nanae watabe llamas

MEXICO TRIP LEADER
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Meet Nanae, our multifaceted, marvelous Trip Leader for our Mexico Group Trips!

Born and raised in Mexico City and of Japanese-Mexican heritage, Nanae (pronounced like "nuh-NYE"), goes by Nana, pronounced “nuh-nuh.” She’s lived in Canada, Italy, and Japan, and studied Psychology and Sociology at the University of British Columbia. She completed her Masters in Food Culture and Communications at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Parma, Italy.

Nana has been at the helm of a diverse array of culinary projects—from directing a farm to owning a sushi burrito stand—but she's best known in Mexico City for her mushroom foraging business, which supplies some of the city's top chefs. In addition to bringing the funghi goods to Mexico City's restaurant scene, her project leads groups on educational foraging expeditions, teaching people local mushroom identification, responsible foraging, and culinary preparation techniques.

At the end of the day, she believes that the best way to discover a destination is by eating your way through it.