Chef Omar Covarrubias has been named the Latino Chef of the Year at this year’s Flavors of Passion Awards, which honor the best of the best nation’s Hispanic chefs.

“[He] is a great promoter of the excellence of Mexican food in the world,” said the Mexican Consulate in Dallas while recognizing Covarrubias at the third annual event.

The 42-year-old Mexico City native started cooked at a very young age in his family’s hotel kitchen in Cuautla, Mexico with guidance and some secretos he learned from traditional cocineras in Mexico.

Covarrubias, who graduated from Johnson and Wales Culinary School in Florida, currently leads the food operations at Miami’s Rosa Mexicano restaurant. He’s also served as the executive chef for a number of government events, including a special gala dinner for the Mexican President during his visit to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

“It’s pure love for Mexico and a dedication to God and my family,” that Covarrubias credits for his tremendous culinary success. “Because in the world of cooking, it would not be possible without the support of the family,” he adds.

Once hailed “an ambassador of the Mexican cuisine in the world” by The New York Times, his specialties and savory creations include his Camarones a la Cova, Ossobuco Azteca and Tres leches de Chiapas.

Chef Omar currently produces and hosts the television program “Conoce México por sus Sabores.“