Mexican biodiversity advocate Elena Reygadas is voted World’s Best Female Chef 2023

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 has named Elena Reygadas, chef-owner of Mexico City’s Rosetta, The World’s Best Female Chef 2023. A key figure in Mexican gastronomy, Reygadas has been a trailblazer since her recognition as Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2014.

Reygadas is a fervent supporter of Mexican biodiversity and sustainable production, and she recently introduced a female-focused scholarship programme in Mexico, aiming to achieve better gender balance in the culinary realm. The Beca Elena Reygadas scholarship offers students accepted into culinary schools a chance to flourish in the gastronomic world.

Raised in a large family, the chef discovered her passion for cooking early in life. After earning an English Literature degree at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, she embarked on a culinary journey, working in restaurants while studying and honing her craft at home. Her studies in New York and four years under the guidance of Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli in London eventually led her to open Rosetta in Mexico City.

Rosetta, situated in a stunning mansion house in the city’s Roma district since 2010, presents a refined menu revitalising traditional Mexican cuisine. The daily-changing offerings reflect seasonal, locally sourced ingredients from small producers. The restaurant ranked No.60 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list and No.37 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022.

Reygadas’s culinary creations, such as the Hoja Santa Tortellini, Pistachio Pipián, Romeritos Taco and the Fresh Corn Tamal with Warm Smoked Cream, showcase her passion for indigenous ingredients. In addition to Rosetta, she operates the adjoining bakery, Lardo, a casual Mexican eatery, and Café Nin, a bistro in the capital. Her first cookbook, published in 2019, focuses on Mexican ingredients, their environment, and the traditions shaping them.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ spokesperson and director of content, William Drew, praises Reygadas for her commitment to traditional dishes and indigenous biodiversity. He says: “It’s an honour to bestow the Best Female Chef award this year on Elena Reygadas, a chef who is paving the way for future generations of female leaders in Mexico and beyond.” Drew believes the accolade bolsters her mission to mould the future of Mexican gastronomy. Reygadas, in response, humbly shares the award with her team and the women in the kitchen, stating: “Cooking is a communal practice. And so, for me, this award belongs to my entire team, as well as to all the women in the kitchen who have preserved our culinary legacy for generations.”

The World’s Best Female Chef 2023 award kicks off a series of announcements leading up to the 2023 awards ceremony in Valencia on Tuesday 20^th June. This year’s programme includes the thought-leadership forum #50BestTalks, the 50 Best Signature Sessions dining events, a Chefs’ Feast highlighting Spanish cuisine, and the awards ceremony and countdown.

Food Desk

For further information visit the World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ website here.