Groundbreaking Chef Ángel León Named Food Hero by the United Nations’ FAO

Spanish Chef Ángel Leon is getting the recognition he deserves. The “Chef of the Sea” has a new title, “Food Hero,” which he recently received from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. The FAO recognized him for his tireless efforts to globally promote sustainable seafood cuisine, raise awareness about water management, and work to find solutions to food and environmental challenges.

In World Food Day, on October 16^th, the FAO is recognizing those Food Heroes who promote the responsible use of water and the seas. This year’s slogan is “Water is Life. Water is Food.” 

Says the FAO, the campaign this year “calls for global solidarity to raise awareness with Food Heroes about how we all need to stop taking water for granted and improve the way we use it in our daily lives. At his restaurant Aponiente, chef Ángel León and his team promote sustainable culinary and fishing practices that protect marine ecosystems and contribute to the conservation of the sea's natural resources.”

León is known for his commitment to discovering the untapped potential of the oceans to help feed the planet, saying “I believe that the true future of humanity lies in looking towards the sea.” He is known for first using marine phytoplankton as an ingredient and he’s harvested grains from marine eelgrass, the so called ‘sea rice’.

Recently, he presented his latest discovery at San Sebastián Gastronomika congress. León announced a discovery that could transform the world of food: an extraordinary source of plant proteins of marine origin: Canavalia rosea. “This is something that we never dreamed of finding," commented Ángel León during his presentation, adding “it has 50% protein and 40% carbohydrates.”