A Taste Of Latin America

About this episode

This episode explores the vibrant Latin American culinary scene in New Orleans through interviews with notable chefs.

Folks are familiar with New Orleans' home-grown Creole and Cajun cuisines. But the Crescent City is also the perfect place to taste the diverse and vibrant flavors coming out of Latin America. This week, we pay tribute to chefs who are bringing Latin American fare to local tables. First, we sit down with Ana Castro. In January, Ana was named a semi-finalist for the 2026 James Beard award for Best Chef: South. Ana explains the path she took before she and her sister Lydia opened her much-lauded contemporary Mexican seafood restaurant, Acamaya. Then, we visit father-son duo Carlos and Will Avelar at their family business, Mawi Tortilleria. Will was a rising star in the culinary world when he and his father decided to join forces to provide fresh, authentic corn tortillas to the community. Finally, we hear from Carlos Sanchez, owner of Tournesol Café and Bakery, who spends his days in downtown Covington creating the delicious breads and pastries of his native El Salvador. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

People in this episode

Guests: Ana Castro, Will Avelar, Carlos Sanchez, Carlos Avelar

Topics covered

• Latin America
• Culinary
• Chefs
• Mexican cuisine
• Tortillas
• Baking

Keywords

• Creole
• Cajun
• Seafood
• Tortilleria
• Bakery

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Acamaya, Mawi Tortilleria, Tournesol Café and Bakery

Books & works: James Beard, Best Chef: South

Places: Latin America, New Orleans', the Crescent City, Covington, El Salvador

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