A new Latin food website from a Food Network star and a media mogul is betting Americans are ready to graduate from Taco Tuesday

• A veteran Spanish-language media executive and a celebrity chef are launching Cocina, a digital media venture focused on Latin food and culture.
• The two executives believe that the timing is right for this publication, given the explosion of Latin influence on culture and the growing US multicultural population.

---

Social media feeds are already saturated with high-speed food-prep videos, live cooking shows, and endless close-ups of sexy deserts. Time Inc. has even launched a website focused entirely on breakfast.

In all this, is there room for a digital-born publication focused solely on Latin cuisine and culture? A celebrity chef and a Spanish language media veteran think so.

Emiliano Saccone, who previously ran Fox's Spanish language network MundoFox and also headed up global content development for Fox's International channels, has teamed up with restaurateur Aarón Sánchez, a regular on shows like Food Network's "Chopped" and Fox's "MasterChef" to launch a venture called Cocina.

The new media venture is aimed at elevating Latin food and culture at a moment where the U.S. Hispanic population is exploding.

The two entrepreneurs believe that young, digital-savvy Hispanic consumers are looking for an outlet to celebrate their food and heritage.  Moreover, they think a broader set of Americans are ready to graduate from 'Taco Tuesday' to sampling cooking from Argentina, Columbia and other parts of South America.

"As a business guy, when I think about launching something, I start with a gut feeling and vet that against hard data," said Saccone, who is Cocina's CEO. "Right now, there's both a strong hunch that it's the right cultural moment and there's enough data to prove it." 

Saccone pointed to the music industry as a model for where American tastes are heading (see this past summer's Spanish/English radio smash "Despacito.")

Thus, Cocina will feature a mix of recipe videos and articles, series featuring top Latin chefs and lifestyle content. Think lists like"Five Venezuelan Dishes You Need to Know About" and videos on "Turkey Leftover Quesadillas."  The content will be distributed on Facebook and YouTube, as well as on Wearecocina.com.

As for the business case for the new company (which is launched during a period of digital media consolidation and uncertainty), Sánchez said that all the major food brands in the U.S. are pushing into 'Latin-tinged' products, and as a result advertisers' multicultural budgets are on the rise compared to a few decades ago. 

"Plus, marketers are realizing that in general Latinos are extremely loyal customers," he said.