Diana Kennedy, British expert of Mexican delicacies, dies at 99

British-born Diana Kennedy smiles as she poses for a photograph in front of bread ovens at her house in the metropolis of Zitacuaro in the western point out of Michoacan September 12, 2008. Image taken September 12. To match Reuters Life! MEXICO-Prepare dinner/ REUTERS/Tomas Bravo (MEXICO)

MEXICO City, July 24 (Reuters) – Diana Kennedy, a British-born food items author whose commitment to Mexico’s culinary heritage assisted popularize the richness of the national cuisine in the English-speaking entire world, has died. She was 99.

The Mexican culture ministry verified her demise, and paid out tribute to Kennedy’s legacy, saying that she “like couple of many others” understood that conserving mother nature and its diversity was important to upholding the myriad culinary traditions of Mexico.

Arturo Sarukhan, a former Mexican ambassador to the United States, on Twitter explained the loss of life of the “great” Kennedy as a “huge reduction for Mexico, the United kingdom and Mexican gastronomy.”

“She transformed the narrative and perceptions of Mexican cuisine from a bland mish-mash of TexMex in the direction of a sophisticated tapestry of regional cuisines” as abundant as individuals celebrated in China, India, France or Italy, Sarukhan explained to Reuters.

Kennedy, whose is effective include “The Cuisines of Mexico” and “The Artwork of Mexican Cooking”, was born as Diana Southwood in Loughton, England in 1923 and emigrated to Canada in 1953.

Later in the decade, she moved to Mexico soon after marrying New York Occasions journalist Paul P. Kennedy. Her partner died in 1967, and Kennedy invested a long time living in Michoacan, a rugged point out in western Mexico with a robust, deep-rooted tradition.

It was at her dwelling in Michoacan that she died on Sunday, the New York Instances explained. The induce of death was not apparent.

Plaudits flooded in on Twitter for Kennedy, which include from renowned chef Jose Andres, who, contacting her his good friend, wrote:

“She cherished Mexico, Mexicans and Mexican cooking like no one particular! Her books open a window into the soul of Mexico! She gave voice to the several Mexican cooks, specially women of all ages. She was my instructor and by now miss out on her. Will prepare dinner jointly a single working day again!”

Josefa Gonzalez Blanco, Mexico’s ambassador to Britain known as Kennedy a “extraordinary woman” who had set her “heart and soul” into researching, chronicling and advertising the extensive variety of Mexican tradition and gastronomy.

Kennedy won many prizes in recognition of her operate, and in 1981 the govt honored her with the Mexican Purchase of the Aztec Eagle, the country’s maximum award for foreigners.

In accordance to her web page, Kennedy was compelled to protect native components and classic recipes less than menace from rising urbanization, and invested many years documenting cuisines she uncovered in villages, marketplaces and households across Mexico.

“Now, these traditions are collectively designated as a Planet Cultural Heritage by UNESCO,” it mentioned.

Reporting by Dave Graham editing by Diane Craft

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