Restaurants and Culinary Sustainability: A Cultural and Aesthetic Issue. The Case of Restaurant Mini-Mal in Bogotá

Abstract

This article reflects on the role of restaurants in promoting environmental and cultural sustainability. The case study presented here focuses on the history of Mini-Mal, a Bogotá restaurant that is a precursor of the so-called new Colombian cuisine, a movement driven by chefs who seek to use a wide and diverse range of local ingredients and techniques in their cuisine, combining tradition and innovation. The article, based on interviews with Eduardo Martínez, founding partner and executive chef of the restaurant, and a review of press and documents, discusses the concept of culinary sustainability that Mini-Mal has subscribed to and helped build, emphasizing the importance of its cultural and aesthetic proposal.