Meet Debora Fadul | Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Debora Fadul and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Debora, how does your business help the community?
Sometimes we talk about ingredients so casually, without realizing that we are the interpreters of how people will perceive and consume food, and by talking we don’t realize we are impacting how society will structure around food – How it is grown, how and where it is transported and commercialized and how it will be consumed. In a way Chefs are social architects for food supply chains. This is why we must talk about ingredients with more conscience.

Instead of casually talking, judging, preferring or prioritizing ingredients in conversations… we should connect more to the roots of ingredients to elevate the spirituality of food. We can use science for this.

Agriculture and kitchens are immersed in more science areas than what we can see in the surface
Biology, Botany, Genetics, Chemistry, ecology, geography, Agriculture Science, engineering, social sciences, philosophy, Sensory Science and even the science of Marketing come together in a Restaurant
The current state of most agricultural lands is that soils are sterile and dependent on external inputs, instead of being this resilient, fertile, living thing, that society can nurture and thrive with for centuries and generations to come. Commonly, when we talk about eating local, we think it’s something that is going to help with our health. But if you connect further, by eating local, you understand that you can change the life of a Farmer, and by this you can improve the quality of life of a community. If we elevate our conscience and dig deeper we realize that it has to do with us, and Chefs have the power to shape the systems of how society interprets and consumes food.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We approach ingredients in an unconventional manner. Instead of sourcing from a list, of trendy or seasonal ingredients needed for the menu, we have conversations with our producers to see what they have in season, what they are excited about and what they have been struggling to move. We get samples of the fresh harvest, we analyze them with our in-house developed method called “Ecosistema Sensorial” or “Sensory Ecosystem” – We identify outlying characteristics of the ingredients and we create recipes inspired in the uniqueness and ephemeral character of what we have in front.

For example, we could try a pepper and identify an extra sweet note and we will be inspired to use it in a bold desert. Or a particular harvest of fruit is extra salty or minerally – we could use it in a charming sauce.

The Ecosistema Sensorial – was inspired in the world of specialty coffee and how different coffees of different varieties, estates, fermentations and drying techniques can develop different flavor, aromatic or mouthfeel expressions. Well the same is for us and all our ingredients…. all ingredient become “speciality” for we highlight and take advantage of the individuality and uniqueness of each harvest batch. The Ecosistema Sensorial – Includes:

– The moment we are realizing the evaluation: To compare with future evaluations and have a sense of how products evolve from beginning to end of harvest season…
– Information of the ingredients origin: like producer and farm
– Harvest Context: situations like harvest conditions, availability, season characteristics and post harvest extra info
– The central part is the “Columna Sensorial” or “Sensory Backbone” of the ingredient: that include positive and/or negative traits of visual, aromatic, flavor structure, and texture characteristics.
– Physical Components: We make notes when something like fat content, protein, carb fiber or particular physical traits are particularly different with this ingredient compared to similar products.
– Idea and Notes Sections: We say the ingredient talks to us… here we put notes on what we hear them communicate from the other side… what they inspire us in the moment and ideas we need to remember when we conceptualize the seasons menu.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband

Website: https://Yocomoguate.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diacagt?igsh=MXdldG81MmNkamExcg==

Image Credits
Food photography – Gonzalo Picon
Team photography – Andres Mendez