APUGA reveals 2025 National Gastronomy nominees
The Puerto Rican Academy of Gastronomy, known by its Spanish acronym APUGA, has announced the nominees for the 2025 National Gastronomy Awards, an event that will celebrate the island’s culinary excellence on Nov. 13 at the Urban Hub at Popular Center in San Juan.
This year’s ceremony will be the first to take place in person and will recognize talent guided by APUGA’s four core values: Healthy, Supportive, Sustainable and Satisfactory gastronomy.
“With this first in-person edition of the National Gastronomy Awards, Puerto Rico marks a historic milestone that celebrates not only the extraordinary talent of our chefs, producers and culinary creators, but also the fundamental role that gastronomy plays in shaping our identity, strengthening tourism and driving the country’s economic growth,” said César Cordero-Krüger, president of APUGA.
Nominees include some of Puerto Rico’s best-known restaurants and culinary figures, among them Verde Mesa, Orujo, Cocina al Fondo, Marmalade, Santaella, Frutos del Guacabo and El Pretexto. Categories range from Healthy and Sustainable Gastronomy to Mixology with Identity and Innovation and Creative Fusion.
More than 150 submissions were evaluated by a local jury of culinary academics and professionals, with winners to be chosen by an international panel representing the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy and other global institutions.
“This event is much more than an awards ceremony: it is a pioneering platform that celebrates our culinary heritage, empowers new generations and showcases to the world the richness and innovation of Puerto Rican gastronomy,” said Madelaine Vázquez, executive director of APUGA.
