In the age of Instagram and TikTok, the new generations aim for popularity away from the restaurant industry. Chef-star María Lo explains why it's worth focusing on social media.
The opinion
María Lo, originally from Chiclana de la Frontera, 34 years old, often appears on social media very laid-back, wearing a simple cotton t-shirt and comfortable jeans. From the moment you stumble upon her profile, she will convey a sense of authenticity, simplicity, and sincere attachment to her roots, values that characterize her cooking and that she shares with the numerous followers reached on social networks (now almost 400,000).
Her passion for cooking stems from a special bond with her father, a Hong Kong immigrant to Spain in the 1950s. Although he didn't just teach her culinary techniques, but above all the importance of dedication, commitment, and love in preparing a dish for others. "Making a meal for someone is an act of love," remembers María, who learned on her own and continued to do so even after completing her master's degree at the Basque Culinary Center, obtained as a prize for her victory in MasterChef 10.
Although she initially felt a sense of "panic" in trying to shake off the label of talent show winner, today María looks back on the experience with gratitude and confidence. "Cooking makes me feel good, and I have managed to remain true to myself," she says confidently to the microphones of El País, which has traced her career here. With over 60% of her followers not even aware of her participation in the TV program, María proves to be appreciated for her work and authenticity, rather than for fame. Through social networks, María shares traditional recipes and dishes linked to her Asian origins, offering followers the opportunity to explore cooking with a "democratic" approach. "I love sharing my grandmother's recipes and showing people how to prepare tasty and genuine dishes," she comments, emphasizing the importance of valuing culinary traditions and fighting prejudices.
Her new project, Lo: cooking, product, and nature, available on RTVE Play, reflects her careful and passionate approach to cooking, highlighting raw materials and collaboration with other experts in the gastronomic and cultural sectors. Although she has always dreamed of opening her own restaurant, María has never worked in one. And even though she hasn't completely abandoned the idea, she has simply set it aside for now; she doesn't want to give up her lifestyle for content production. After all, for a one-and-a-half-minute video, she often has to work eight hours between editing and recording. She herself has dispelled the idea that to be a cook, you have to necessarily work in a restaurant kitchen.
“I'm passionate about gastronomy, yes, but I don't want to spend 300 hours working in a restaurant. I refuse, whether it's my own place or someone else's. At this moment, I have the opportunity to continue creating, managing my own time, studying in parallel, learning millions of things, and creating recipes that make sense to people. I collaborate with different brands, which provide me with a stable income, and for now, I will continue through this path as long as I can because it seems like a privilege to me.” In addition to producing online content, María has published a recipe book and plans to organize pop-ups and private dinners, with the goal of sharing her passion for cooking with an increasingly wider audience. Thanks to her authentic approach, María Lo continues to win the hearts of followers, demonstrating that gastronomy goes beyond preparing dishes and beyond the four walls of a kitchen.
