Aarón Sánchez is a chef, restaurateur, and television personality best known for his appearances on Chopped and MasterChef USA. Although he is well known, especially among lovers of food programs, there are many Aarón Sánchez facts that people do not know. So, what are some interesting facts about Aaron Sánchez? Here are some fun Aarón Sánchez facts that will give you an insight into the celebrity chef’s life.
Aarón Sánchez Facts: His Early and Family Life
Where Was Aarón Sánchez Born?
Aarón Sánchez was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, on the 12th of February 1976. His mother, Zarela Martinez, is a restaurateur and cookbook author, so a passion for food runs in the family.
He Is a Twin!
An interesting Aarón Sánchez fact that many people do not know is that Sánchez is a twin. However, the twin brothers have taken very different paths in life. While Aarón has always worked in the food industry, his twin brother, Rodrigo, is an attorney in New York City.
When Did Aarón Sánchez Move to the United States?
Aarón Sánchez and his family moved to the United States while he was still a child, and they originally lived in El Paso, Texas. However, the family then moved to New York in 1986, and his mother launched her restaurant, Café Marimba.
Is Aarón Sánchez Married?
One of the facts about Aarón Sánchez that many of his fans want to know is whether or not he is married. The celebrity chef married singer Ife Mora in 2009, but they divorced in 2012.
Does Aarón Sánchez Have Children?
Aarón Sánchez has one son, Yuma, from his marriage to Ifé Mora.
Where Does Aarón Sánchez Live?
Although he was born in Chihuahua and grew up in Texas and New York, Aarón Sánchez now lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Facts About Aarón Sánchez: His Culinary Career
Did Sánchez Cook as a Child?
Aarón Sánchez began cooking with his mother as a child. She taught him how to make traditional Mexican dishes. He then began working in his mother’s restaurant, Café Marimba, where he gained experience in both cooking and running a restaurant.
Where Did Aarón Sánchez Train as a Chef?
When he was 16, Sánchez’s mother sent him to work with Chef Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans for the summer. It gave Sánchez valuable experience in the kitchen. Sánchez then completed his academic studies, graduating from Dwight School in 1994. The chef then studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and worked in Patria in New York under Douglas Rodriguez, a nuevo-Latino chef. While there, Sánchez met Alex Garcia, his future business partner.
What Is Aarón Sánchez’s Cooking Style?
Aaron Sánchez is known for several styles of cooking. These include Louisiana, Cajun, and Mexican cuisines.
How Many Cookbooks Has Aarón Sánchez Published?
Aarón Sánchez has published two cookbooks. The first, La Comida del Barrio: Latin-American Cooking in the U.S.A., was published in 2003. In 2011, Sánchez published his second cookbook, Simple Food Big Flavor: Unforgettable Mexican-Inspired Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours.
Where Has Aarón Sánchez Worked?
Alex Garcia opened the restaurant Erizo Latino in 1996, and Aarón Sánchez helped him to launch the restaurant. Over the next few years, Sánchez worked in several executive chef positions at restaurants, including L-Ray and Isla. He then worked at Rose Pistola in San Francisco under Chef Reed Hearon. Next, Sánchez was hired by Eamon Furlong to open the pan-Latin restaurant Paladar in Lower East Side in 2000. Although Sánchez was part-owner of Paladar, he sold his interest in 2010. Sánchez then spent two years as the chef at Centrico, a Mexican restaurant in New York.
When Did Sánchez Open Johnny Sánchez?
Aarón Sánchez and chef John Besh opened their first Johnny Sánchez location in Baltimore in 2014, but the original location closed in 2017. Besh and Sánchez opened the second Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans in 2014. In 2019, Besh left Johnny Sánchez, which Sánchez now owns with partners Drew Mire and Miles Landrem.
Aarón Sánchez’s Television Career
When Did Aarón Sánchez First Appear on Television
Aaron Sánchez first appeared on television in 2001 when he was the co-host of Melting Pot on Food Network. The series ended in 2002. Throughout the rest of the 2000s, Sánchez appeared in multiple television series on the Food Network, including Boy Meets Grill, Throwdown! With Bobby Flay, Food Detective, Chopped, and Chef vs. City.
Later Series on the Food Network
Since 2010, some of Aarón Sánchez’s appearances on the Food Network include four seasons of Chopped Junior, Chopped After Hours, and four appearances across two seasons of Guilty Pleasures.
Did Aarón Sánchez Present MasterChef USA?
The original presenters of MasterChef USA were Gordon Ramsay, Graham Ellis, and Joe Bastianich. Christina Tosi replaced Joe Bastianich in season six before Bastianich returned in season nine. Graham Elliot left the series at the end of season six, and the seventh season featured weekly guest judges, including Aaron Sánchez. In season eight, Aaron Sánchez became a permanent judge on MasterChef USA, initially alongside Ramsay and Tosi, and then alongside Ramsay and Bastianich. Sánchez has also been a judge on MasterChef Junior since season seven, and he appeared in the series as a guest on several occasions previously.
What About His Series on the Cooking Channel?
Sánchez’s series on the Cooking Channel include Unique Eats, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Heat Seekers, and Taco Trip.
Other Television Appearances
Sánchez has also appeared in many other television series. These include Celebrity Food Fight, Mike & Mike, Aaron Loves New York, Iron Chef America, The Taste, Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off (featuring Rachael Rey and Guy Fieri), Rewrapped, and Finding Your Roots. The series in which he has appeared since 2015 include Beat Bobby Flay, Best. Ever., All-Star Academy, Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse, Simply Ming, 24 Hours to Hell and Back, Hell’s Kitchen, and Selena + Chef.
Other Facts About Aarón Sánchez
He Published a Memoir
In addition to his cookbooks, Aarón Sánchez has published a memoir in 2019 titled Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef.
He Founded the Aarón Sánchez Scholarship Fund
Aarón Sánchez wanted to empower aspiring chefs from Latin communities to embark on culinary careers. Therefore, he founded the Aaron Sánchez Scholarship Fund.