THE WORLD'S 6 MOST OVERLOOKED FOOD CITIES FOR FOOD LOVERS

The Thrillist says, "Here's how you know a city is a food capital: when you return from a visit and the first question your friends ask isn't what museums you visited, what beaches you loafed on, what mountains you climbed. Nah, you know it when they blurt, "What did you eat?"

Mexico City, Mexico A world-class hub of food and culture, so close and so very cheap

Why you should go: Clued-in travelers have long headed to this pulsing metropolis of 21 million souls, where they've explored world-class museums, a vibrant independent art scene, and stunning colonial architecture. And while Mexico City's profile is definitely on the rise, the Ciudad de Mexico, or CDMX as it's known locally, remains an overlooked destination in comparison to the shining stars in the firmament of international travel. That's a downright shame: with its warm, welcoming culture, leafy, tree-lined colonias, and wonderfully delicious food, there are endless reasons to visit Mexico City. It can go head to head with the world's more touristed cities any day -- and at a fraction of the price.

What you'll be eating: Few places in the world take eating as seriously as Mexico City. Street food reigns supreme, and you can hardly walk a few steps without being enticed by the aromas wafting from the little carts where hard-working, immensely talented cooks serve up delectable (and cheap -- we're talking less than $3 for a complete lunch) snacks all day long. In the morning, visit a tamalero, a vendor who serves hearty, corn-based breakfast items: in addition to tamales, he'll offer sweet cinnamon-and-vanilla-scented cups of atole, a hot, smooth corn drink. Ready for lunch? Seek out a tlacoyo, an eye-shaped disc of blue corn masa griddled and stuffed with creamy mashed fava beans or porky chicharron. Mexico City's tacos are equal to all the hype, available all day in every neighborhood, and filled with a huge range of meats. For a taste of the ultra-local, look for tacos al pastor, little corn tortillas folded around seasoned pork and warm, juicy bits of sweet pineapple. Said to be brought to the Mexico City area by Lebanese immigrants in the 19th century, the style has proliferated across the country but reaches its apex in CDMX.

If you're the type of diner who prefers an unhurried, sit-down meal, take note. In recent years, the city's fine-dining scene has exploded: star chef and CDMX native Enrique Olvera's Pujol, located in the tony neighborhood of Polanco, is probably the best-known example. It more than merits its many accolades, plating refined fare that demonstrates an intimate knowledge of traditional Mexican ingredients deployed in surprising ways -- and at about $100 for a seven-course meal, it won't blow up a vacation budget. Other excellent white-tablecloth restaurants include nearby Quintonil, where Jorge Vallejo creates Instagram-worthy dishes that taste as good as they look, and Maximo Bistrot, a cozy little corner spot in Roma with an excellent wine list.

What to do between meals: The vast expanse of Mexico City is divided into diverse neighborhoods known as colonias, and one of the most rewarding activities is to stroll among them, leisurely taking in the bustle of the city. Architecture buffs should check out Roma Norte, where expansive early-20th-century mansions now house cultural centers, bookstores, and art galleries; nightlife lovers can bar-hop around Condesa, the city's most tourist-friendly area, packed with cafes and clubs. The art of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Mexico City's famed twice-married couple, is on display all over the city, but for a more unusual glimpse into the life of the former, visit the Museo Anahuacalli in Coyoacan, which houses Rivera's unparalleled collection of pre-Columbian art and artifacts. Gallery enthusiasts can hit up Kurimanzutto, which represents pan-media modern artist Gabriel Orozco and relative newcomer Labor. For local color, CDMX's main square, the Zocalo, is always fun to walk around, and Chapultepec, the city’s Central Park, offers an oasis of green apart from the packed and frenetic streets of Downtown. -- Lauren Rothman, Thrillist contributor

San Miguel de Allende - City of Culture, Cool and Progress

San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico.

Malcome Harris writes at Huffington Post about his love for San Miguel:

A year ago, if someone had asked me to travel to Mexico for any reason other than a quick holistic trip to Tulum, I would have thought they had lost their ever-loving mind. You see I, like many Americans, had bought into the don't cross the border unless you want to be kidnapped, robbed or murdered rhetoric of the mainstream media as well as uninformed public opinion. It was as if someone had put all the bad news coming out of Mexico on some sort of subliminal, mind-altering loop and it had definitely worked. Then this pass Spring I was hit with one of those life altering and heart shattering experiences - my mother passed away.

