Choly Berreteaga

Choly Berreteaga
Berreteaga (right) with Marta Ballina (left) in 1986
Born
María Esther Brañeiro

(1927-10-09)9 October 1927
Died26 December 2018(2018-12-26) (aged 91)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
OccupationsChef, TV presenter, and writer
SpouseTiago Berreteaga
Children2

María Esther Brañeiro (9 October 1927 – 26 December 2018), known by her stage name Choly Berreteaga, was an Argentine chef, television presenter, and writer.

Early life and education

Berreteaga was born as María Esther Brañeiro on 9 October 1927[1] in Larouco, Galicia, Spain. Her father was Galician, her mother's father was from Navarre.[2] In the late 1940s, Berreteaga's family moved to the small town of Castelar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, after a doctor recommended moving there to treat her pneumonia.[3][4]

Career

Before her television career, Berreteaga taught at School 17 General José de San Martín in Castelar.[4]

When channel 13's [es] Buenas Tardes, Mucho Gusto (Good Afternoon, Nice to Meet You) show gave housewives the opportunity to prepare a dish live on air in 1963, Berreteaga's niece Alicia convinced her to apply.[4] From 1986, Berreteaga worked for the television programme Utilísima [es]. She cooked on camera until she was 86, and said goodbye in a series called 50 Years with Choly.[5][6]

Berreteaga also published over 50 cookbooks. Her book Easy Cooking for the Modern Woman (1976) is a best-selling book in Argentina.[4] Other notable publications include The Cuisine of Our Land (1991).[7] She has also published a work of fiction, La Casa Olvidada (The Forgotten House).[4]

Honors and awards

In 2009, Berreteaga was declared an illustrious citizen of the Partido de Morón.[8][1] In 2014, she was awarded the Norma Pla Prize by the University of Morón.[4]

Death

Berreteaga died on 26 December 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, aged 91.[2][9][5][10]

Personal life

In 1955, Berreteaga married Tiago Berreteaga and took his surname.[3] They had twins together, Claudia María and Luis.[9] Her husband died in 2010.

References

  1. ^ a b "Choly Berreteaga, the soul of Argentine cuisine". Ser Argentino. 9 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Choly Berreteaga". Euskal kultura (in Basque). Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Choly Berreteaga, la creadora de la cocina fácil para la mujer moderna y su gran secreto que pocos sabían". Revista Pronto (in Spanish). 13 April 2025. Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Colonna, Gabriel E.; Vivas, Leandro Fernandez (14 July 2014). "Choly Berreteaga: el amor en forma de buñuelos". Castelar Digital (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  5. ^ a b Santagati, Adriana (26 December 2018). "Murió Choly Berreteaga, una de las pioneras de la cocina en la TV". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  6. ^ "Fallece la gallega Choly Berreteaga, una de las pioneras de la cocina en la televisión". Global Galicia (in Spanish). 27 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  7. ^ Tobin, Jeff. (2002) "The culinary construction of nationality." Cultural Heritage Issues (8)27. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Sesión Especial del 22-12-2009" (PDF). www.hcdmoron.gov.ar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Diario Democracia". Diario Democracia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Murió Choly Berreteaga, la mujer que llevó la cocina fácil a la televisión". El Cronista (in Spanish). 26 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.