Nixta Ancestral Foods

Our name “Nixta” brings attention to the base of our food; the tortilla, Nixtamalization, Masa and Corn. We source heirloom corn from our region, and process it the traditional way, through nixtamalization, then we grind it on our mill to make all of our tortillas and masa based foods.

Cooking ancestral foods means cooking from scratch, utilizing what the land offers – what was grown or harvested locally this season, just as everyone’s ancestors always did. It is also an approach to food that honors our own specific ancestral roots, culture and culinary traditions. Our cooking emphasizes, traditional local flavors and cooking techniques made with indigenous ingredients, heirloom and specialty regional ingredients, wild foraging, local sourcing, and organic ingredients. This approach is traditional yet innovative.

Our Story

Chef Andrew Fleisher and his partner and Sous Chef Amber Rose started Nixta in the summer of 2023.

Born from their effort to reconnect with ancestral foodways they had lost over generations of assimilation, Andrew and Amber began growing corn and local seeds, and learning how to forage in Northern NM. Considering their connection to corn based foods like tortillas and arepas, they learned to nixtamalize and grind the corn they grew. Then in 2023 they received a small arts grant to teach free cooking classes on Nixtamalization and bio-regional foods. Following the workshop series, they continued their work, offering more classes, providing catering services, and selling tacos, tamales, tortillas and masa-based street foods at pop-up markets and other local events.

Andrew is a Chicano with Northern New Mexican maternal roots and Tejano & Ashkenazi paternal roots. Born and raised in Chicago area he moved to NM in 2020. His professional cooking experience began as a teenager working at his dads restaurant, followed by several years cooking for yoga and meditation retreats, and later working for vegetarian, organic and farm to table focused restaurants and catering companies. Notably including, culinary anthropologist and chef Lois Ellan Frank and Walter Whitewater at Red Mesa Cuisine, who specialized in Southwestern Native Cuisine.

Amber Rose has Colombian maternal roots and European paternal roots. She spent early childhood at her mothers natural foods cafe and juice bar in Miami, and has worked years in catering. Her primary focus is on visual and movement arts and healing work. She offers sound healing and body work and can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/Thehealingrose/

^{(We can also offer food and sound healing session combos, just ask!)}