México is a giant in the food world! There’s so much more than fast food restaurants, greasy cheese nachos, and microwaveable burritos. Mexican cuisine is a combination of traditional food, dating back to the pre-Columbian period, and modern dishes influenced by cuisines from all over the world. As a lover of food, this was one of the aspects of Mexican culture I was most excited to experience!

Casa Oaxaca & Chef Ruiz. Oaxaca is considered the culinary capital of México. Here, I met with celebrity chef, Alejandro Ruiz who took me to an outdoor market where we picked up fresh, local ingredients for lunch. Chef Ruiz is inspired by fresh, seasonal produce. At the market, he picked out everything from tomatillos to avocados to fresh herbs, a little bit of everything.

While shopping, Chef Ruiz stopped at a few of his favorite food stalls so I could sample some traditional Oaxacan snacks. By far, my favorite dish was tacos with roasted goat, that had been slow-cooked over hot coals. The meat was incredibly flavorful, tender, complimented by fresh cilantro and a tangy salsa verde. To cool off, I tried tejate, a pre-Hispanic drink made of cacao beans and corn.

I spent most of my afternoon with the chef in his kitchen at Casa Oaxaca. He showed me how to prepare Sopa de Guias, a light soup loaded with green vegetables and zucchini blossoms. This soup was a favorite of his from childhood. By serving it at his restaurant, he is helping to preserve traditional Oaxacan cooking.

From Pujol Restaurant. Pujol is one of the top dining spots in Mexico City. Here, Executive Chef Enrique Olvera weaves modern techniques with traditional Mexican cooking and ingredients.

Surprisingly, the stoves are the least used appliance at Pujol. The staff works with other cooking tools, like a sous-vide machine - a high-tech device that circulates vacuum-sealed food in a low temperature, water bath. This cooking technique maintains the full flavor and texture of the food being prepared.

The best part of my visit to Pujol was sampling the food! I started with an amuse bouche, a small bite of food used to wake up the taste buds. My amuse was a type of push-pop made with traditional Mexican staples: corn and queso fresco cream. It was the perfect introduction to Chef Olvera’s modern-traditional approach to food. Be sure to watch my interview with him to see some of his other culinary creations.

Markets in México. A major part of Mexican cuisine is understanding and appreciating where the food comes from. In Mérida, I visited El Benito morning market. The team and I arrived at the market at 4:30am, and it was already buzzing with activity! Street lamps lit my way, as I navigated the market seeking fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and spices that are brought in from surrounding villages. At El Benito, many of the vendors specialize in just one item. For those who shop at the market, this means stopping at one vendor to pick up radishes, another to pick up banana leaves, and yet another to pick up herbs. This sort of shopping allows vendors to form long-lasting relationships with their customers and establishes a sense of community at the market.

Keep going! Learn about MesoAmerican rituals and Catholicism in México.

© ProjectExplorer.org, 2010. All Rights Reserved.