Carmen Ramirez Degollado

Carmen Ramirez Degollado is an icon at home and abroad. Known as Chef Titita and as the “matriarch of Mexican flavor,” you know her work is notable when there’s multiple monikers referring to her identity.

© Carmen Ramirez Degollado

Born in Mexico, Chef Titita is an established culinary figure, specifically in Veracruz, a land known for its stunning seafood dishes. She has been running El Bajio since its inception, which has then spread out into 18 different restaurants. The business, known for its colorful decor and impeccable meals, is one of the most famous culinary establishments in the country. The first restaurant celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

A review from 2007 from The New York Times praises the food and Chef Titita’s spirit, claiming that the kitchen is “filled with women,” each with a specialty of their own. Despite how revered she is, her cooking is humble.

© Carmen Ramirez Degollado

“I’m not a chef,” she said in an interview in Spanish with Forbes. “I’m a proud cook. Chefs are those people that go to school. All I know I learned from my mother and from my nana Amparo.”

Degollado is now 83, but still, her cooking legacy unfurls before her. Her grandsons, Santiago and Sebastian Ramirez Degollado, have brought her work abroad, opening a restaurant in New York called Casa Carmen.“I am truly honored that the new NYC restaurant is named after me,” said Titita to  Thrillist. “I feel very proud that my family’s third generation wants to continue our journey in the business.”

Casa Carmen is packed with recipes crafted by Titita. It’s also run by a team of “mayoras,” also known as elder wise women, keeping an eye on things and ensuring the food is up to par with its maker and the legacy she built, brick by brick.

© Carmen Ramirez Degollado