Two traditional cooks from Playas de Rosarito were among eight representatives of Baja California’s Indigenous communities recognized for preserving the state’s culinary heritage and ancestral traditions.
Josefina Sánchez Aguirre of Playas de Rosarito and Yanet Salazar Carrillo, of Kumiai heritage from San José de la Zorra in Rosarito, received certification under Competency Standard EC1084 for the “Preparation of Popular and Traditional Mexican Cuisine.”
The certification, awarded by Baja California’s Secretariat of Tourism, recognizes six women and two men whose knowledge and culinary practices have helped preserve the state’s gastronomic identity.
The certificates were presented at the Riviera Social, Civic and Cultural Center in Ensenada. Tourism Secretary Miguel Ángel Badiola Montaño said the certification represents more than professional training, recognizing the families, techniques and ingredients behind Baja California’s traditional cuisine.
“To each of you, thank you for being the living heritage of Baja California. Thank you for your legacy and for the identity you give us,” Badiola Montaño said. “Your dishes and the hands that prepare them are a testament to years and years of learning, reflecting knowledge passed from generation to generation.”
The other people certified were Beatriz Haros Farlow, of Kiliwa heritage from Arroyo de León, Ensenada; Tabita Domínguez Sandoval, Elizabeth Domínguez Sandoval and Fernando Rembac Domínguez, of Kumiai heritage from San Antonio Necua, Ensenada; and Rigoberto Aldama and Magdalena López Oliden, from La Huerta, Ensenada.
The recognition seeks to strengthen the cultural value of traditional culinary practices while promoting gastronomic tourism as a way to showcase Baja California’s cultural heritage and support local communities.
Tabita Domínguez Sandoval, founder of the Wa Kumiai Tabita project in San Antonio Necua, said she is proud to share Kumiai identity through traditional ingredients such as acorns and sage.
She said the certification will help more people learn about, respect and appreciate the traditions passed down by the Yuman peoples of Baja California.
The ceremony was attended by state tourism officials, representatives of the Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture, the Riviera Cultural Center and CANIRAC Baja California, as well as representatives of institutions involved in culinary education and promotion.
The EC1084 certification process was conducted with the Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture serving as the evaluation center and is part of certification procedures linked to Mexico’s Secretariat of Public Education (SEP). The corresponding documentation is issued by CONOCER, Mexico’s National Council for Standardization and Certification of Labor Competencies.