Here's what the Pope eats everyday

There’s no bigger honour for a devout Catholic chef than cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for the Pope whenever he is in town.

For Mexican chef, Jose Ibarra, it's like a dream come true.

Ibarra was chosen to cook for Pope Benedict during his first visit to Mexico City in 2012.

Now in 2016, Ibarra together with his team of five chefs, were given the honour again to cook for Pope Francis during his five-day tour around the country this week.

“It’s an experience that can’t be matched,” Ibarra told news.com.au on the final day of Pope’s stay. “Being chosen to cook for the Pope is an indication of the quality of your work and the confidence people have in you,” he says.

All of the Pope’s meals were prepared at the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican’s diplomatic headquarters in Mexico City.

At 79, the Argentine Pope has certain dietary restrictions. Ibarra had to be cautious of preparing anything too spicy or greasy that might cause digestive problems and had to serve seedless fruits to aid digestion.

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His Holiness even brought his own drinking water from the Vatican because of its low sodium content.

Ibarra told news.com.au that he preferred simple dishes like rice, pasta or soup with bread, sometimes served with a glass of orange, mandarin or green juice.

Breakfast was also a simple, with the Pope kicking each day off with a plate of cold meats, cheese, toast, sweet Mexican bread and a cup of green tea. The only sign of decadence were the Pope’s after-dinner chocolates, Ibarra said.

Despite the dietary requirements and being relied on to provide healthy, tasty and safe meals, Ibarra said he was given complete freedom when it came to deciding what to serve.

“We concentrate heavily on presentation and the quality of the salsa or garnish so that it doesn’t look cheap. We wanted to make something simple that looks great,” Ibarra said.

Having previously cooked for Pope Benedict, Ibarra said he didn’t feel any great pressure this time around.

“Pope Francis is very warm and easygoing, which helps you to stay calm when you’re cooking for him. Having a Pope who comes into the kitchen to greet all the chefs gives you the confidence to stay calm and keep going,” he said.

Ibarra, who also manages Mexico City’s Brazilian steak joint Don Sazon, said he drew on his experiences cooking for two of Mexico’s ex presidents, Felipe Calderón and Vicente Fox, several state governors and Mexican actors.

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Despite being more comfortable cooking for the Pope this time, his busy schedule proved to be a challenge.

“His breakfast would last just 15 to 20 minutes, lunch would be for 40 to 50 minutes, and dinner could last for up to an hour. So we had to be very quick in serving everyone because the Holy Father does not like to leave the table until everyone has finished,” he said.

After weeks of hard work and little sleep, Ibarra said he loved the experience but is looking forward to going home.

“I’m incredibly grateful and excited that I was able to do this,” he reflected. “And I’m really tired.”

Who wouldn’t be!

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