Baja Med: What To Know About Mexico's Most Exciting Culinary Movement

The Baja Med movement originates from Mexico’s Baja California and is now grabbing the spotlight in both Mexican and international culinary circles. Although the states of Oaxaca and Michoacán are still heralded as Mexico’s traditional culinary hubs, the Baja Med scene has a vibrant, innovative philosophy that has caused ripples worldwide. A fascinating blend of Mexican, Mediterranean and Asian influences, Baja Med options are now available in all of Mexico’s major tourist destinations.
Seafood figures heavily in Baja Med cuisine, which is not surprising considering you’re never too far from the ocean in Baja California, one of the world’s longest peninsulas.

The Mediterranean aspect of the cuisine comes from the heavy use of wine, olive oil, arugula and other ingredients that flourish in Baja California’s Mediterranean-style climate. The Mexican element is born from a deep respect for the flavors and spices used in the country’s traditional cuisine. The Asian influence can be seen in certain cooking techniques and in the use of ingredients such as lemongrass.

Together these strands are fused together to create an innovative and provocative blend of taste and textures.

The Baja Med movement is also defined by its dramatically presented dishes, and a deep respect for the environment. Baja Med restaurants tend to source as many of their ingredients from local producers as possible.

Signature dishes associated with the movement include tempura fish tacos and beet carpaccio.

The first of these are batter-fried fish tacos that originated from the large Japanese immigrant population who worked as fishermen in the coastal city of Ensenada in Baja California. The new arrivals began arriving in the 1930s, bringing tempura – a technique for deep-frying fish in batter – to Mexico. Originally the tacos were made with shark meat, but dwindling shark populations have made this an expensive and unethical option. Today, tilapia or cod are used instead, and the tacos are available and popular throughout the country.

Beet carpaccio is another quintessential Baja Med dish based on an Italian recipe that uses thinly sliced meat or fish. The Baja variation of this Italian classic uses beet plant instead to create a light and healthy starter. Typically served with blue cheese and mint vinaigrette, the tasty dish is now a regular fixture on the menus of many top Mexican restaurants.

In recent years, the Baja Med movement has come to the forefront thanks to famous chefs such as Javier Plascencia and Miguel Ángel Guerrero. Both born in Tijuana, the iconic chefs have launched numerous restaurants that feature the cuisine.

Although Tijuana was once considered little more than a seedy party town, the area has reinvented itself in recent years.

Restaurants such as Plascencia’s Misión 19 and Guerrero’s La Querencia have put the sprawling border city on the culinary map.

Misión 19, Misión San Javier, Piso 2, Zona Urbana Río, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico +52 664 634 2493

La Querencia, Escuadrón 201, No. 3110, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico +52 664 972 9935

Many restaurants in the nearby Valle de Guadalupe, the epicenter of Mexico’s wine country, have taken on chefs associated with the movement. In faraway Tulum, restaurants such as Mur Mur are now offering excellent Baja Med cuisine. Even international cooking icons such as Anthony Bourdain and Rick Bayless have visited Baja California and written glowing reports on the region.

Wood fired oyster mushrooms in Finca Altozano, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.