I always loved acidity – it is a flavour that strongly marked my childhood. I come from an area where the marinades are kings, so this was the flavour I grew up with. The acidity awakens your palate preparing it for other flavours. At the same time it is the most difficult flavour to work with – finding the right balance requires a real mastery.

When testing a new dish, a new sauce, I am always looking for intensity. I am trying to create a strong flavour, a nicely rounded umami, which plays with the brain, challenging the taste buds with a balance of saltines, acidity, sweetness and bitterness … Like with “Portuguese Umami” which is elevated by a beautiful acidity deriving from the fermentation of dried fish and from the lemon grass.  I don’t like boring, monotonous dishes, I want to create roller-coasters of flavours.

Alexandre Silva, Loco (Lisbon, Portugal)