Antonio Gonzaga

Antonio Gonzaga
Signed portrait of Gonzaga in the 1931 edition ofEl cocinero práctico argentino
Born	c.1875 Corrientes,Argentina
Occupations	Chef cookbook author
Notable work	El cocinero práctico argentino(1931)
Style	Argentine cuisine

Antonio Gonzaga(c.1875, date of death unknown),also known asEl Negro Gonzaga,was an Argentine chef and cookbook writer. His 1931 book,El cocinero práctico argentino( "The Practical Argentine Cookbook" ) is credited as the first cookbook published in Argentina.

Early life and career

Born inCorrientesinto anAfro-Argentinefamily, Gonzaga was a third-generation cook; his grandfather, Luis Tomás, and his father, Horacio Luis, all worked as cooks and Antonio learned his skills from them.He later moved toBuenos Aires,where he worked atconventillosand learned typicalgauchodishes, and then became a cook at theArgentine Navy.He was later hired as head chef at theNational Congress of Argentina.As cooking was deemed a "lesser job", usually reserved for houseworkers, it was not unusual for Black people to be relegated to the kitchen.

Success

DuringTheodore Roosevelt's 1913 state visit to Argentina, Gonzaga was selected to be head chef for the U.S. president's entourage. By the time the 1916 Argentine Independence Centennial celebrations rolled around, Gonzaga was already a popular name among Buenos Aires aristocratic circles.

In 1931, he publishedEl cocinero práctico argentino( "The Practical Argentine Cookbook" ), credited as the first cookbook in Argentina. The book detailed traditional Argentine cuisine with painstaking effort, chronicling over 300 recipes. Aided by the arrival ofgas stovesto the country, the popularity ofEl cocinero prácticoled to him becoming one of the country's most recognizable chefs.His rise in popularity, however, was eventually overshadowed by another famous Argentine cookbook writer,Doña Petrona,who would go on to revolutionize the field by becoming Argentina's firsttelevision chef.

Legacy

Gonzaga's unabashed focus on traditional Argentine cooking (specifically, that of thegauchosand the rural working class) is credited with popularizingasadoin Buenos Aires and among the Argentine upper classes, who until then disdained Argentine traditions and instead favored French cuisine. In particular, the use ofachurassuch aschorizoandchitterlings,and the steps for preparing theasado,are credited to Gonzaga's recipes inEl cocinero práctico.

Gonzaga's Afro-Argentine background has also led to speculation regarding the possible African origins of theasado,although consensus has not been reached by historians and researchers. In his books, Gonzaga proclaimed himself a "criollo,son of this country ".

His work as a chef was carried on by his grandson, Horacio Gonzaga, who was the head chef at the Hotel Provincial and the Hotel Hermitage, inMar del Plata.