In an impromptu outdoor kitchen on steep volcanic rocks, chef David Garcia dispenses the dough and arranges the garnishes and ingredients to make a pizza that he will place in a unique oven: a river of lava flows from Pacaya volcano, southern Guatemala. This chef has no interest in heat and prepares what might be the world’s only volcanic pizza.
There weren’t many clients when he started his business three years ago, but the success came thanks to social networks.
Initially, Garcia was baking pizza in hollows in still hot lava, but volcano activity since February gave him the idea of cooking directly on the moving lava.
Indeed, Pakaya, which rises to an altitude of 2,552 meters 25 kilometers south of the capital, is currently under enhanced surveillance: the villagers living on the sides of the volcano are at risk of eruptions and torrential rains … ash. Even lava flows close to inhabited areas.
To work in his infernal kitchen, Garcia – a 34-year-old trained accountant – must wear shoes and gear in shield from the intense heat of the volcano.