'Huma Live' with Chef Juan Carlos Nehme - Specialty Coffee in the world of gastronomy.

Written by: Samantha Jijón Gagliardo - @SamiGagli

The third season of Huma Live has just begun, and we're thrilled to have this new section on the website. Here you'll find answers to questions from our guests, experiences, and, above all, the best parts we shared about coffee.

This time, we had Chef Juan Carlos Nehme as our guest, who is back in Ecuador. Chef Juan Carlos told us about his beginnings in gastronomy, his passion for basketball, and how his inability to play the sport due to injury led him to become a chef. His search for another adrenaline-fueled activity led him to work in various restaurant kitchens, starting out at the contemporary Ecuadorian restaurant La Pizarra. "I will always be grateful to Juanjo for giving me so many opportunities."

This is how the young chef took the initiative to pursue his passion and begin his culinary education. After searching several universities, Juan Carlos decided on the prestigious Basque Culinary Center , known as a world-renowned institution. Juan Carlos emphasized that his parents' support has always been very important in his decisions and throughout his learning process.

His education at the Basque Culinary Center not only took him to a high level, but also opened the doors to internships in multi-Michelin-star restaurants, where coffee was a must.

What one might think about how fine dining restaurants include coffee on their menus might not be as common as what most people think of when they hear wine recommendations from a specialized sommelier. Well, that's not quite the case. Juan Carlos told us from his experience about the great value coffee receives in these great restaurants, which, like other products, carries the same importance. It is valued and exalted as a way to close a good dinner.

Every "Huma Live" show never runs out of questions for our guests. These were some of the questions they asked the chef.

What was the coffee that changed your life? Laughing, Chef Juan Carlos confessed that the coffee that changed his life was Huma . His love of coffee has always been present in his life. Although his tastes have evolved, he was always on the lookout for specialty coffees. He remembers having the opportunity to try Huma coffee at a music festival. "I had heard of Huma; that it's specialty coffee... I tried it and said, 'Wow, I found it!' This was the coffee that took me somewhere else... everything was perfect."

What is your preferred brewing method in your daily routine? Chef Juan Carlos's most popular methods include V60 and Aeropress, although he also told us he'd love to wake up and make a cortadito at La Marzocco.

Which historical figure would you have a coffee with, and why? Juan Carlos didn't hesitate to name the renowned and remembered Anthony Bourdain, who passed away two years ago. "I would love to sit down with him and learn. He would give me the opportunity to give him a delicious cup of coffee and have a conversation."

There were definitely many things we shared in our first broadcast at the start of our third season of Huma en Vivo. We feel very honored to have been able to share the experience with a great professional who is eager to make a difference in our society through Ecuadorian gastronomy, valuing and respecting the work of each individual to leave our country proud. "The future is in our hands; we must take it step by step and with patience," says Chef Juan Carlos Nehme.

Don't miss our next live on our Instagram account .