For the third consecutive year, 50 Best rewards a Latin American chef after Colombia's Leonor Espinosa in 2022 and Peru's Pia Leon in 2021.
In her restaurant opened in 2010 in a mansion in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, Elena Reygadas revisits traditional Mexican cuisine in a menu that changes every day thanks to seasonal and local ingredients from small producers.
It has made a name for itself thanks to handmade pasta such as tortellini hoja santa (Mexican pepper). It also offers pipian (sauce made from vegetable puree that has origins in Aztec and Mayan cuisines) with pistachio, taco romeritos (fresh grass), and tamal (Native American papillote) of corn served with warm smoked cream.
"It is an honor to present the award this year to Elena Reygadas, a chef who is paving the way for future generations of women leaders in Mexico and beyond. By championing traditional dishes and local biodiversity, it is working for the future of Mexican gastronomy," said William Drew, Chief Content Officer of World's 50 Best Restaurants in a statement.
This award was traditionally revealed ahead of the 50 Best 2023 ceremony to be held in Valencia (Spain) on June 20.
Born into a large family, Elena Reygadas learned to cook as a child and later studied English literature at the National Autonomous University of Mexico City.
However, she never stopped cooking and worked in restaurants throughout her studies and became a chef at the end of her university career.
The chef spent four years in London under Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli, before returning to Mexico City to open Rosetta.
She had recently launched a scholarship programme for women, with the aim of promoting greater parity in kitchens.
© 2023 AFP