Note: This interview was originally published in my book, The Dining Traveler Guide to Puerto Rico
When I began my Kickstarter campaign for the Dining Traveler Guide to Puerto Rico, I received a tweet from a very special person asking me how he could help. That person was Chef José Andrés. I met him in 2014 when I started volunteering at Dine-N-Dash events for his organization, World Central Kitchen. This organization began after the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2011 when José Andrés and his team began assisting with hospitality training, providing clean cookstoves, and school kitchens. Since then, World Central Kitchen has expanded its mission. From Hawaii to Indonesia, the organization has been feeding millions affected by natural disasters.
Chef José Andrés was one of the first celebrities to arrive in Puerto Rico after the hurricane. He reached out to many chefs across the island and beyond to create Chefs for Puerto Rico, which as of late 2018 has provided over 3,000,000 meals to people in need across the island. Seeing what he has done for my homeland has given a powerful meaning to my volunteer work for World Central Kitchen.
I wanted José to share a bit about how his experience in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria changed his life. Here’s our interview:
Jessica: A few days after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, you decided to go to Puerto Rico and cook for the thousands of displaced people throughout the island. What inspired you to do that?
José Andrés: after the hurricane, I had this sense of urgency to be there and to try to make a small difference, help out in some way. I remembered back to the experience I had after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and what World Central Kitchen did after the flooding in Peru, the hurricane in Houston, the fires in California—and I knew that it was urgent for us to be in Puerto Rico, even if just to be there and help for a few days. Chefs, we are people of action, so I just decided to go with my team and see what we could do to help.
Jessica: You arrived in Puerto Rico for what was supposed to be a short relief trip, you ended up staying for a while. Can you tell us more about your experience? What made you stay longer?
José Andrés: You’re right—when we arrived in Puerto Rico, we were planning on staying for a few days and feeding 1,000, maybe 2,000 people. But what we found was that the island was hungry and the people didn’t have money for food. None of the ATMs were working. There was no electricity, there was no fuel, there was no power—the entire island was shut down. Restaurants were closed. Hospitals didn’t have food. There was no clean water. The need was real.
We saw that there was no grand plan for feeding the island … the officials there were talking about how to feed people in 3 weeks or a month. But we realized people were hungry today, right now. The urgency of NOW was what motivated us. When people are hungry—and remember that these are American citizens—let’s not worry about what’s going to happen in 3 weeks, but what we are doing today to feed people. We realized that we didn’t need to plan, we needed to cook.
So as chefs, we began doing what we do best: we began finding sources of food, and we found kitchens, and the most amazing people. Jose Enrique, an amazing person and an amazing chef, volunteered his kitchen, and we just started to cook. And that’s what we did—we began feeding the people of Puerto Rico. We cooked sancocho, this stew of pork, corn, and yuca, and made 1,000 meals on day one, and within a week we were making 25,000. And now our team has been working there for almost eight months, and we have served over 3.5 million meals, and are working with local businesses and farmers and food trucks to get them back online and building resiliency for the next emergency.
Photo Credit: World Central Kitchen
Jessica: I followed your journey on Twitter. You went to towns I have never even visited before! What do you have to say about the spirit of the Puerto Rican people?
This was really the story of the amazing people of Puerto Rico who came together to feed themselves. I am in awe of the people of the island, who truly became one and started solving the issues they faced one problem at a time. There are so many people—the 80-year old woman who is sharing her only bottle of water with those around her, the two little girls who make sure everyone in line is fed before they have their lunch—who inspired me to keep going, keep pushing. We met so many incredible volunteers who showed up to help: hundreds of people, thousands of people who were creating a movement with us. This was a movement with a very simple idea that everyone could get behind: let’s feed the hungry. And that’s what we did, together.
Jessica: Puerto Rico needs more visitors than ever. What would you say to a potential visitor who may be hesitant of visiting the island after everything that has happened?
José Andrés: People, why are you hesitating? Puerto Rico is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and it is the perfect destination right now because by simply showing up you are helping with the island’s recovery! The airport is back to full capacity and there are lots of options for getting to San Juan. Businesses in San Juan are getting back on their feet, there are food trucks, there are restaurants making some of the best food in the country. La Placita in Santurce is packed every weekend with dancing and incredible places to eat. Beachside hotels in Condado are starting to fill up with visitors, and Old San Juan is ideal for an evening stroll around the old fortress. This is the time to go, spend time with your fellow Americans and learn more about the island, its culture, its cuisine.
Jessica: Despite the struggles that the island is going through, the renaissance of Puerto Rican cuisine continues with many young talented chefs. Any notable chefs or restaurants that you have experienced during your most recent travels?
José Andrés: One of my good friends, Jose Enrique—he’s one of the chefs supporting the #ChefsForPuertoRico team—has one of the best restaurants in Puerto Rico (and in America). You need to go to his place in Santurce. You must also check out Mario Pagan’s restaurant in San Juan, and get a rum sour at José Santaella’s place. And the food truck scene at the Miramar Food Truck Park is something you need to experience. Peko Peko, Yummy Dumplings, The Meatball Company. And if you are ever traveling through Morovis, you must go to Maelo’s. I am not joking, it is the best chicken in the world.
