Tour guide in Jerez de la frontera Edgar S.

I believe the best way to understand a place is through its food, its people, and its stories. As a chef, I’ve spent my life chasing great cooking and authentic experiences. Once, I arrived in Japan to cook for an official Colombia–Japan government dinner, carrying a suitcase packed with raw vegetables and artisanal ingredients. A Japanese officer asked whether everything complied with agricultural regulations. I told him, “If you open it, you’ll have to confiscate everything.” He looked at me, then at the suitcase, and said, “Then I won’t open it. Welcome to Japan.” I knew right then I was going to love Japan. Back in Colombia, I founded the Gastronomic Congress of Popayán, helping the city become UNESCO’s first Creative City of Gastronomy in 2005. At one festival, we brought legendary cowboys from Colombia’s eastern plains. They cooked and played music for 72 straight hours. Eventually, we had to take them into the streets to give away steak dinners because they simply refused to stop. Today, my passion is Jerez. I’m a master blender and the creator of a premium rum crafted here, and I’ve come to know Jerez not just as a destination, but as a place to live, eat, drink and share. I don’t want to show you the Jerez from a tourist brochure. I want to show you the Jerez, Cadiz and bay area I share with friends: unexpected corners, extraordinary food, great wines, local characters, and stories you won’t find in a guidebook. Come hungry. Come curious. And be prepared to discover Cadiz, Jerez, San Lucar a little differently.