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José Diogo Costa: "Madeira is not just wine. You have to discover its whole larder"
Madeira's cuisine is a harmonious blend of its volcanic terroir and tropical climate, creating a varied and tasty gastronomic landscape
Young Portuguese chef José Diogo Costa presented the products of his native Madeira on the last day of Worldcanic. From the sea to the products of the land, Madeira has a wide pantry that "is present in more than 80% of the menu of William", the starred restaurant at the Reid's Palace Belmond Hotel that Costa runs in Funchal.
José Diogo, who is clearly committed to "promoting local products and stimulating the local economy", explained in his presentation why the products of his native island are so unique. On the one hand, the fertile volcanic soil allows a wide variety of fruit and vegetables to be grown in addition to vines, because "Madeira is much more than wine and Cristiano Ronaldo," the chef joked. This is the case of the more than one hundred varieties of apples on the island, which the Portuguese chef pays tribute to in William with an apple snack that uses all parts of the apple, with the aim of achieving zero waste, and which he prepared live on stage at the Congress.
But it is not only the volcanic soil that gives Madeira's crops a unique value, but also its climate. The island's subtropical climate guarantees year-round harvests, "making fresh seasonal produce readily available". And Costa continues his special tribute to Madeira's produce with another snack made with maize flour - "we grow a lot of wheat and maize on the island" - which he then fries, or with a third bite of avocado and wagyu, based on a maize puree that imitates "the cobs we usually roast on our barbecues in Madeira".
This vast pantry inspires José Diogo Costa, for whom it is also essential to "explore it through the knowledge of the local people, producers and chefs", recovering ancient processes, techniques and recipes that would otherwise be lost.
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