Carlos Olaechea

Carlos C. Olaechea, the man behind Carlos Cuisine, was born in Lima, Peru after his mother ate too much at a pachamanca, the Peruvian answer to the clambake but with guinea pigs and tamales. The traditional Andean feast that triggered his birth sparked Carlos’s lifelong love for culture and cuisine. While his peers played video games, young Carlos was studying ethnic cookbooks and experimenting with recipes. Growing up in Miami with an American mother and Peruvian father, Carlos was exposed to many worlds and credits his upbringing with his ability to view culture with an analytical eye.

Carlos began expressing his ideas through writing at the age of 11 with articles he contributed to his middle school newspaper that explained sushi, recommended good local restaurants, and highlighted the African influences in Hispanic culture. He received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology at Florida International University and was the food columnist for his university’s newspaper, The Beacon.

Carlos has continued to unite his three loves - culture, food, and writing - as the Miami dining editor for Joonbug and contributed to Soul of Miami and Examiner, as well as his own blog. He loves getting to the soul of traditional cuisines, is interested in how cities develop a culinary identity, and is eating his way towards becoming a Haitian food expert. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Gastronomy and hopes to publish books demystifying foreign cuisines for Americans, starting with one about the diverse food of his hometown, Lima.