Celebrating Hispanic Americans Who Impacted the Culinary World
Hispanic food and culture are more appreciated and prevalent now in the United States than ever before. In large part, the growing national appreciation for authentic Hispanic food is due to a select group of Hispanic Americans who have revolutionized the way that Americans think and talk about Hispanic cuisine.
With Hispanic Heritage Month around the corner, now is the perfect time to celebrate and honor some of the Hispanic American culinary pioneers who have helped their food become one of the most popular cuisines in the United States. Although it is impossible to feature all of the most notable chefs, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs of Hispanic American descent, this list attempts to codify some of the most important influences on the culinary world to date.
Aarón Sánchez
Perhaps no Hispanic American food icon is more widely known across the United States than Aarón Sánchez. For nearly a decade, Sánchez has served as a judge in the world-renowned cooking competitions Chopped and Masterchef.
Sánchez has long been a hero for bringing Hispanic cuisine and heritage to mainstream American audiences through his numerous shows and appearances on the Food Network channel. Sánchez’s most notable contribution to the culinary pantheon is his ability to combine authentic Mexican flavors with classic American influences. This has allowed him to popularize many Mexican and Hispanic flavors that previously seemed foreign or inaccessible to many Americans.
Sánchez grew up in his mother’s restaurant in NYC. Here, Sánchez found his appreciation for Mexican cuisine and found a burgeoning desire to translate the dishes of his childhood and heritage into American classics. After training under legendary chefs like Jonathan Waxman and Paul Prudhomme, Sánchez began his own restaurant empire, which now spans across the United States. Wherever he goes, Aaron Sánchez brings with him unique accessibility to Hispanic cuisine that has inspired millions to appreciate his heritage.
Gabriela Cámara
Chef, restaurateur, and now Iron Chef Gabriela Cámara is one of the most high-profile and notable Hispanic American chefs of the last century. Cámara is credited for showing the United States and the rest of the world that Hispanic food can be elevated so much further than cheap tacos and margaritas.
Cámara got her start in Mexico City, where her world-famous restaurant Contramar remains one of the best restaurants in the capital. In a fine dining scene where many chefs sacrifice their own Hispanic ingredients and techniques in favor of European ones, Cámara rebelled. In Contramar, Cámara dedicated her menu and philosophy to using only the finest Mexican ingredients. Cámara sought to elevate these ingredients into a fine dining atmosphere, essentially bringing the farm-to-table trend to Mexico.
In the 2010s, Cámara expanded stateside. She opened up Cala in San Francisco, serving upscale but accessible Mexican cuisine. In her various other restaurants now found throughout the country, Cámara highlights indigenous Mexican flavors and techniques at a fine dining level, something which few other chefs have attempted successfully. Many have even favorably referred to Cámara as the Hispanic version of iconic California chef Alice Waters. While Waters popularized California’s produce and cuisine around the country, Cámara did the same for Mexico.
Jose Garces
James Beard award winner and original Iron Chef Jose Garces is credited for helping to bring modern techniques to Hispanic cuisine and popularizing it in the United States since the early 2000s.
Garces was born to Ecuadorian parents in Chicago. As a child, his culinary passion was fostered by his grandmother, who taught him traditional Ecuadorian recipes and techniques. After graduating from culinary school in 1996, Garces received national acclaim when he won the second season of Food Network’s Next Iron Chef. Here, he became the sixth original Iron Chef. During his tenure on the show, Garces shared his modern approach to Ecuadorian cooking with the entire world.
Since then, Garces has continued to spread a modern version of ancient Hispanic techniques across the world. Now, Garces has won multiple James Beard awards. Garces shares his passion through over a dozen restaurants. Notably, Jose Garces has helped further fellow Hispanic Americans in his restaurants by highlighting many underrepresented chefs in his kitchen. Through his work, Garces ensures that the next generation of Hispanic American food talents will be just as strong as the current one.
Daniela Soto-Innes
Daniela Soto-Innes is widely considered to be the best female Hispanic American chef in the world. After being born in Mexico City, Innes moved to Texas as a child. Here, she developed her passion for the flavors of her native Mexico. Innes was classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute before traveling the world working under renowned chefs.
In 2014, Soto-Innes helped open Cosme. It is here that her true contribution as a Hispanic American chef begins. After just two years at Cosme, Innes received a James Beard award for Rising Star Chef. Just three years after this award, Innes was named the World’s Best Female Chef by the world’s 50 Best Restaurant group. Soto-Innes became the youngest chef ever to win this award.
Her restaurant, Cosme, has seen itself ranked among the top 50 restaurants in the world on multiple occasions. While her food is undoubtedly some of the best on earth, many respect Innes for her work inside the kitchen beyond the cuisine she pumps out. Innes is famous for including a team of mostly female Hispanic American immigrants in her restaurant. In an industry where many treat their staff as second-class, Innes shows genuine interest and care in the well-being of her employees. Soto-Innes has been credited for helping to lift the machismo culture off of many of the world’s greatest kitchens.
Pati Jinich
Pati Jinich is a Hispanic American chef, cookbook author, food writer, and TV personality who has long been a leading voice in bringing the flavors and techniques of Hispanic food to an American audience.
In her Emmy nominated and James Beard award-winning television series Pati’s Mexican Table, Jinich brought authentic Mexican cuisine to many Americans in the comfort of their own home. In 2013, Jinich’s first cookbook, largely a representation of her television show, became a bestseller.
Jinich has appeared on national talk shows like The Today Show as an ambassador for authentic Hispanic culinary traditions. She has long been a symbol of the movement to popularize proper Hispanic culture around food in the United States and around the world. For these reasons, Pati Jinich was chosen to cook at the White House for President Obama’s Cinco de Mayo dinner in 2014.
