Flor del Pago

Italo Colonial Cuisine 

In Lozano, just twenty minutes from the city of San Salvador, and just before entering the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a restaurant of signature cuisine surprised @tripticity_ in one of their usual visits to the never-ending province of Jujuy.

We had decided to visit Caspalá, the authentic town ranked among the most beautiful in the world by the World Tourism Organization. On the way back to the city of Salta, after so many hours of driving on desolate roads, where the immensity of the highlands never seems to end, a gourmet stop felt like a reward for the courage to leave the comfort and dare to adventure. But we did not think that the senses would be so happy with the dishes masterfully prepared by Daniel Hansen, who knew how to achieve success in Buenos Aires with his restaurant Pecora Nera.

It is a country house, with a large garden escorted by tiles from another time. There, like a prodigal son, the chef opened Flor Del Pago in the winter of 2022. His proposal of "Italian-colonial" cuisine, executed in the style of a big city restaurant, surpasses exquisiteness and excellence.

The traditional Italian menu follows the sequence of antipasti, primo and secondo piatto.

That midday in October, the sun was warming the fresh air, a remnant of winter, so we decided to take the table on the terrace.

As a courtesy, we received a few cups of coffee, with which we began the gourmet feast with a delicious peanut soup, artfully served. Upon tasting, we knew immediately that this lunch would be memorable.

The starter was an octopus over humita, a combination of the main dishes of two different cuisines, such as the Spanish-style Mediterranean octopus and the typical local humita.

The main courses that followed were a feast of flavor. A soft bean risotto and a superlative pasta: ravioli of turkey marinated in cognac with champagne cream and fresh mushrooms. Both the pasta and the rice were served to perfection, which shows the rigorous workmanship of the chef, who appeared at the table to greet the diners, fulfilling the ritual of the kitchen's great masters. By the way, Hansen is a member of the mythical Academie Culinaire de France and was recognized by the Academia Italiana della Cucina.

To finish we chose a strudel di mele with an iced cinnamon cream that we accompanied with an infusion also created by Daniel, baptized with the name of lapacho amarillo, a mix of white tea, chamomile, mint, lemon verbena and lemon balm. Another great achievement of the house. Only few restaurants have a tea menu to end the banquet. It was the perfect detail, the great culmination.

We left with the desire to return soon to enjoy the extraordinary cuisine of Flor del Pago and with the joy of knowing that a hotel is planned for this gourmet mecca of northern Argentina that is Jujuy.