Here's more

Walking to Breakfast

By Beverly Landfair

La Vanda Restaurante with Theresa our wait person

If you are contemplating visiting us in the future, we will be walking to breakfast at LaVanda Restaurante.  Located just off Umaran on Calle Hernandes Marcias, LaVanda is a small but quaint cafe that serves us one excellent breakfast.  We have not had the pleasure of having lunch here but that will be another story.

Michael and I just had returned from a nearby lab after having to submit to blood draws, etc. for securing some Mexican Medical Insurance for us.  We were ravenous after our twelve hour fast and in need of strong coffee.  Their home brew did not disappoint.  Now, I could concentrate on ordering breakfast.

Beverly and the coffee fix

I ordered Eggs Toscanos, two poached eggs presented like presents on my plate; mozzerella dollop and a generous amount of Basil Pesto accompanied by roasted tomatoes on the side.  My breakfast also came with a fruit bowl and toast with Guava Jam.  I was having a blissful experience.

Michael ordered his favorite, French Toast with fruit with a side of bacon that arrived in a small bowl and was crispy and delicious.  I know because he thankfully shared some with me.  We will be satiated until dinner with friends tonight!

La Vanda Restaurante

Atmosphere is part of making any culinary experience work, in my book. Lavanda has many rooms, natural stone and has been set up to make you feel like you are breakfasting at your friend's home.  I give LaVanda high marks.

Buen Provecho!

Follow Me to the Saturday Organic Market

By Beverly Landfair

He was playing great sax!

Melissa is in the red blouse.

As promised, I bopped up the Ancha and strolled into the Saturday Organic Market and made a bee-line for Buena Vida Bakery.  There is always a line of people waiting to get their goodies.  When it was finally my turn, I requested two cinnamon rolls for Miguel and one very tasty naranja orange doughnut for me.  I gave the owner, Melissa and staff, my regards and bid them adios.  They do a phenomenal business on Saturdays.

Karmine

Then I made my way to Karmine's stand where she sells her home-made pesto and also teaches cooking classes, and cooks at La Finestra restaurant (which we have yet to try)  This pesto is excellent and will sauce pasta for at least seven dinner plates.  As you know, there are a myriad of other uses for Pesto.  My eight oz. container was 60 pesos = $4.00.  She sells other sauces also, which we must try soon.

Derek's Dips

Next is Derek's Dips made this morning.  He uses almonds as his base.  I bought Habanero Dip to take to the party, along with some other goodies, that we are going to this evening. Derek was not there today so I missed taking his picture, but did capture his able assistant letting people sample as many dips with chips as they wanted.  After all, "The proof is in the eating."

I wanted you to get a sense of this good time happening every Saturday at this Market.  Live music, food, great coffee, and vendors selling their organic and very fine products from organic vegetables to jewelry to rugs and everything in-between.  Thanks for joining me!

Cafe area

Let's Talk Bakeries!

By Beverly Landfair

It is almost the week-end!  Let's talk about bakeries.  The three bakeries that we will be discussing are all in Centro and relatively close to each other.

Buena Vida

One of my favorites is La Buena Vida.  My picture shows the brick and mortar store.  Tomorrow at the Saturday Organic Market there will be three times as many offerings.  For instance, my fav, the orange doughnut is sold out already from the above store, but at the market tomorrow they will have been baking all night and will have one that is warm and melts in my mouth.  That is my fantasy anyway. Count on some pictures.

Petite Fleur

Petite Fleur

Around the corner is an excellent bakery which specializes in cakes and confections that are mind-blowingly tasty called Petite Fleur.  You can watch them create five layer cakes and other delights.  The cookies and breads are rich with butter.  You can not go wrong with any selection that you choose here.

Cumpanio

Cumpanio is a favorite in San Miguel and very popular with all.  This is an upscale bakery visitors to this city gravitate to.  Just grab a tray and take what looks scrumptious. This bakery has an adjacent restaurant that is good also.  I think of Cumpanio as an up-scale bakery.

Tomorrow:  The Organic Saturday Market 

My Walk to Mega

By Beverly Landfair

It took me about 1.55 miles to walk to Mega this afternoon.  I captured some favorite restaurants and some haunts along the way to give you a sense of the scene on The Ancha.  It was a little dusty in some spots but not bad.  I was armed with my shopping bags and pesos.  I wish I would have remembered my water.

