Tacombi, the food and beverage brand whose mission is to connect people to Mexico, has hired acclaimed Mexican Chef Carmen Miranda to lead Culinary Innovation for the brand’s taquerias.
In her role, Chef Miranda will launch Tacombi’s “Test Cocina” at its Empire State Building location, which will act as a hub of food innovation, building on the legacy of inspiration and creativity engineered over centuries by taqueros across Mexico.
Her role will focus on continued menu development, mentoring taqueros, creating seasonal and weekly specials, brand collaborations, and food-centric guest programming.
Carmen joins the team amidst Tacombi’s rapid expansion into new markets, with several taquerias slated to open across Miami, Chicago, and Greater New York City in 2023.
She is integral to building out the brand’s new footprint while elevating Tacombi’s menu, creating new food journeys that offer an authentic connection to Mexico, and living out The Tacombi Foundation’s value to advance Mexican communities through food accessibility and education.
Carmen Miranda is an award-winning chef, who has garnered international recognition for her achievements and culinary expertise. Most notably, Carmen was named winner of the seventh season of “MasterChef” Mexico in 2019 and was awarded the “Taco de Oro” in Dubai, UAE in January 2022.
She began her career selling tamales on the street in Mexico alongside her mother, before staging for notable chefs in Chicago, Bangkok, and most recently, France.
Her start making and selling tamales helped her hone her culinary skills and peaked her interest in corn, which is integral across Mexican cuisine.
Since then, Carmen has done extensive research on corn and its uses throughout Mexico, including the ancient process of nixtamalization through which Tacombi’s brand of tortillas, Vista Hermosa, is made.