Juan Carlos Roldán

Juan Carlos Roldán is considered one of Spain’s foremost experts on wild plants, knowledge he has transformed into a bridge between nature and contemporary haute cuisine. His experience as a forager and ethnobotanist has led him to supply wild species to prestigious restaurants in Spain and abroad, becoming a reference point for chefs interested in ancestral flavors and products from the countryside.

Originally from the Sierra de Otíñar in Jaén, Roldán does not see himself merely as a forager: he is a keen observer of the landscape, able to uncover the stories and hidden values of around 300 plant species that grow spontaneously in the Mediterranean environment. His work is rooted in the family transmission of knowledge about wild plants that have nourished rural communities for generations, which he now rescues and highlights from a gastronomic and cultural perspective.