Hecho En Mexico (Made in Mexico) is a favorite eatery of many who live here.  It is consistent and tasty and has excellent taco chips and live music on Saturday nights. I am a sucker for their Blackened Fish.  Michael and I have had many a great time here. 

The Instituto is a very long stone affair with restaurants, shops and The Organic Market open Saturdays early morning until 2 PM.  I will be going there this Saturday to pick up some homemade Pesto, some of Derek's yummy dips to bring to our friend Sheila's party this Saturday evening and maybe even an orange donut still warm and worth every calorie!  My picture shows the locked door with just a tempting sliver of a look see.  This Saturday market deserves to have it's own separate post.

Luna De Queso (Moon of Cheese) is a favorite place to buy cheese and other delights.  As I am approaching Luna De Queso, the nicest guy is selling wonderful fruits, etc. just outside the cheese shop.  Every week I buy a quart of the best baby cherry tomatoes for 20 Pesos = $1.33 or less. That's a steal!

Look, a new restaurant is opening next week, Longhorn's!  I checked out the interior and it looks welcoming and new and old.  They will be serving Ribs, etc. Hope it does well.  Can you tell I am hungry and can't wait for Michael to fire up our bar-b-q tonight?

Eat Mexico

If you're going to talk about a cuisine with authority, there's one surefire way to get it: Go to the source and eat it there. Author and former Texan Lesley Tellez did that one better: She lived in Mexico for four years, giving her a fluency with the cuisine and culture that she shares in a new cookbook, "Eat Mexico: Recipes From Mexico City's Streets, Markets and Fondas." (Kyle Books).

Eat Mexico is a culinary love letter to one of the biggest cities in the world—a chaotic, vibrant place where residents eat from sidewalk grills and stands, and markets and casual restaurants serve up fresh, hot food daily. In this book, journalist Lesley Téllez—who also runs her own food tour company in Mexico City—takes you through the city's most classic dishes, offering recipes from her favorite haunts on the streets, in city markets, and in small, homestyle fondas.

Ten Reasons to Love Mexico City Right Now

Ann Abel of Forbes, “Mexico City is the only city in North America that has a strong sense of tradition and a cutting edge,” says American expat Jason Fritz, who moved here last year after a decade in Tijuana and runs a roving supper club. “In the center, it’s very old-school, with people living as they did 60 years ago, but in other neighborhoods it’s totally contemporary.”

His business is booming. “Mexico City is the ‘next Berlin,’” he says, half-joking, a stop on the cool-seeking circuit. The DF—Distrito Federal, like the DC in Washington DC— is far safer, cleaner and more livable than it used to be, thanks to efforts to curb pollution and crack down on unscrupulous taxi drivers, among other initiatives.

DF native Samuel Leizorek, managing director of the chic Las Alcobas hotel, sees the city becoming more appealing to leisure travelers: “The gastronomy, archaeology and culture are great here. Mexico City is as good as many European capitals and easier for a long weekend from the U.S.” (Aeromexico has frequent service; New York is only about five hours away.)

Read the rest here for the ten reasons.

Los Sombreros chef Azucena Tovar looks to hometown in Mexico for inspiration

Karen Fernau, azcentral.com, writes "Chefs can be both informative and entertaining. Chef Q&A offers a peek into the kitchens and minds of top Valley chefs: Azucena Tovar.

Chef: Azucena Tovar, chef and owner of Los Sombreros Mexican Restaurant.
Photo: Photo provided by Girl Meets Fork Marketing & Media)

Who are your influences? 

My mother, my hometown, my country.

What's your new favorite ingredient? 

Tortillas, beans and jalapeños. Of all of my favorites, I cannot live without jalapeños. I would rather die.

Why did you become a chef?

By accident but I love food just about more than anything else in life.

Is there anything you would never eat?

Yes, real exotic animals like snakes, lions, etc., and insects.

What is your favorite quote or saying about food?

I prefer food over just about anything.

What's your least favorite food?

Bland food.

Which flavor profile do you prefer? Salty, spicy or sweet?

I like to play with sweet and sour both at the same time.

What's one ingredient everyone should have in their fridge or pantry?
Peppers.

What's the best city in the world for food?

I love Paris, Mexico City and my hometown in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. That's what I cook, Mexican food with a French twist. I love them both.

San Miguel dining: farm to table at De Temporada

Kay of the couple Frank and Kay, told me this morning about De Temporada Farm Restaurant out by Otomi. Took a while to find information. Billie Frank and Steve Collins wrote about the restaurant in their blog Santa Fe Travelers.

