Cuban Miguel Sánchez Vázquez is among the four best pizza makers in Latin America

June 16, 2022

Whoever has tried a Cuban pizza -those that used to cost 10 pesos- knows that although this dish originated in Europe, the ones cooked in Cuba have a special flavor. Perhaps the secret is in the intense Caribbean flavors or simply in the talent and care of those who cook them.

There are those who say that Cuban pizzas are among the best in the world and they are right. In an important competition like the Pan-American Pizza Championship, a Cuban took fourth place among more than 200 master pizza makers.

It is Cuban chef Miguel Sánchez Vázquez, who has lived for 20 years in Berazategui, Argentina and works there, in his father-in-law's pizzeria, where he learned the trade.

But Sánchez went to the competition with a Cuban flag on his chef's uniform, and not just anywhere on the garment, but under his heart, like someone who, after 20 years, does not forget his homeland and his roots.

In the first stage of the competition, which took place in Buenos Aires, the Cuban presented a completely organic and gluten-free pizza, this being the first pizza of that type presented in the history of the competition. With this creation he advanced to the next round.

Then he made a peel pizza, which in addition to sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms, had roquefort béchamel and edible 24-carat gold leaf, which sent him to the final of the competition.

In the semifinal each chef had to present a pizza that represented the country they came from, so Miguel drew on the best of Cuban culture and decided on the mojito, a typical Cuban drink.

The pizza maker broke down the drink chemically and transferred it to food, to give his creation the desired flavors. The Cuban then reached the final.

At the close of the competition he had to prepare a pizza with surprise ingredients: milk, cheese, pears and almonds, so he made one with béchamel sauce, which came in fourth place.

Meanwhile, two Mexicans and an Argentine took the podium of the competition.