Nomad Cook Blog

I worked five years teaching cooking classes in Oaxaca, mainly to US folks, and a common question often arose from my students. What do you think of the work of people like Rick Bayless or Enrique Olvera? Different tones and intentions changed; some had a true curiosity about their empires, and others were more leaning towards their narrative of educating people in the north about the food from here. I assume this curiosity mostly comes from my participation in the podcast Lost in Mexico, and my post about Cultural Appropriation in Food, where Nita asked me about my perspectives on white chefs like him, profiting off of so-called, Mexican culture. But, what is that anyway?

Eight years ago I worked in software development, one of my last jobs was as a freelancer for one of the largest brokerage firms in Mexico. I was making their mobile app. I myself at the time was thrilled when I was finally able to get that client. However, after

In terms of profits, wealthy chefs have an advantage. They can use their platforms and restaurants to reach a larger market. Whether modify or not the recipes, but overall, when they claim ownership, there’s a political disconnection. The appropriator becomes a reference to that recipe and invisibilizes the groups who

When we talk about racism in Mexico, we usually think of blatant folks who openly despise black or indigenous people. A battle between good and evil in a Hollywood-style-film where the villain will be defeated, and once that goal is reached; there won’t be more darkness, and we’ll live happily

Photo: Berenice Zambrano / Carlos Enciso A couple of years ago, on my way back to Mexico, I stopped for a few days in Antigua, Guatemala. One morning, at the hostel where I was staying, I was brushing my teeth. Next to me, a white man came to wash his

Oaxaca is a special place in the South of Mexico. People that visit here are enamored of the beauty of the capital. Oaxaca is more diverse than that, especially if you go to the little towns outside of it. This is a personal story about how wandering off the beaten