"The mostly outdoor restaurant was built by hand using recycled materials including 90 wooden packing skids. Paint choices are bright and the mostly open-air restaurant is welcoming. “Funky” was the word that came to mind when I first saw it. It took me back to hippie cafes in the late 60s and early 70s. If you’re a food-lover but are a décor snob, get past it. The food is well worth it! Chef/owner Iliana Lanuza gets that some people are put off. “It’s like Marmite,” she jokes. “You either love it or hate it.”

We can't wait to try their soups and sandwiches.

Organic Market San Miguel de Allende

The Mexican Food Journal describes one of our favorite Saturday morning activities:

TIANGUIS ORGÁNICO

When you visit San Miguel de Allende you must visit the Organic Farmer’s Market (Tianguis Orgánico) which takes place every Saturday from 9:00am to 3:00pm. The market is divided into two parts, the food stands and the produce and prepared foods market. We always arrive early to eat and then do our shopping for the week.

"The Fifth Codex" By John Scherber

"The Fifth Codex" is the second in the murder series by John Scherber. Scherber lives in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and he brings his knowledge of the city into his books. When you are drawn to this city by his descriptions, you can walk the streets he walked and dine at the restaurants where he dined, and walk Quebrada from Canal to Pila Seca.  Scherber makes this expat favorite city the centerpiece of his novel. The reason, he recently said an interview, is the "...exotic backdrop with a lot of color and history."

The Fifth Codex - 342 pages Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc. (Published September 19, 2010)

The main character is Paul Zacher, a painter, who with his long time Mexican, girlfriend Maya, and friend Cody, an ex-policeman from Peoria get innocently roped into a deadly situation involving a Codex that could inflame Mayan separatists.

A codex is a book constructed of a number of sheets of paper or similar material with hand-written content. The book is usually bound by stacking the pages and fixing one edge. Some codices are continuously folded like a concertina. Examples of folded codices are the Maya codices

Scherber not only gives you a taste of San Miguel, but a flavor for the Mexican culture. Each book is sprinkled with Mexican history, but not so much as to take away from the story. Scherber  describes his "...villains as flawed people, not demons or monsters. "I’m interested in the way they rationalize the crimes they commit."

"The Fifth Codex" is a page turner. Scherber is a fine writer with a witty take on events as they happen. Available in Paperback or on Kindle.

Jetsetter Award Goes to Belmond de Casa Sierra Nevada

Jetsetter, the world's go-to brand for travelers with discerning taste, announced its first annual Hotel Food Awards, which pay respect to the best restaurants, minibars, room service menus and turndown traditions at hotels worldwide.

The Jetsetter Hotel Food Awards celebrates hotels and resorts that make food an essential and integral part of their guest experience.

And the Awards Go To...In San Miguel

Favorite place to brush up on your cooking skills: The Belmond de Casa Sierra Nevada, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Sazon is the cooking school acquired by the 16th century Belmond de Casa Sierra Nevada in 2006. Coursework spans regional recipes and seasonal sopes. Instructors include local chefs as well as Michelin-starred toques from international restaurants and Belmond hotels.

The People of the Corn

For Mexicans, maize is not a crop but a deep cultural symbol intrinsic to daily life. Corn was domesticated from a grass called teocintle by the peoples of Meso-America approximately 10,000 years ago. Often referred to as humanity’s greatest agronomic achievement, maize is now grown all over the world. The yellow corn commonly found in the United States pales in comparison to the shapes, sizes, and colors of the traditional maize varieties cultivated by the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The ears of corn may range from a couple of inches to a foot long, in colors that include white, red, yellow, blue, and black. Some varieties even have an assortment of colors on one ear.

Corn is inextricably tied to the quotidian lives of the peasants and indigenous peoples of Mexico. As the basic grain, it shapes daily meals, and it’s growing cycle influences the timing of festivals. The image and shape of maize is a ubiquitous component of architecture and crafts. Spiritually, physically, and economically, corn sustains indigenous peoples. In the words of one Indian woman, “Corn is so important because it allows us to live at peace. It’s our form of food security.” Corn is linked to survival: During rough economic times or in the face of natural disasters, families will produce more maize to feed themselves. A Tzotzil Maya elder recounts, “During the past five centuries, while our people have withstood suffering—enormous sufferings—our corn has allowed us to survive.”

