Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano has been erupting since February and local people and authorities are on high alert. But this erupting volcano has become someone's kitchen.
David Garcia has made the streams of molten lava flowing down the mountainside his kitchen. Gracia is a 34-year-old accountant who serves Pizza cooked on the smoldering volcanic rock to attract tourists and locals. He has converted the rocky area that leads to the Pacaya crater into his workplace.
Gracia says, “Many people today come to enjoy the experience of eating pizza made on volcanic heat.”
While doing this unique but risky task, the man uses a metal platter resistible to the temperature up to 1,000 degrees Celcius. He spreads dough on this highly resistible platter, slathers it with tomato sauce, a generous helping of cheese and pieces of meat.
Wearing his safety gears, protective clothing from head to toe, and military-style boots, Gracia places the pizza on lava. After 10 minutes Gracia’s Pacaya Pizza is ready. “It’s done, just let the cheese melt some more,” announces Gracia. And of course, the pizza looks amazing as the cheese bubbles.
Gracia’s quirky kitchen has become the center of attraction for tourists who work up appetite climbing the massive volcano.
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The Pacaya volcano is one of the three active volcanos in Guatemala, which is located just 25 km south of the capital.
While sharing his story, Gracia told that he first started baking pizzas on the mountainsides in 2013. “I didn’t sell much the first few days,” he said. However, with Pacaya regularly spitting out the molten rock he got the idea to cook the pizza directly on the moving lava that has come close to population centers.
“Having pizza cooked in the embers of a volcano is mindblowing and unique in the whole world,” said one of the tourists. The tourist had found about the pizza joint through Facebook and was excited to have this experience.
A dutch visitor, Kelt Van Meurs says, “It is ridiculous just thinking that you are going to eat something cooked on lava, but it is something that you can see only here in Guatemala.”