Women who transform Mexican gastronomy

Behind Mexican knowledge and flavor are women. Those guardians of our life and seasoning who are our mothers and grandmothers, and in turn, their mothers and grandmothers. Many women have kept alive the chain of heritage with the recipes and secrets that today make up our national cuisine, as Mexican chef Celia Florián affirms, “it is women who have fed us for centuries.” According to Betty Vázquez, “this is where deep cooking is found, especially the love, because that is where maternal love is passed on to the next generation.”This March 8th, International Women's Day, we pay tribute to all women, both present and absent, in this small space. “Let us remember that for many years the role of women in Mexican cuisine was not recognized, not even at home, as cooking was assumed to be an obligation,” says Celia Florián. Times change, and the work of women like those who bring this text to life are a fundamental part of the revaluation of women in the culinary field.Next, we present three women who inspire transformation in Mexican cuisine:Celia FloriánOriginally from Zimatlán de Álvarez, Oaxaca, she experienced life in the countryside and cooking from a young age. In 1992, she founded her restaurant Las Quince Letras, which promotes endemic products from her state, as well as the culinary techniques learned from her family. Celia has fought to promote the importance of women’s roles in Mexican cuisine as bearers of ancestral knowledge. That is why, since 2015, she has presided over the Association of Traditional Cooks of Oaxaca, and in 2022 she was awarded the Chef of the Year award by the Guía México Gastronómico 2022 Los 250 Restaurantes 2022 by Culinaria Mexicana. For Celia, the most important thing is to support women with their culinary knowledge so that they can conquer their role in Mexican gastronomy. Also, to excel in their cooking, meeting the expectations of diners who visit from all over the world. “My commitment translates into inspiration for other women, who like me, cook with dedication and passion; I want them to know that nothing is impossible as in my case: I did not study gastronomy and I achieved the distinction of Chef of the Year through my dedication in the kitchen.”This year, the meeting of Traditional Cooks is expected in Oaxaca, which Celia is organizing with Adriana Aguilar and an incredible work team, as well as with the support of the Municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, which will take place to commemorate the 490th anniversary of its elevation to city status, where the best of the state's kitchens will come together, as well as her new terrace at Las Quince Letras. José GaliciaBetty Vázquez Born in Nayarit, she solidified an indelible love for her state and for Mexico. She started cooking with her grandmother; today she runs Hotel Garza Canela with her family, where you can enjoy the best flavors of the Pacific at El Delfín, her restaurant.Visiting Betty and her family is a must-stop in Mexico and especially in San Blas, Nayarit, because Betty replicates the love learned in all her dishes and in her personal and professional life.Today she is an ambassador of Nayarit cuisine worldwide and actively promotes the establishment of a gastronomic industry in an equal context, where all women can make their presence felt in the kitchens of Mexico. “Let us fall in love again, first, with the kitchens that belonged to our grandmothers, then, with all those textures, ingredients, and culinary techniques they passed on to us. Today, more than ever, we have to be a great team, men and women, working together for a better gastronomic future, seeking respect and equity.”Get to know more about Betty in each new episode of Master Chef México, a TV Azteca program in which she is a judge, and in her Nayarit paradise that will always fill you with love with her family. Jair Ramírez, Prensa y difusión AztecaRaquel Del Castillo Without Raquel Pastel, as you can find her on social media and as we know her friends, gastronomic journalism would not be what it is today. She is a journalist with 14 years of experience in the most important media and agencies in the country, dedicated to sharing the best of Mexican cuisine. For her, gastronomic journalism is a service to the community.“From this front, we tell stories, not only to entertain or recommend where to eat, it is about informing and providing readers with tools to make better purchasing decisions, with responsible consumption for both themselves and the environment. I believe it is a way to connect with agriculture, trends, cultures, history, and even the economy,” she asserts. Similarly, it is her commitment to continue working to seek stories and share them with her community as an editor of Menú, of the newspaper El Universal.This note is dedicated to them and to all our mothers, grandmothers, friends, sisters, and cooks who have given us a flavor for perpetuity! Share your culinary story with a woman with us.