Today we’d like to introduce you to Genesis Ceja.
Hi Genesis, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Nómada Tortilleria started in January 2023; the whole concept of having a business brewed up when I moved to Wilmington, NC in the summer of 2021 from San Diego, CA. Originally, I wanted to have a coffee tricycle serving traditional coffee accentuating Mexican flavors, think spices (not spicy) like cinnamon and masa-based drinks, from Atole to Cafe de Olla, including Aguas Frescas. The plan was to bike myself around Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches, but the city itself is not cyclist-friendly, and the market is a bit saturated with coffee shops. The dream was put on hold, and decided to explore the city, make connections, network, and see what Wilmington had to offer. In my journey, I met wonderful small businesses and the humans that ran them. Fast forward to the year 2022, I began working and then managing a small business in town, working with sourdough; it was so much fun! Then the burnout came along, and I was questioning my whole existence, the reason why I was here, MY DREAM!
I stumbled upon a company from Los Angeles, California called Masienda; Jorge Gaviria and his team created this company to bring back the ancient process of tortilla making.
In the process of learning more about my Mexican roots, I rediscovered parts of myself I thought I’d lost along the way. I had forgotten the food, the FOOD! I had forgotten the beautiful and colorful ingredients that I grew up with and the memories that came with it.
It felt right to pursue the way of the tortilla; there are core memories of my grandma and me picking up our kilo of tortillas at a tortillería in Ensenada, Baja California. The smell of tortillas being cooked and collected to sell, the line that would sometimes wrap around the building depending on the time of year (lots of tortillas and masa during the holidays), the sound of the not-so-oiled machines that would be pumping the tortillas for all the people and the dulce that my grandma would buy for us after we’d spent some time standing in line for the dinner and most likely breakfast tortillas.
Every neighborhood in Mexico has its own tortillería; they all have that consistent round shape but all with a different taste. Some say it’s because of the water they use to make them; municipal water, bottled water, well water, you name it, there is definitely a difference.
Each member of my family had their preferred spot to go, but in my grandma’s home, it’d only be the one on Calle Segunda; Renteria Tortilleria.
Wilmington had nothing like this while I searched for that same known feeling and taste.
So, I began my quest to start Nómada Tortillería.
I started asking around about what the next step would be; The LLC, EIN, all the right permits to sell in North Carolina. I was mainly guided by Adrienne from Queen Esther Teas; she is a true angel and doesn’t gatekeep information; she’s straightforward and has just been my cheerleader from the beginning. I’m beyond blessed to have stumbled into her in one of her many markets she pops up at.
Her advice led me to meet Atiba Johnson and Chakema Clinton-Quintana over at Channel. From there, I asked Christina Haley over at Wilmington Downtown Inc. She connected me to Randy Rhyne from CraftGrown Farms. He gave me a number to Jeremy Malanka at Manna Provisions where I now produce tortillas in small batches.
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?
Definitely not smooth! Figuratively and literally. I started my trek to the east coast in the summer of 2020; I packed my car with anything that would fit in it, including my puppy, Kimchi. I left behind a terrible breakup and what remains of my family in California.
It was a very stressful cross-country drive, specifically with a new-to-me car, which broke down on what I thought was the hottest day of my entire life in the middle of Death Valley near Las Vegas.
The most relevant was and still is a struggle, funding. There is no money for start-ups.
In a moment of desperation, I ended up taking out a personal loan. It was a risk I was willing to take because I believe in my product and strong work ethic.
There are also some days where I struggle to stay motivated; the dread and self-doubt kick in after years of people telling me I’m nothing or that I’m mediocre.
It all fades after I have a pep talk in front of a mirror; there is also the kind words of encouragement from those close to me like my husband, my dear friend Chef Allegra Grant (you don’t know how powerful a hug from you can be), couldn’t forget my favorite power couple Adrienne and Alex from Queen Esther Teas.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Nómada Tortillería is a tortilla bakery in Wilmington, North Carolina. Nómada means “nomad” in Spanish. My lifestyle before rooting in Wilmington had been nomadic in nature. From as early as two years of age, I’d been living in different cities and in the beautiful country of Mexico with my beloved grandma.
I specialize in small-batch tortillas using heirloom corn from Mexico and North Carolina.
The heirloom corn goes thru the process of nixtamalization; the kernel gets soft enough to run thru a Molino (mill); the Molino has volcanic stones that grind the soft kernel and creates masa (dough) from this aromatic masa I make tortillas.
My tortillas are not like the packaged ones you grab from the international section at the grocery store.
I don’t use preservatives or nasty dyes like Red no.40 or Yellow no.5. The corn is naturally hued. They are Gluten-Free and Vegan. I’ll eventually offer flour tortillas in the future using freshly milled flour from local farms here in North Carolina.
My wish is to elevate your tacos or other culinary adventures. Taste the difference, experience a better tortilla.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Social media plays a big part of our society these days; the best way to show support without any monetary obligation is to hit the like button, share my content, spread the word. I’d love to collaborate with local restaurants and other small businesses; the “masa-bilites” are endless. I’d also like to provide in-home taco nights to families local to Wilmington and beyond.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.holanomada.com
- Instagram: @nomada.tortilleria
Image Credits
Jason and Kate Photography LLC
