Carina Santiago

Chef Carina Santiago is a renowned Zapotec traditional cook and culinary preservationist from Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. Deeply rooted in ancestral heritage, she is celebrated internationally for honoring the historical and ritual essence of traditional Zapotec smoke-kitchen cuisine (cocina de humo).

Over two decades ago, Chef Santiago began mastering time-honored techniques passed down by her mother and mother-in-law. More than 15 years ago, she and her husband co-founded Tierra Antigua, a landmark restaurant featuring an authentic wood-fired smoke kitchen and celebrating Oaxacan gastronomy and pedal-loom textile art.

Viewing food as a sacred inheritance, Chef Santiago hosts culinary workshops that guide guests from selecting endemic market ingredients to ancestral hearth cooking. Her signature specialties include mole segueza, sopita de cazuela, ancestral chocolateatole, and complex artisanal moles with up to 28 ingredients.