Mexican food in France is often seen as cheap street food, but chef Carla Kirsch is changing that. In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, we sit down with the Mexican-born, French-trained chef behind Alebrije in Lyon to talk about what it really takes to bring Mexican cuisine into the French fine dining world.
Carla trained at the prestigious Paul Bocuse Institute before opening her own Mexican restaurant in France, where clearly defined ideas about “serious” cuisine still dominate. We talk about why French diners expect Mexican food to be inexpensive, why spice scares people in France, and how deeply misunderstood Mexican cuisine remains despite how many core French ingredients actually come from Mexico and the Americas, including tomatoes, chocolate, vanilla, beans, and chilies.
This conversation dives into the realities of sourcing Mexican ingredients in France, from dried chilies and tomatillos to masa made from French corn, and how global supply chains, climate change, and French agricultural culture shape what ends up on the plate. We also explore the cultural bias that treats French food as refined and Mexican food as casual, even though Mexican cuisine is one of the most complex and regional food traditions in the world.
Along the way, we break down:
– Why Mexican food in France is expected to be cheap and casual
– How French culinary culture undervalues Mexican cuisine
– What it takes to open a Mexican restaurant in France as a foreign woman
– Why tomatoes, vanilla, chocolate, and beans are originally from Mexico
– How colonial food history shaped French and European cuisine
– Why sourcing Mexican ingredients in France is so difficult
– How masa is now being made with French corn
– Why French diners struggle with spicy food
– How Mexican cuisine is being reimagined as fine dining in Lyon
If you are curious about Mexican food in Europe, French food culture, or what it is like to run a non-French restaurant in France, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges immigrant chefs face and the quiet revolution happening in kitchens across France.
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00:00 Intro to Mexican Food in France and Chef Carla Kirsch
01:06 Training in Classic French Cuisine at Paul Bocuse Institute
02:51 Leaving French Fine Dining to Open a Mexican Restaurant
05:16 Why Mexican Food Is Expected to Be Cheap in France
06:30 Opening a Restaurant During the Pandemic
07:42 Is Mexican Food Fine Dining or Just Street Food
09:03 French Expectations of Mexican Food and Burrito Myths
10:29 Why Mexican Cuisine Is as Complex as French Food
12:40 The Mexican Roots of French Ingredients
15:00 Vanilla Chocolate and Tomatoes From Mexico
17:22 Avocados Corn and Ingredient Myths in France
18:47 Sourcing Mexican Ingredients in France
19:56 Making Masa With French Corn
20:40 Why Mexican Food Is Growing in France
20:56 Modern Mexican Fine Dining Dishes in France
23:23 Teaching French Diners How to Eat With Their Hands
23:49 Why French People Struggle With Spicy Food
25:19 Food Culture Shock for French and American Diners
26:08 The Future of Mexican Food in France
2 Comments
Wish I weren’t trapped in the States just to visit her restaurant!
Cherry interview with Chef Kirsch! You highlighted many substantive facts, like the origins of iconic foods (tomatoes, avocados, potatoes), and the perception that certain foods should be cheaper because it is less recognized as cuisines. One little constructive criticism is to be careful not to overtalk your guest.