Chef Laura Rosano, chef specializing in regional and Mediterranean cuisine and owner of the Ibira Pitá Agroecological Farm (Uruguay); Chef Lalo Plascencia, gastronomic researcher and founder of El CIG (Mexico); Nneka Nurse, culinary and culture strategist, curator, founder of Best Dressed Plate and IGCAT Expert (Caribbean); Pia Sörensen, PhD, Senior Preceptor in Chemical Engineering and Applied Materials, Harvard (USA); and Esperanza Peláez, food journalist and director of the Spanish-Latin American editions of 7 Caníbales, and founder of the Club Gastronómico Kilómetro Cero (Spain).
Besides the young chefs’ technical skills, the jury panel assessed their creativity, their ability to communicate the story of their dishes, together with their capacity to reduce food waste and single-use plastics in the kitchen, as well as ensure a balanced use of meat/fish ingredients and vegetables in their dishes. Moreover, special attention was paid to the finalists’ knowledge of local products and producers from their regions.
The Award Ceremony
The award ceremony took place on 12 October at Iche School in San Vicente, with the highest honours given by IGCAT and partnering institutional authorities.
President of IGCAT, Dr. Diane Dodd, expressed her deep gratitude to Manabí and the hosts for organizing a memorable event that promotes sustainable development, food sovereignty, and the preservation of cultural identity across the continent.
Addressing the finalists of the 1st Americas Young Chef Award, she stated: “You are the new guardians of our culinary traditions. Over these past days, you have demonstrated extraordinary creativity, sensitivity, and a deep understanding of why our food and cultural heritage must be cherished and shared. It has been a privilege to meet each of you.”
The Award Ceremony was presented by Jaume Gomila, IGCAT Vice President, who also moderated the Americas Young Chef Award 2026 together with Dr. Diane Dodd and Orazio Bellettini Cedeño. Translation services were generously provided by Irene Rodriguez during the Award Ceremony.
A commitment to sustainability and local products
On 10 October, all finalists of the Americas Young Chef Award 2026 signed up as IGCAT Regional Chef Ambassadors, committing to proudly and sustainably promote their regions’ food and cultural heritage throughout their future professional career.
Throughout the Americas Young Chef Award 2026 programme, the young chefs took part in educational and gastronomical visits, exploring local gastronomy and meeting producers across Manabí region.
About IGCAT’s Young Chef Award
The Young Chef Award is an international competition organised by IGCAT that gathers young culinary talents from the awarded and candidate Regions of Gastronomy annually, and hosted its first Americas edition in 2026 in Manabí, Ecuador. 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: “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 was organised and promoted by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Art and Tourism (IGCAT) and hosted by Manabí, World Region of Gastronomy awarded 2026 at Iche School-Restaurant-Lab, with the support of the Fuegos Foundation, Prefectura of Manabí and CAF.
About the World Regions of Gastronomy Platform
World Regions of Gastronomy Platform, 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 Regions of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Foodie Websites and the international Food Film Menu.
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