Andrés M. Garza

He/they

Years of Participation

2023

Andrés M. Garza is a xicano cook and anthropologist, born in Monterrey, and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. They currently work as the Director of Masa Development & Fermentation for the James Beard award-winning Nixta Taqueria in Austin, TX.

There they work alongside heirloom / native varieties of maíz and research indigenous foodways to educate their community how to incorporate ancestral foods and techniques into daily life. Andrés’ approach to food is mixing nostalgic flavors with pre-hispanic traditions to tell stories about their culture and diasporic experience.

They also run Neighborhood Molino, a project that aims to offer and educate about heirloom maíz products such as fresh tortillas and masa to their community.