Imagine a table where ancestral flavors are served with modern techniques—where the history of a region is told through a dish. That’s the experience these Latino women chefs offer. They’ve gained international recognition not only for their talent but for their commitment to culture and sustainability.
Today, you’ll meet five of them who are making a mark in Latin American and global cuisine. This article is designed to help you explore culture, discover inspiring projects, and practice your Spanish with real content!
🇧🇴 Marsia Taha (Bolivia): Biodiversity on the Plate
Chef of Gustu restaurant, Marsia was recognized as Latin America’s Best Female Chef 2024 by Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. She leads the project “Sabores Silvestres”, working with Indigenous communities to recover native ingredients from the Andes and the Amazon.
Her cuisine is a laboratory of biodiversity and an act of cultural resistance.
🇸🇻 Karla Tatiana Vásquez (El Salvador/USA): The Grandmothers’ Recipe Book
Author of The SalviSoul Cookbook, Vásquez documents traditional Salvadoran recipes from the perspective of women who cooked to sustain their families and preserve cultural identity.
Her book was nominated for the James Beard Foundation Awards, one of the highest honors in the culinary world.
🇩🇴 Chef Tita (Dominican Republic): Diplomacy Over a Low Flame
Inés Páez, known as Chef Tita, has transformed Dominican cuisine into a tool for diplomacy and education. She has served as the country’s culinary ambassador and leads nutrition projects using traditional Dominican ingredients.
She was awarded the Medalla al Mérito de la Mujer Dominicana in 2024.
🇲🇽 Thalía Barrios García (Mexico): Oaxacan Cuisine with a Star
At just 30 years old, Thalía received the Michelin Mexico 2024 Young Chef Award for her work at Levadura de Olla, a restaurant in Oaxaca that honors local knowledge and traditional ingredients such as heirloom corn, wild greens, and moles.
🇲🇽 Lupita Vidal (Mexico): Rescuing the Memory of the Southeast
Researcher, cook, and author, Lupita Vidal was recognized as Chef of the Year 2025 for her book Agua y humo, which documents the culinary wealth of Tabasco. Her work blends ethnography, cooking, and cultural activism.
Food has always been a meaningful part of my life, not just as something to enjoy, but as a way to connect with people, places, and memory. Living in New York City—a place renowned for its incredible culinary diversity—has only deepened my appreciation for the stories behind each dish. I come from a family with a strong food tradition: my parents ran a family-run hotel in Liberia, Guanacaste, where my mother’s cooking became locally famous. That passion lives on—my niece, Kattya Quirós, is now proudly bringing the flavor of Costa Rica to Albuquerque through her business, Buen Provecho Albuquerque. I’ll be writing more about her inspiring work in an upcoming article. For now, this piece is a tribute to all the powerful, creative women who cook with memory, purpose, and vision.
Sources Consulted:
- The World’s 50 Best Restaurants: Marsia Taha
- El País: Karla Tatiana Vásquez
- Diario Libre: Chef Tita
- Michelin Guide: Thalía Barrios García
- Gentleman México: Lupita Vidal
