Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Barboza and Alba Cavazos, owners of La Cochinita
Hi Erika and Alba thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are two teachers that came from Mexico 15 years ago to teach Spanish. When we arrived in Columbia, SC we noticed it was hard to find authentic Mexican food that resembled what we were used to eat back home. We started La Cochinita Authentic Mexican at Soda City market with the main goal of sharing dishes that were not very common or well known, but that we consider hidden gems of the Mexican cuisine such as Cochinita Pibil, Picadillo, Papas con Chorizo, Chilaquiles, Buñuelos, Molletes, Avocado tea, Café de Olla, etc.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road because there is a misconception of what authentic Mexican food is, and sometimes people do not want to try new things. However, once people try our food, they love it!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about La Cochinita Mexican?
La Cochinita Mexican has grown from a stand at Soda City to a food trailer that travels in the Columbia area. We love to share our culture and dishes with people in South Carolina. Besides some Saturdays at Soda City Market, people can find us at NoMa Warehouse for Sunday’s brunch. We also do private events, neighborhood events, and festivals. Above all, we want people to know that we take pride in serving the food we love and that we want people to experience the food the way we do in Mexico; you might even hear Alba say that our food is so authentic that is like going to Mexico without paying for the ticket!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
We consider ourselves risk-takers. We decided to get a food trailer even though we are still teaching full-time. We think we will be taking more risks in the future as we work towards having a storefront so we can keep sharing our delicious dishes with y’all.
- Email: lacochinitamexican@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacochinitamexican/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacochinitamexicanbbq/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lacochinitamex
Image Credits
Soda City Market
