Antonio Gonzaga
Antonio Gonzaga | |
---|---|
![]() Signed portrait of Gonzaga in the 1931 edition ofEl cocinero práctico argentino | |
Born | c.1875 Corrientes,Argentina |
Occupations | |
Notable work | El cocinero práctico argentino(1931) |
Style | Argentine cuisine |
Antonio Gonzaga(c.1875, date of death unknown),[1]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
[edit]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.[2]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.[1][3]As cooking was deemed a "lesser job", usually reserved for houseworkers, it was not unusual for Black people to be relegated to the kitchen.[4]
Success
[edit]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.[5]
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.[1][4]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.[3]
Legacy
[edit]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.[1][4][6]
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 ".[7]
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.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^abcdPerticone, Carina (21 January 2023)."Los mitos de la parrillada: ¿los ricos no comían achuras?".La Nación(in Spanish).Retrieved11 February2023.
- ^Albertano, Andrea (20 July 2020)."¿Quién fue el cocinero rioplatense que popularizó la parrillada".Minuto Neuquén(in Spanish).Retrieved11 February2023.
- ^abDuclos, Fernando (10 July 2020)."De la servidumbre a la fama: el Negro Gonzaga, el primer gran cocinero de la historia nacional".El Ciudadano Web(in Spanish).Retrieved11 February2023.
- ^abcVolterri, Sebastián (19 July 2020)."Quién fue el" Negro "Gonzaga, el descendiente de africanos que inventó la parrillada criolla".Infobae(in Spanish).Retrieved11 February2023.
- ^"El Negro Gonzaga, Master Chef"(in Spanish).Retrieved11 February2023.
- ^Navia, Javier (15 October 2009)."La cocina del negro que cautivó Buenos Aires".La Nación(in Spanish).Retrieved12 February2023.
- ^López, Esteban (24 September 2018)."Sabores y Saberes: negros y mestizos en la cocina criolla argentina".Bichos de Campo(in Spanish).Retrieved12 February2023.
- ^"Historias".Casa de Africa en Argentina(in Spanish).Retrieved12 February2023.
- ^"Fotos de familia".La Capital(in Spanish). Archived fromthe originalon 23 September 2010.