‘Como Agua Para Chocolate’: 10 Cookbooks for the Latina Chef

Ever since Como Agua Para Chocolate made its series debut on MAX, I’ve been hooked to the TV every Sunday. The series, based on the iconic book by Laura Esquivel, reminded me of my love for this novel and how it brings one of the pillars of Latin American culture to the forefront: food. Divided among three continents and the Caribbean, Latinx food blends native ingredients, influences from Europe, Africa, and even the Middle East. The result is a tapestry of meals that are embedded into our soul and passed down generation after generation.

In every family, there’s always that chef who loves to bring everyone together through food. To my family’s luck, that’s me, which is why I’ve rounded up ten cookbooks that are the perfect gift or addition to your chef’s repertoire. From Mexico to the tip of Patagonia and the warm waters of the Caribbean, there’s a cookbook for every taste, and honestly, I want them all.

Disclosure: Every product is independently selected by our editors. Items purchased through our links may earn us a commission.

1. Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel E. Presilla

Maricel E. Presilla leaves no stone unturned with Gran Cocina Latina. This 912 page volume is more than just a book—it’s a treasured history of culinary traditions from the waters of the Caribbean to the tip of the Patagonia in Argentina. Earning the 2013 James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year Award, it offers more than 500 recipes including adobos, sofritos, empanadas, tamales, ceviches, moles, and even desserts like tres leches and flan. With over 400 five-star reviews, people are calling this cookbook “inspiring” with recipes that are “hard to resist.”

If you’ve been itching to dust off your apron and dig deeper into the culinary traditions of Latin America, this is a great place to start.

La Gran Cocina Latina, $49.95, available at amazon.com.

2. On Masa: Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple by Jorge Gaviria and Graydon Herriott

You’re literally going to be caught with las manos en la masa when you get your hands on this cookbook. If you thought great masa was out of your reach, this cookbook will change your mind. Named the Best Cookbook of 2022 by publications like the Los Angeles Times, Food and Wine, San Francisco Chronicle, and Saveur, secrets, traditions, and recipes come out for you to use right at home. You’ll learn how to use masa in over 50 recipes for pozole, tamales, tortillas, and even as a tempura batter. Originally a $35, it’s now 27% off on Amazon, so you can pick it up for the holidays at $25.49 or a $16.99 version on Kindle.

The author, Jorge Gaviria founded Masienda, a supplier and resource for masa and masa products. Yes, that means you’re getting the best of the best from a master.

On Masa: Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple, $35 (now $25.49), available at amazon.com.

3. Peru: The Cookbook by Gastón Acurio

Over the last few decades, Peruvian cuisine has risen as one of the most flavorful and acclaimed worldwide. Now, renowned chef Gaston Acurio, owner of several Peruvian restaurants in Lima, Miami, Santiago de Chile, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, and more, is bringing his tricks of the trade to your kitchen with Peru: The Cookbook. Everything from quinoa, ceviche, and lomo saltado is included among the 500 traditional home cooking recipes he’s sharing in this book. In addition to traditional recipes, you’ll also enjoy insights into cocktails like pisco sour, the use of different kinds of ají, and other plants used in Peruvian kitchens.

Taking advantage of the holiday season, the cookbook is now available for $39.35 instead of its usual $54.95 price tag. It also boasts more than 1,000 global ratings at 4.7, saying “This cookbook has almost every recipe you will find in your typical Peruvian restaurant in the US” and “Everything I have attempted from this encyclopedia of Peruvian recipes has been spectacular.”

Peru: The Cookbook, $39.35, available at amazon.com.

4. The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History by Ana Sofía Peláez

As a Cuban, I can attest that we are incredibly protective of our cuisine. For us, food and cooking are among the few things we can preserve in our country, which is why finding a cookbook that truly honors our customs is pivotal. Cuban-American food writer Ana Sofía Peláez is honoring that through her cookbook The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History. This volume not only includes 110 authentic recipes, but honors Cuban roots in a special way that preserves the flavors and sazón that makes Cuban food special. From Spanish accents to African ingredients, you’ll be able to whip up stews, platanos, sandwiches, and more.

Furthermore, the cookbook was a finalist for the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award in the International Cookbook category. Ashe to this Cubanita!

The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History, $27.02, available at amazon.com.

5. Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico by Rick Martínez

Many of us love Mexican food, but few know how to make it authentically. This New York Times and Los Angeles Times best seller is here to change that. The James Beard Award Winning cookbook by Rick Martínez is a journey into the soul of Mexican cooking. Martínez kicks off in Mexico City and travels to 32 states and 156 cities to bring more than 100 recipes to your kitchen. Each dish is inspired by his travels, including herb and cheese meatballs bathed in Oaxacan chipotle sauce, sweet corn tamales with seafood, soups, stews, and more. The author also leaves us with a piece of his soul as he shares intimate insights with personal essays throughout the book.

This amazing cookbook is now availble at $14.44 in hardcover from its $35 price tag. Yes, that means you’ll be saving 59% while turning your kitchen into a fabulous homage to Mexico.

Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from my Kitchen in Mexico, $14.44 (previously $35), available at amazon.com.

6. Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral

You may have heard of Bricia Lopez’s family, aka the founders of Guelaguetza restaurant in Los Angeles. Known as a true ambassador of Oaxacan culture, mezcal, and all things Oaxacan culture, Lopez and Javier Cabral have written up 140 authentic and accessible recipes. Using pre-Hispanic and Indigenous ingredients, this is as close Oaxacan food from your own kitchen as you can get. Recipes include tamales de mole negro, masa, huevo en frijol, tacos de barbacoa de chivo, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and more.

“In Zapoteco, the thousand-year-old Indigenous language still spoken in Oaxaca, the word for aciento (pork rind paste) is the same word that is used for children, which is the name of the toasted chicharron paste that we smear on tortillas,” Lopez writes in the introduction. “That is how important food is to us. In our Indigenous languages, we use our staple food to describe us as children.” The cookbook is now available at 51% off on Amazon for $21.85 in comparison to its usual $45 price tag.

Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, $21.85 (previously $45), available at amazon.com.

7. Asado: Parillada Argentina by Florencia Abella

Flames, meat, and everything in between, these are some of the basics of a good asado. In Latin America, we know that grill royalty is left to none other than Argentines. Head Chef of Michelin-star Ekstedt restaurant in Stockholm, Florencia Abella, has penned this cookbook, Asado, honoring her roots and passion for the asado. The Buenos Aires native dives into the traditions of Argentine cuisine, showcasing dishes and techniques using beef, chicken, and lamb, as well as sausages and vegetables. She also goes into the differences of grilling using wood versus coal, and even how different grill types can affect the process.

Asado: Parillada Argentina, $27.08 (originally $44.95), available at amazon.com.

8. Dulce de Leche: Recipes, Stories and Sweet Traditions

Another cookbook from the tip of the South American continent is this beautifully illustrated memoir and cookbook by Argentine-American author Josephine Caminos Oria. Starting with a lesson on one of the most beloved treats, dulce de leche, Caminos Oria delights with more than 80 recipes. Learn to make breakfast muffins, medialunas, pancakes, crepes, and even bacon-wrapped dulce de leche jalapeños with this book. Rated 4.6 out of five stars, customers are saying this book is “wonderful, exceptional, and scrumptious.” With others calling it a “real treasure.”

Dulce de Leche: Recipes, Stories and Sweet Traditions, $33, available at amazon.com.

9. Pan y Dulce: The Latin American Baking Book (Pastries, Desserts, Rustic Breads, Savory Baking, and More) by Bryan Ford

Author and star baker Bryan Ford is breaking free of the eurocentric approach to baking with Pan y Dulce. Known for his baking book, New World Sourdough and judging chops on Netflix’s Blue Ribbon Baking Championship, he’s pushing home bakers to give Latin American baking a chance and try the wanders of our cultura’s cooking. Recipes include conchas, pan de coco, golfeados, pastelitos de guayaba, pan Cubano, fugazzeta and more. If sweets, breads, and empanadas are your thing then you’ll definitely want to start heating up the oven for this master’s recipes.

Reviewers are saying “Pan y Dulce is a must-have for every home baker. Bryan blends his rich heritage, culinary expertise and easy to follow writing style to bring authentic Latin American flavors to the kitchen. Each recipe is paired with engaging stories, making baking an immersive journey.”

Pan y Dulce: The Latin American Baking Book, $32.48, available at amazon.com.

10. Spirits of Latin America by Ivy Mix

Rum, tequila, mezcal, aguardiente, pisco, Latin American spirits are as varied as our cultura. James Beard Award-nominated bartender Ivy Mix journeys to the heart of the continent to bring over 100 recipes from the Caribbean, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, and more. You’ll get the classic pisco sour, mojito, and margarita, while also enjoying some of Mix’s personal libations inspired by her travels. If you’re ready to impress your amigas by showing off your bartending chops, this book is it!

Spirits of Latin America, $19.70, available at amazon.com.