Her name and her work have long resonated in the gastronomic world, and this year she has become the best female chef in the world according to the prestigious list The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Many of you have already heard of her, her name is Pía León and she is a Peruvian chef who has spent years working to turn experience into wisdom and redefine success according to her own priorities. "León is ready to take the world stage and get the recognition she deserves," the organization stated. 

The 34-year-old cook, in charge of Kjolle, in the Barranco district of Lima, was for 10 years head of the kitchen of Central, located in the same building and of which she is co-owner with her partner Virgilio Martínez, with whom she also runs Mil, a project in the Andes at an altitude of 3,680 meters.

In 2015, León decided to start his own restaurant to express her "own ideas" and have her "own voice". Thus, in 2018 she opened the doors of Kjolle and the following year it was already in the 21st position of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America. Kjolle's proposal highlights Peruvian ingredients through a seven-step tasting menu and an à la carte offer, so that diners "can learn about Peruvian biodiversity."

It uses ingredients such as loche, a type of pumpkin; the cocona, an Amazonian plant; tubers from the Andes mountain range; as well as fish and shellfish from the coasts of the country; and they modify the offer of dishes according to the season, turning the cuisine into "delicate, tasty and aesthetic".

But Leon's achievements don't stop at Kjolle and Central. The chef, along with Martínez, is working in new restaurants in the Amazon, Russia and Japan. In turn, she finds time to exercise, field trips to find new ingredients, and quality time with her young child; and puts her success in managing a family, in various restaurant businesses, in discipline, in determination, and in organization.

“It is an honour to name Pía León as 'The World's Best Female Chef' 2021. Her dedication to gender parity in her cuisine and her passion for using indigenous ingredients from her country have set a benchmark for others. We have no doubt that Pía's work will change the future of gastronomy and help more women succeed in some of the best kitchens in the world, ”said William Drew, Director of Content for ‘50 Best’.