Culinary Traditions Celebrates 10 Years
Tours Now Expand Outside Mexico to Chile and Beyond
AUSTIN, Texas (March 17, 2025) – After a decade of sharing traditional Mexican cuisine with the world, the mother-daughter duo behind renowned culinary travel experiences, James Beard Award-winning Chef Iliana de la Vega (El Naranjo, Austin) and her daughter, food writer and anthropologist, Isabel Torrealba, are proud to announce an exciting evolution. What began as a mission to showcase the beauty of Mexico’s food and culture has grown into a broader global exploration under a new name: Culinary Traditions.
With this new identity comes expanded offerings. In addition to their celebrated Mexican culinary trips to Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Mérida/Yucatán, Culinary Traditions is proud to unveil a new destination: Chile. This new journey will be guided by Chef Pilar Rodríguez, a pioneer in Chilean gastronomy. Chef Rodríguez, the first woman recognized as a United Nations Tourism Ambassador in gastronomy and wine, was recently named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Chile” by Forbes, and her acclaimed restaurant, Food & Wine Studio, was highlighted in The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2024.”
For Chef Iliana and Isabel, this addition holds special significance—Ernesto, Iliana’s husband and Isabel’s father, was born in Chile. Just as Culinary Traditions has worked to reshape perceptions of Mexican cuisine, the team is passionate about showcasing Chile’s rich and often overlooked culinary landscape. The nine-day immersion trip to Chile will explore Santiago’s vibrant dining scene, visit local markets and private homes, and experience the renowned Colchagua wine region with expertly paired meals and tastings.
“We’ve spent the past decade sharing the beauty and complexity of Mexican cuisine, and now we’re excited to expand that mission," said Chef de la Vega.
Upcoming Culinary Traditions Experiences:
CHILE
An Andean Culinary & Wine Journey
Dates: November 10-18, 2025
A nine-day immersion highlighting Chile’s diverse cuisine, from indigenous Mapuche dishes to fine dining, along with visits to Santiago, Colchagua’s wine country, and exclusive dining experiences in private homes.
OAXACA
Dates: September 24-30, 2025 & December 1-7, 2025
A one-week exploration of Oaxaca’s deeply rooted gastronomic traditions, featuring market visits, home-cooked meals, and encounters with indigenous cultures.
MEXICO CITY
Dates: October 10-16, 2025
A one-week adventure through Mexico City’s dynamic culinary scene, from street vendors to fine dining, including a memorable visit to a chinampa (floating garden).
MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN
Dates: December 9-15, 2025
A one-week deep dive into Yucatán’s rich culinary traditions, from vibrant markets to historic haciendas, with a focus on Mayan heritage.
With a new name, a new website, and new destinations, Culinary Traditions remains dedicated to sharing immersive and exclusive cultural and culinary experiences with travelers.
For additional information, upcoming dates, and booking details, visit www.culinarytraditions.com .
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About Culinary Traditions
Founded by Chef Iliana de la Vega and Isabel Torrealba, Culinary Traditions offers immersive culinary travel experiences that connect guests to local cuisines, traditions, and cultures through exclusive insider access. With a focus on intimate experiences and expertly curated itineraries, Culinary Traditions brings travelers closer to the heart of a destination—one plate at a time.
About Chef Iliana de la Vega
Iliana de la Vega is an award-winning Mexican-born chef and owner of El Naranjo, a traditional Mexican restaurant in the heart of Austin, Texas. Chef de la Vega and her husband Ernesto Torrealba first opened El Naranjo as a restaurant and cooking school in 1997 in Oaxaca, Mexico; the restaurant received worldwide acclaim and was lauded as “the soul of Mexico” on the cover of Bon Appetit and at The New York Times Dining Section, among other notable publications. El Naranjo in Austin has been recognized as the best Mexican restaurant in the region, and it has been named among the top 10 restaurants in the city.
Chef de la Vega served as the Mexican/Latin Cuisines Specialist for the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) from 2007 to 2012. In 2014, she was awarded the Ohtli Award in recognition of her work in furthering Mexican gastronomy in the United States and the 2014 Hispanic Female Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Chef de la Vega was also named a semifinalist in the 2019 and 2020 James Beard Awards for Best Chef: Southwest. In 2022, she became the first-ever winner of the Best Chef: Texas category in the James Beard Awards. Chef de la Vega was awarded ‘Chef of the Year’ by Bar and Restaurant expo in 2024.
As a restaurateur and consultant, Chef de la Vega creates menus and oversees training in the U.S. and abroad for hotels, restaurants, and universities, such as Stanford University and UMASS. Additionally, she and her anthropologist and journalist daughter, Isabel, lead culinary trips to various regions of Mexico, including Oaxaca, Mexico City, and Mérida through their gastronomic tour company Culinary Traditions.
About Isabel Torrealba
Born in Mexico City but raised in Oaxaca, Isabel grew up immersed in the vibrant culture and cuisine of her hometown. As the youngest daughter of Chef Iliana de la Vega, she spent her childhood exploring El Naranjo’s kitchens, markets, and dining spaces. While once aspiring to be a chef, she instead pursued cultural anthropology and journalism, with food remaining a central theme in her research and writing. Viewing food as inseparable from its cultural context, she explores ingredients, rituals, and histories that shape culinary traditions.
