TUCSON CITY OF GASTRONOMY

Offers certification and endorsement for restaurants, food artisans, caterers, retailers, and culinary experiences based on their commitment to supporting the local food economy, preserving food heritage, practicing sustainability, and engaging in community-minded business; maintains certification standards and criteria.

Certifies restaurants, food artisans, retailers, and caterers based on their commitment to supporting the local food economy, preserving food heritage, community-minded business practices, and sustainability leadership. The organization also conducts outreach, including Spanish-language outreach, to engage minority-owned food businesses.

Certifies and endorses restaurants, food artisans, culinary events, and experiences based on their commitment to supporting the local food economy, preserving food heritage, community-minded business practices, and sustainability leadership. This includes maintaining certification standards and criteria for businesses.

Leads the annual international Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta, which celebrates the cultural and culinary significance of corn through chef collaborations, special maíz beers, traveling exhibits, and cross-city exchanges with other UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy in the U.S. and Mexico; the 2025 event is scheduled for September 25–28 in Tucson.

Exchanges chef ambassadors worldwide to promote Tucson's food internationally and collaborates on projects like "Tasting Tomorrow" to present cooking demonstrations showcasing how traditional dishes can be adapted for a hotter future using ingredients from hot regions.

Collaborated on the "Tasting Tomorrow" project to present cooking demonstrations in Tucson and other UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy, showcasing how traditional dishes can be adapted for a hotter climate using ingredients from hot regions.

Hosts Terruño, an annual culinary event featuring wine, artisanal dishes, chefs, winemakers, and regional flavors of the Sonoran Desert to celebrate Tucson’s food culture.

Organizes and enhances culinary events, including Terruño, which features wine, artisanal dishes, chefs, and regional flavors, and the annual international Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta, involving chef collaborations, special beer brewing, and traveling exhibits across participating cities.

Organizes and collaborates on culinary events, including Terruño, a culinary event featuring regional flavors, and the annual Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta, an international festival celebrating corn's role in food heritage across UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy. The organization also collaborates on cooking demonstrations showcasing traditional dishes adapted for a hotter future.

Creates award-winning short videos that highlight regional food stories, culinary traditions, and heritage foods in Tucson to promote food tourism and support local businesses.

Publishes and maintains the Baja Arizona Artisanal Food Products directory (with editions in 2018, 2019, and 2023) to promote southern Arizona’s local producers and products made with unique regional ingredients, including Indigenous and historically introduced foods.

Celebrates and increases awareness of heritage foods and multicultural food heritage, incubates and promotes local food businesses, and publishes the Baja Arizona Artisanal Food Products directory to promote local producers and products made with unique regional ingredients. The organization also produces and shares videos highlighting local food heritage and culinary traditions.

Celebrates and increases awareness of heritage foods and multicultural food heritage, incubates and promotes local food businesses, and produces videos highlighting local food heritage and culinary traditions in Tucson.

Annually honors local "Food Heroes" with cash awards ($1,500 for first place, $500 for second) across various categories and hosts a public award ceremony, such as during the Tucson Meet Yourself Folklife Festival; also presents the Jim Griffith Foodways Keeper Award in partnership with the Southwest Folklife Alliance to honor home cooks and artisans preserving regional food traditions.

Annually recognizes local "Food Heroes" with awards, providing cash awards for first and second-place winners, and hosts an annual award ceremony. In partnership with the Southwest Folklife Alliance, the organization also established the annual Jim Griffith Foodways Keeper Award to honor home cooks and food artisans preserving the region’s food traditions.

Annually recognizes local "Food Heroes" with awards, providing cash prizes for first and second-place winners in various categories, and hosts an annual award ceremony for these recognitions.

Highlights Indigenous and Latino/a chefs through public events, including the Mayor's State of the City Address, international gatherings, and TCoG workshops and celebrations, to elevate underrepresented culinary voices.

Incubates and promotes local food businesses, including minority-owned restaurants, artisans, and food enterprises, through direct outreach (including in Spanish), application assistance, and inclusion in certification and promotional programs.

Works to improve the local food system through advocacy, building connections among stakeholders, and supporting community organizations involved in food and agriculture in southern Arizona.

Works to strengthen and improve the local food system through advocacy, building connections, and promoting community organizations.

Conducts ongoing research to document ingredients, recipes, and oral histories from knowledge keepers of iconic breads in cities across the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Engages in an ongoing project to document ingredients, recipes, and stories of knowledge keepers of iconic breads from cities within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Recruits and trains a diverse team of Chef Ambassadors (including representation from Native American, Latino/a, LGBTQ, and Anglo communities) to represent Tucson at international events, engage in collaborative exchanges with sister UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy, and promote Tucson’s food culture globally.

Recruits and trains a diverse team of Chef Ambassadors to represent Tucson regionally and internationally at events in sister Cities of Gastronomy, exchanging chef ambassadors worldwide to promote Tucson's food internationally. The program also showcases Indigenous and Latino/a chefs at various events.

Engages as one of 49 UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy worldwide, participates in the global network to advance cultural heritage and creativity for sustainable development, and maintains local governance through a board of directors established in 2016 to steward the designation for Tucson and the southern Arizona foodshed.

Participates in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, a global association of cities using cultural heritage and creativity for sustainable development, and manages Tucson's designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.