Started From a Marshmallow
Pacaya, located at an altitude of 2,552 m above sea level, is one of three active volcanoes out of 32 in Guatemala. Having “waked up” 23 times in the past 5 centuries, Pacaya is considered one of the most dangerous and famous volcanoes in the world. Most recently, in early 2021, Pacaya erupted violently with columns of ash, red lava jets shooting high and lava flows up to 1.6 km long.
Although feared by many, Pacaya volcano is even more attractive to adventure seekers.
The ash and lava flows pose a danger to the local people in the nearby villages, forcing local authorities to keep a close eye on them. However, none of them have succeeded in keeping tourists away, and Pacaya remains a popular tourist destination in Guatemala, and nothing can deter adventure seekers. In fact, for David Garcia, a local amateur chef, this is where he came up with his unique idea - baking pizza using the heat from the lava flows at the foot of the volcano, which has made Pacaya pizza world-famous.
David Garcia - father of lava pizza.
A native of San Vicente Pacaya, one of 21 small settlements surrounding the Pacaya volcano, Garcia has always been fascinated by the volcano. One day in 2014, he went up the mountain to see what was happening and came across a group of tourists roasting marshmallows on lava. He immediately had the idea of using the intense heat the volcano emitted to cook.
This not only helped Garcia pursue his passion for food, but also earn money from it. However, Garcia shared that it was difficult at first. The amateur chef initially tried grilling steaks and braising chicken, but found he needed to carry too many ingredients to prepare the dishes. Then, when he discovered a lava cave with an oven-like structure, Garcia thought of pizza.
The first time he tried to bake a pizza on lava, he unsurprisingly burned it. The second was just as bad, but the third was a perfectly cooked masterpiece, with a crispy golden crust topped with melted cheese. He has since found his ideal “Pacaya oven” dish.
Become a Pacaya Pizza Store
It took David Garcia about five years to turn his passion for pizza into a business. His Pizza Pacaya store opened in 2019. Now, climbing the volcano has become a daily routine for Garcia, who will often carry a backpack filled with nearly 30 kg of utensils and ingredients to bake pizza for tourists.
Following the 34-year-old chef to the site, witnessing the process of baking pizza at the foot of the volcano is an extremely interesting experience. On the outside, Garcia's pizza looks like a normal pie, but the main difference is that the oven is made from lava and the cake mold can withstand temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius.
Volcano climbing is now Garcia’s daily job. He usually carries a backpack containing nearly 30 kg of utensils and ingredients to bake pizza for tourists.
Garcia said that after spreading the dough into a special mold and adding the necessary ingredients such as meat, sausage, cheese, vegetables, etc., he will place the mold in a rock cavity with the right temperature to bake the cake. With this special "oven", Pacaya pizza is ready to serve in less than 15 minutes. Diners will enjoy a hot, fragrant piece of cake amidst a beautiful setting and especially the smell of charcoal. Of course, when baking the cake, Garcia must wear protective clothing and boots to protect his feet.
In less than 15 minutes, you can enjoy a hot Pacaya pizza amidst a breathtaking view.
The taste of the cake will surely make even dogs crave it...
Felipe Aldana, a tourist who has experienced Garcia's special dish, shared his feelings: "Enjoying a pizza cooked on the red lava of a volcano is the most interesting and unique thing in the world."
With hundreds of people visiting the Pacaya volcano every day, Pizza Pacaya is almost never empty, allowing Garcia to earn extra income and satisfy his passion for food.
a luxurious experience
This experience is not entirely risk-free. To enjoy a pizza baked by lava, visitors must take an adventurous and challenging trip. The road to conquer Pacaya is quite difficult - the dangerous mountain slopes make many people "scared to death" just by looking at them, and the higher the path, the steeper and more difficult it becomes. The layer of cooled lava rubble covering the bottom sometimes makes you feel like sliding down the slope, and all around are sharp, jagged lava rocks like casuarinas, just waiting to pierce your skin if you are not careful. Not only that, diners need to drink a lot of water to cope with the heat on the volcano, because according to research from the University of Hawaii, inhaling volcanic gas can be very dangerous.
The road to conquer Pacaya is extremely difficult and challenging.
Visitors should prepare supplies and clothes in case of cold weather.
Also, while most people think of Guatemala as a tropical climate, when doing these adventurous activities, visitors should also be wary of the cold. The weather in Pacaya can get quite windy and cold, so visitors should bring thermals, light jackets and even... blankets.
In return, they will be able to enjoy "lava pizza" as a delicacy, one-of-a-kind in the world.
