NBC Universo's new show "Top Chef México" will introduce America to a group of fresh Mexican culinary talents.

The show, a spinoff from the original "Top Chef" series, is hosted by Mexican actress Ana Claudia Talancón alongside judges Guillermo González Beristáin, Aquiles Chávez, Martha Ortíz and Juantxo Sánchez, who are all globally recognized chefs.

A total of 16 contestants or Cheftestants will be evaluated by the judges based on four standards: talent, intelligence, technique and luck. For 13 episodes, each chef gets a chance to win a cash prize of $1,000,000 Mexican pesos and a feature story in Travel & Leisure Mexico.

The first episode will feature the chefs creating a dish inspired by their own cultural origins. Special guest judge Guy Santoro will review their technique and choose who will remain in the competition.

Contestants

Here are the 16 Cheftestants vying for the Top Chef title: Adria Marina, Adriana Cavita, Alejandra García, Andrea Martínez, Christian Bravo, Eduardo Morali, Fernando Martínez, Irving Quiroz, Jose Miguel García, Katsuji Tanabe, Kori Sutton, Manuel Moralo, Matteo Salas, Pía Quintana, Rodolfo Castellanos and Sergio Howland.

For the entire duration of the competition, the contestants will be isolated from their homes and restaurants and will reside in an exclusive hotel next to the Alameda Central, one of Mexico City's most symbolic plazas.

Exciting Episodes

Every episode will feature two culinary challenges -- a quick-fire and an elimination round. The Quick-fire Challenge will test the contestants' culinary skills while under pressure, and the Elimination Challenge decides which of the contenders will advance in the competition.

Talancón said that "Top Chef México" will have significant differences from the original.

"The mastermind behind all this, our director, and the people that advise him, have created different challenges that are harder, that of course involve Mexican ingredients which are extremely diverse... The contestants just have to go through hell sometimes," she shared.

Some of the locations were held outside of Mexico City, according to Beristáin. This includes museums, streets, monuments and open air markets. Talancón noted that contestants will be making both traditional and modern dishes.

Beristáin is confident that the show will be able to capture not just Latinos but also English-speaking viewers.

"Food is a universal language and I think people, even if they are not Mexican or are not Latin, they can relate, they can learn, and they can enjoy a show about food," he said.

"Top Chef México" debuts on NBC Universo on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 9 PM.