Crossing South to a New Culinary Revolution

San Diego’s known for having a wide variety of authentic Mexican food restaurants at very corner. This is due mainly to the vast Hispanic population in Southern California and the proximity to Mexico’s Border. Yet with the neighboring city of Tijuana being so close, few people choose to travel south of the border to get a taste of actual Mexican cuisine. For Years many people have had many reasons to visit the neighboring city of Tijuana. Tijuana has always been the center for alcohol from the time of the prohibition and its nightlife scene has always attracted the younger crown from both sides of the border. However it wasn’t until a few years back that Tijuana was being known for its culinary scene. When one speaks about TJ Food people think the obvious, Street Tacos. The new food scene in Tijuana has always been ever growing but it wasn’t until the recent additions to Tijuana’s Culinary selection that have really put Tijuana on the map sometimes even considering it equal or better than San Diego’s Food scene. The recent Culinary Revolution in Tijuana has led to the creation of the new Baja-Med Cuisine. Baja Med cuisine was brought to the attention of the world via the new wave of television chefs like Anthony Bourdain. It is a fusion of traditional regional foods with an emphasis on seafood, chiles, and local fresh ingredients with traditional Asian and Mediterranean flavors like spices, sundried tomatoes, vinaigrettes, and aromatic oils. The Culinary Term Baja Med was copyrighted by Chef Miguel Angel Guerrero who currently runs El Colegio. In addition to El Colegio, Guerrero owns La Querencia, Almazar, El Taller and the newly opened La Esperanza, in Valle de Guadalupe Mexico’s ever growing wine country.

A Seaside view of Tijuana’s Baja Med Cuisine – Courtesy of Baja California Tourism

There has always been reasons many people opted to not visit The border town, yet San Diego Officials who have recently begun working alongside the tourism board of Tijuana have been promoting a safer Tijuana for all visitors both local and international. An effort already has begun in Northern Baja for the cities there to join forces to market themselves in Southern California collectively rather than individually. With the collective help of many Celebrity Chefs including Rick Bayless, who is set to open a Restaurant in San Diego, Anthony Bourdain and Sam “The cooking Guy” Zien, have all been vital in the promotion of safe travel and culinary awareness in Tijuana and other baja locations.

Sam "The Cooking Guy" Zien's new role is get "average Joes" to go to Baja. / U-T file photo

Zien has recently become the Culinary Ambassador for the Baja California Ministry of Tourism and is looking to promote to San Diegans that it’s safe to cross the border to explore the burgeoning food and wine scene in Tijuana, Ensenada and the Guadalupe Valley. It will be exciting to see how many San Diegans will begin making the culinary tour through Baja. With many local and international people focusing on the growing tourism scene in Tijuana its inevitable growth and popularity will be a benefit to San Diego and its own journey in becoming an International Tourist Hotspot.