Karime López: The First Female Mexican Chef to get a Michelin Star
(Photo : Reuters)

Mexican cuisine is one of the most famous and well-known cuisines in the entire globe. Mexican food has bridged gaps among people from different pasts and cultural backgrounds.

For a chef, attaining one Michelin star is one of the highest honors an individual in the food industry can get.

Chefs who specialized in Mexican cuisine are being admired for showcasing Mexican traditions and cultures in the food that they make making, and it is one of the most famous food categories in the entire world.

Karime López, 36 years old, is the newest chef, with Mexican origins, who was awarded a Michelin Star. 

López is the head chef of the Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura restaurant. The restaurant is based in Italy. 

She makes history as the first and only female to be included in the 2020 Michelin Guide Italy.

"There are so many emotions these days. This award is a tribute to the Gucci Osteria team and to all the people who are involved and supported us. We all share the same passion and commitment to what we want to achieve. Huge thanks to @massimobottura @laratgilmore and #MarcoBizarri for believing and trusting us. Now we will continue to work even harder than before," she posted in her Instagram account.

"The cuisine of theatrical chef Massimo Bottura has arrived in Florence, demonstrating openness to the rest of the world, with influences and reinterpretations of dishes from other countries, as well as Italy and Modena in particular. A visit to the Gucci Garden, an elegant museum on the upper floors dedicated to the famous fashion house, is highly recommended," said Michelin in the review of López's restaurant in Italy.

Getting a Michelin star is getting the highest praise in the food industry. It is like attaining billions of stars in reviews such as in Google reviews.

Restaurants with Michelin stars are more expensive compared to those which have none. Those restaurants with Michelin stars have the best chefs in the entire globe.

Based on the article by Guide, the following shows the meaning of the number of Michelin stars a restaurant has:

  • One star - "very good restaurant"
  • Two stars - "excellent cooking that is worth a detour"
  • Three stars - "exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey"

"Her signature culinary flair and avant-garde way of mixing styles are a perfect match for Bottura's vision and the concept behind Gucci Osteria, which is to remind people that 'Florence has always been a center of cultural exchange, particularly during the Renaissance. It brings the most diverse traditions, trends, and styles together," said Chef Alps.

Karime López had started her career in the food industry in the year 2005 in Barcelona. Later on, she went back to Mexico to work with Chef Enrique Olvera. After working in Mexico City, she was determined to work in different places. Her culinary journey had allowed her to cook for people from Tokyo, Denmark, and Peru. In Peru, she met sous-chef Takahiko Kondo at a restaurant in Massimo Bottura. They fell in love with each other and got married. 

After getting married, the two had changed their residence to Italy and this is one of the most noteworthy decisions that led Karime López to the Michelin star award.