Chocotenango
Aberrahmane Neggaz, a native of Algiers, Algeria, grew up surrounded by the smells and flavors of his mother’s kitchen. He has been a professional chef since 1994. Igniting his love of cooking, he started his career in the bread and sweets department of Cranks, in London, England. He went on to study Pastry Arts at Newbury College in Newton, MA and additionally received a professional chef’s degree from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Continuing his love of learning, he studied sugarwork under Chef Notter. Abderrahmane worked as an Assistant Pastry Chef at Upstairs at the Pudding and led the savory team at the Rialto, both in the Boston area. Moving to Guatemala to accommodate his wife’s new job, he opened a small cooking school before opening his own chocolate business, Chocotenango (meaning the place of chocolate) where he created over 100 original recipes and quickly become the go to place for chocolate in the region. Abderrahmane’s versatility is perfectly suited to the creative pursuit of chocolate, in which he can balance both sweet and savory. In 2008, he was awarded first place at the 13th International Gastronomy Festival in Guatemala in the chocolate category. Now based in Washington DC, Chocotenango reopened in 2013 after Neggaz spent a few years working at the Four Seasons in Georgetown. Neggaz derives his inspiration from the unique ingredients that make up local cuisines from around the globe. Truly a global citizen, Abderrahmane speaks four languages, has lived on four continents and has traveled extensively. He often says, “I don’t find ingredients, they find me.”