Graciela Caffa wins two titles at World Empanada Championship

Chef Graciela “Gachi” Caffa Lucero, the Gastronomy Ambassador of Neuquén, has been crowned a world champion at the 2026 World Pizza and Empanada Championship held at La Rural in Palermo, Buenos Aires.

Caffa secured first place in two distinct categories: Regional Empanada and Classic Empanada. Her winning regional recipe featured ingredients native to the Neuquén province, including goat meat, ñaco, and Patagonian pine nuts (piñón patagónico). She enhanced the dish for the international competition by incorporating pine nuts into the sauce to strengthen its regional identity.

In the Classic Empanada category, she presented a meat-based recipe with a unique personal touch. The achievement highlights the local culinary traditions and the work of regional producers involved in the cultivation and harvesting of these specific ingredients.