Mexican food in France is often perceived as cheap street food, but chef Carla Kirsch is working to change that. In this episode, we speak with the Mexican-born, French-trained chef behind Alebrije in Lyon about what it takes to bring Mexican cuisine into the French fine dining world.

After training at the prestigious Paul Bocuse Institute, Carla opened her own Mexican restaurant in France, challenging deeply rooted ideas about what qualifies as “serious” cuisine. We explore why Mexican food in Europe is expected to be inexpensive, why French diners are wary of spice, and how Mexican cuisine remains misunderstood despite the fact that many essential French ingredients, including tomatoes, chocolate, vanilla, beans, and chilies, originated in Mexico and the Americas.

This episode also dives into the practical realities of sourcing Mexican ingredients in France, from dried chilies and tomatillos to masa made from French-grown corn. We discuss how global supply chains, climate change, and French agricultural culture shape Mexican food abroad, and how cultural bias influences which cuisines are considered refined or worthy of higher prices.

If you are interested in Mexican cuisine in Europe, French food culture, immigrant chefs in France, or the evolution of fine dining, this conversation offers an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities shaping Mexican gastronomy in Lyon and beyond.

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Mexican food in France is often treated as cheap street food, but chef Carla Kirsch is challenging that narrative. In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, we sit down with the Mexican-born, French-trained chef behind Alebrije in Lyon to talk about bringing Mexican cuisine into the French fine dining world.

We dig into why French diners expect Mexican food to be inexpensive, why spice still scares people in France, and how many core French ingredients originally came from Mexico and the Americas. Carla also shares what it takes to source Mexican ingredients in France, from dried chilies and tomatillos to masa made from French corn, and what it’s like to open a restaurant in France as a foreign woman.

Places & Institutions Mentioned in This Episode

• Alebrije (Lyon) – Carla Kirsch’s fine dining Mexican restaurant
• Milpa (Lyon) – Carla Kirsch’s more casual taco shop
• Institut Paul Bocuse (now Institut Lyfe), Lyon – where Carla trained in classical French cuisine

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli and Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

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