Elsie Mendez, the soul behind ‘Los Sabores de Mexico’ is a food lover, tireless traveler, Mexican palate searching the best aromas and flavors of the world. Get to know how she travels her way around the world here.
#1: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you started to travel. Do you remember your 1st travel experience? Why are you passionate about traveling?
I started to travel since I was a little baby, the tradition to travel all around México with my family was part of our activities every year since I born.
Later I studied Tourism and Culinary Administration which allowed me to be connected with the amazing travel world promoting Mexico when I was the rep for the most influential and important publications from USA.
Everything changed when I decided to create a boutique travel agency with the first and unique culinary tours in México, be able to show the history of my country through its gastronomy has been one of the best experiences in my life.
Few years later my boyfriend push me to open a blog with the idea to share my experiences and the activities with my tours and pum! Everything changed in my life, because the blog, turned in a very important publication and I started receiving many invitations to cover other countries.
Over the time, and after 6 years since I opened the blog, the essence is still the same, share the amazing stories behind the Mexican food culture, and the experiences people can live sitting in a table all over the world, the principal goal is share not only if the flavor of the dishes was good in a restaurant, is talk about the persons who create them, to be able to understand their work, their soul, that is represented in the plate.
#2: Now that we know where you come from, could you tell us where are you heading next? Which are your upcoming plans in terms of traveling?
Discover the amazing stories behind and around the culinary world, from local and street food to the most famous and fine dinning places. The aromas for a wine in the middle of a winery in Sonoma, Rioja or México. The people who create them and connect their passion with my readers.
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Food, flavors, aromas, colors of the food are my main motivation.
#3: What do you think of traveling with a purpose or meaning in mind? What do you look for when traveling long term?
Foodies have alway one purpose: find the best food experiences, and its exactly the same that motivates me to travel.
Look for the stories nobody talk before is my goal, chefs, little restaurants, wines, distilleries, there are plenty of them the Mexican publications never mentioned before.
Traveling is the perfect condition for me.
#4: How do you fund your travels? Have you found a job or income source that allows you to be on the road full time? Could you tell us what exactly you do for a living?
I am the owner for the site Los Sabores de México y el Mundo. The first two years I used my savings to survive.
Now I sell advertising on it and also receive many invitations from tourism offices and they cover all the expenses, some times I have to invest but it is the minimum. .
#5: Did your job, studies, volunteering experiences or other projects help you to travel the world? Where have you been thanks to those? Tell us a bit about those experiences.
Definitely yes, my work experience representing publications like Bon Appetit, Time Magazine, Washington Post, Texas Monthly, Los Angeles Magazine, etc. Help me to be be a responsible, ethical, and know and understand what a tourism office need and expect from us as bloggers and journalists.
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#6: What would you recommend to someone willing to follow your steps? Which kind of training or studies would be advisable or necessary? Would an investment be needed in the first place?
Please give 3 pieces of advice (you wish to have known before starting) of what to do and what to avoid in order to succeed.
Read, read, read, the most important publications and the best writers in them.
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If it is possible, take a writing course. If you are going to write about travel and food like me, read about the techniques in the kitchen, make investigation about the personalities, the news in the culinary word, read about wines, taste as possible, read about the places, look for the little secrets nobody pay attention.
Professional, ethical and focus. Hard work.
#7: What does a perfect day in your life looks like? Do you follow any particular routine?
When I am home I write and look for these new places I want to be. When I am traveling I take notes and enjoy.
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#8: Where do you come from originally and where you call home now? Can you give us some insider tips about your hometown?
I am from Mexico City and still live here.
Ask the local people for their favorites places for tacos in the street in a restaurant.
Go first to a market (Medellin Market is much better than San Juan Market) then go to a Fonda (very local restaurants) and then you can go to the famous places, it is like if you want to run before you learn to walk.
In Oaxaca the best place to have a coast food is with Ofelia Toledo in her home (the restaurant in her living room is called Yunenisa), don´t go to the main market at the Oaxaca City is very expensive, go to Tlacolula de Matamoros Market.
Sorry, you ask for my city, but I always talk about all Mexico because the whole country is like my home.
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#9: Do you read, write, draw, listen to music, sing, watch movies or do anything else while traveling? How’s your relationship with technology and which gadgets are taken with you everywhere?
Finally, how about your favorite book and movie titles?
Yes, I read about food, write my feelings at the places I visited, just hear music when I am at the airplane, movies about wines, food.
My iPhone is my life.
My favorite book is Glory and Splendor by Taylor Caldwell, movies too many to mention them here.
#10: Do you keep a bucket list? Which are your craziest travel dreams? Where are your favorite destinations on earth?
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Thanks so much, Elsie! Can’t wait to catch up with you somewhere around the world soon!