Diana Kennedy
🇬🇧🇲🇽 United Kingdom / Mexico · Mexican cuisine · b. 1923
The 'Queen of Mexican Regional Cooking' and author whose nine cookbooks transformed how Americans understand Mexican cuisine.
Biography
Diana Kennedy (née Southwood) was born on March 3, 1923, in England. She moved to Mexico in the 1950s with her husband, a correspondent for the New York Times who covered the country. The preeminent English-language authority on Mexican cuisine, Kennedy was known for her nine books on the subject, the most famous being The Cuisines of Mexico, which fundamentally changed how Americans view Mexican food.
Her cookbooks are based on her fifty years of traveling throughout Mexico, interviewing and learning from various types of cooks from virtually every region of the nation. During her first years in Mexico City with her husband in the late 1950s, she learned that the best food in Mexico was not in fancy restaurants but rather in markets, traditional family restaurants called 'fondas,' and in homes. Due to her style of work, Kennedy was called a 'culinary anthropologist' and self-identified as an 'ethno-gastronomer.'
Kennedy received numerous awards for her work, including the Order of the Aztec Eagle from the Mexican government, and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. She spent decades building the most comprehensive English-language library of Mexican regional cooking knowledge. Kennedy died at her home on July 24, 2022, at the age of 99.
Cooking Philosophy
Culinary anthropology and respect for regional traditions. Diana Kennedy believed that true understanding of food comes from knowing the people, history, and geography behind it. Her philosophy was to document, celebrate, and preserve the authentic regional cooking of Mexico, honoring the work of home cooks and traditional fondas over fancy restaurant cuisine.
Awards & Recognition
- Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexican government)
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- James Beard Foundation recognition
- International culinary authority status
Iconic Dishes
Cookbooks
- The Cuisines of Mexico (1972)
- The Essential Cuisines of Mexico (1987)
- My Mexico (1998)
- From My Mexican Kitchen (2003)
- Oaxaca al Gusto (2010)
- Nine books total on Mexican regional cooking
In Diana's Own Words
“Mexican food is regional. There is not one Mexican cuisine — there are many, each rooted in geography, history, and the indigenous traditions of the land.”
— Culinary philosophy
“The best food in Mexico is not in restaurants. It is in homes, in fondas, and in the markets where real women cook real food for real people.”
— Interview on Mexican gastronomy
Career Timeline
Moves to Mexico with her husband, a New York Times correspondent.
Begins 50-year journey documenting Mexican regional cooking.
Publishes landmark The Cuisines of Mexico.
Publishes The Essential Cuisines of Mexico.
Publishes My Mexico.
Publishes From My Mexican Kitchen.
Receives Order of the Aztec Eagle from Mexican government.
Publishes final major work, Oaxaca al Gusto.
Dies at age 99 after decades of culinary anthropology work.
Mentors & Influences
Frequently Asked Questions about Diana Kennedy
What is Diana Kennedy known for?
Diana Kennedy is the preeminent English-language authority on Mexican cuisine, known for her nine cookbooks, particularly The Cuisines of Mexico (1972), which fundamentally changed how Americans understand and appreciate Mexican food.
What is 'culinary anthropology'?
Kennedy pioneered this approach — documenting not just recipes, but the people, geography, history, and culture behind regional cuisines. She spent 50 years living in Mexico, learning from home cooks and fondas.
Where did Kennedy find the best Mexican food?
Kennedy believed the best Mexican food was not in fancy restaurants but in homes, traditional family-run fondas, and markets, where authentic regional cooking and indigenous traditions were preserved.
How many books did Kennedy write?
Diana Kennedy wrote nine cookbooks on Mexican cuisine, starting with The Cuisines of Mexico (1972) and concluding with Oaxaca al Gusto (2010).
What honors did Kennedy receive?
Kennedy received the Order of the Aztec Eagle from the Mexican government and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her contributions to understanding and preserving Mexican culinary traditions.
Cook this hands-free
Get AI meal plans, step-by-step cooking mode, and your saved recipes in the free Bento app.
Plan your meals, track fasting and build your grocery list — free
MyCookingCalendar's dashboard runs right in your browser, no download needed.
Read more on Wikipedia