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A video has gone viral in which a man uses the volcano as an oven! In the gastro scene of Guatemala, there is a chef who is turning heads. His name is Mario David García Mansilla — that guy who makes pizza on the smoldering rocks of the active Pacayá volcano. There is a scene in the video where the pizza is placed on the foot of the volcano. There are sounds of swooshing winds and glimpses of a makeshift pizzeria under an umbrella on the volcano. It is reported that he makes the pizza in under 15 minutes, and the taste is smoky, yet, distinct.
Seeing the river of fiery lava, our guess is that it must be 1800 - 2000 degrees Celsius out there. Chef Mansilla is leaving social media followers aghast, who are worried about the ash and the smell of fumes. But what about the pizza? Wouldn’t it be toxic? Yet, this business operation is taking off simultaneously, as daring visitors make their way to the volcano to try “pizza pacayá”
Chef Mansilla wished to try something different, so he thought of the idea.
The people who reside near the mighty mountain have expressed their concerns. In 2010, the volcano exploded, and ashes reached the Guatemala International Airport, too. But since then, there has not been any such incident. The question is: what peaked Chef’s curiosity?
In Guatemala, there have been many occasions on which the tourists are allowed to roast marshmallows on the hardened lava by tourist guides. And now, the chef’s venture is advertised as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tourists make reservations before coming to try pizza pacayá. Since 2019, the pizzeria has been in service. The lockdown restrictions have not tampered with the chef’s pizza-making plans. Visitors are frequent.
