LATINNESS: Is this when the idea for the Elena Reygadas Scholarship came about?

Elena: A year ago, after thinking about how I could contribute to narrowing the gender gap, I launched a scholarship for women studying culinary arts. After traveling and talking to other women, I realized that, while there are many state-funded culinary schools that are tuition-free, the issue of financial support is another gap for them, paradoxically, in larger cities.

Families in smaller communities generally cannot send all their sons and daughters to school, and when they prioritize, they tend to prioritize men because women are the ones who cook at home.

For those who are in charge of households, families, those who cook and enjoy doing it are not encouraged, and sometimes not even allowed, to study culinary arts because then who would do that at home?

One might think, “Well, there’s no problem because public schools are available.” But what about living expenses when you have to move out of your parents’ house? Plus, in culinary schools, even if they are public, there’s a need for materials and ingredients, including some knives.

Cooking is a craft that requires utensils, which are sometimes not affordable. That’s why this scholarship for living expenses was designed for tuition-free schools, although it’s actually open to any girl, whether she studies at a public or private school. It was mainly conceived for those with limited resources.

The response has been incredible because I launched it in a very grassroots way, within my restaurant, with my team. Within a month, we received 300 applications from all over the country.

We started with three scholarships, and fortunately, Banco Santander, which has been offering scholarships for higher education for some time, learned about what we were doing and approached me. Now, with their support, we’ve grown to 20 scholarships, and there may be more because this year. In just one week, we received 200 applications.

One of the scholarship recipients wrote to tell me that she was doing an internship in a kitchen in Santander, and said, “I am so grateful! Thanks to the scholarship, I can be here.”

I believe that these small contributions can radically change people’s destinies. The fact that a girl from a community in Guerrero is now in Santander working at a restaurant, and she can come back and become a leader in a kitchen means a lot to me.

LATINNESS: You’re a chef, an entrepreneur, and involved in philanthropy. What legacy would you like to leave as Elena Reygadas for Mexico and the culinary world?

ELENA: Well, I’m not that strategic, and I don’t think too much about the future. I act more based on what moves my heart and my gut. But I suppose, for example, with the scholarship program, I’d love to see a greater presence of women in the culinary field. For many women, especially young women interested in this profession, I’ve become a role model. Being an image to follow gives them the idea that it’s possible, despite being women and mothers, and living in the conditions we live in. I find that beautiful.

For me, this recognition is the most wonderful thing. So the legacy would be to contribute in different ways to having more women in professional kitchens, beyond the domestic sphere. That would make me very happy.

And well, if I’m more ambitious, I’d also say that I’d like to help preserve the biodiversity of ingredients we have in Mexico, not only in restaurants but also in everyday domestic cooking. I want us to value and use ingredients that are being used less and less due to various reasons. That would be extremely important for the richness of biodiversity we have in this country, which goes beyond ingredients. It’s a biodiversity that transforms into culture, community and many other things. That’s why it’s so important to me.

LATINNESS: Mexico has been experiencing a boom for a while now, and only exacerbated during the pandemic. In the global context though, Mexican gastronomy has always been recognized and celebrated. How have you experienced this?

ELENA: In gastronomy, we’ve always had a very important culture, but it’s true that not long ago we started to value our own heritage: the history, techniques, ingredients, and the different regional cuisines in Mexico, because it’s not just one cuisine, it’s many.

I think it’s a combination of factors: the fact that there are more and more people who have restaurants that are not just a business, but their way of life, and many are chefs, like in my case. That changes things compared to when you have a restaurant solely as a business. 

There’s also been a global appreciation for local culture. It’s a very positive global trend. For multiple reasons, people end up dining at restaurants or visiting museums, right? There’s an important connection where we see ourselves as part of a whole, rather than just individuals.

LATINNESS: Where do you find inspiration when creating new recipes or ideas?

ELENA: I find a lot of inspiration in the ingredients themselves and the changing seasons. Ultimately, it’s the suppliers who provide us with what’s available. I’m inspired by thinking, for example, what can we do with mushrooms now that the rainy season is starting? 

I’m also inspired by observing nature. Looking at what grows together because usually those combinations work well. And if it’s raining, what do we need? When it rains in this city, you get soaked because everything becomes chaotic, so we need to make hot food. 

I try to be very sensitive. I love the role that food plays in our senses, in the most biological way, because ultimately, that’s what gives me a lot of inspiration: nature, what we need for each season, and what our environment offers us.