Now the North American Free Trade Agreement threatens to change that history. NAFTA has allowed the Mexican market to be flooded with imported corn from the United States, the vast majority of which is genetically modified. Before NAFTA, more than a third of the corn produced by rural farmers was retained for consumption at home, and the rest was sold on local markets. Indigenous peoples and peasants were practicing true food sovereignty and protected themselves from natural disasters and price fluctuations. Most local maize is sold through DISCONSA, a network of rural food stores common in poor and remote regions. As multinationals entered the market, a few began to sell their corn through the DISCONSA network, a practice that artificially lowered prices, hurt local farmers’ income, and disrupted the usual pattern of retaining enough corn for contingencies. More importantly, some of the corn flowing into the network consisted of genetically modified organisms. Estimates of contamination vary according to locality, from 3 percent to 60 percent. Within the DISCONSA network, the Mexican government found 37 percent contamination.

“We have learned that agrochemical companies patented our maize,” said a Tzotzil statement published in 2002 in La Jornada. “They are putting in genes from other living beings and many chemicals to completely put an end to our natural maize, so we’ll have to buy nothing but transgenic maize. If these agrochemical companies try to do away with our maize, it will be like putting an end to part of the culture that our Mayan ancestors bequeathed to us. Our indigenous peasant grandparents gave their labor and their hearts; they cried as they asked protection from our Creator for their work to bear fruit.”

To address the threat to traditional corn, the Tzotzil people formed the Mother Seeds in Resistance project. Mother Seeds is based in an autonomous indigenous school in the Chiapas highlands. There the community is identifying seeds to be preserved and preparing them to be frozen (for preservation, the moisture content in the seeds must be below 6 percent; otherwise the water inside the seeds will freeze and then burst the cell membranes, destroying them).

Community members of all ages are involved in the identification process, and it has become a channel through which young are learning from their elders. “It’s good to talk about these things in Tzotzil,” said two teachers, “because it is our own language.” Aldo Gonzalez, an indigenous Zapotec who has been on the forefront of the campaign against genetically modified maize, says, “Native seeds are a very important part of our culture. The pyramids may have been destroyed, but a handful of maize seed is the legacy we can leave to our children and grandchildren.”

Christina Santini recently worked at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and currently works in urban planning and development at Harvard University. She is also a professional cook.

In The Beginning: Corn

Corn as we know it today would not exist if it weren't for the humans that cultivated and developed it. It is a human invention, a plant that does not exist naturally in the wild. It can only survive if planted and protected by humans.

Scientists believe people living in central Mexico developed corn at least 7000 years ago. It was started from a wild grass called teosinte. Teosinte looked very different from our corn today. The kernels were small and were not placed close together like kernels on the husked ear of modern corn. Also known as maize Indians throughout North and South America, eventually depended upon this crop for much of their food.

Mural by Lowell Houser, The Development of Corn, Post Office, Ames, Iowa

From Mexico maize spread north into the Southwestern United States and south down the coast to Peru. About 1000 years ago, as Indian people migrated north to the eastern woodlands of present day North America, they brought corn with them.

When Europeans like Columbus made contact with people living in North and South America, corn was a major part of the diet of most native people. When Columbus "discovered" America, he also discovered corn. But up to this time, people living in Europe did not know about corn.

The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621. While sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie were not on the menu, Indian corn certainly would have been.

Fresh Bites: Tomatillos add fresh zip to anything Mexican

Small, green tomato-like fruits in husks offer a bright citrus taste that marks Mexico's famous salsa verde.

Cynthia David Special to the Star, Published on Tue Mar 17 2015

Tomatillos take me back to San Miguel de Allende, the fabled artist’s colony in the hills four hours northwest of Mexico City. On my first visit earlier this month, I drank homemade margaritas on a rooftop terrace with friends while watching the sun set, and spent days strolling narrow cobblestoned streets and feasting on tortilla soup and platters of enchiladas, sopes, quesadillas, marinated skirt steak and fish tacos.

The city’s lively markets sell everything from dried beans to rubber tires, but even the smallest grocer offers the essentials for a Mexican feast: avocados, fresh and dried chili peppers, white onions, plum tomatoes, pungent cilantro, tiny limes and shiny tomatillos, wrapped in veined papery husks.

With their meaty white flesh and bright citrus taste, these firm green tomatoes range in size from cherries to golf balls. Cooked briefly and blended, they become Mexico’s famous salsa verde, served as a dip with nachos, simmered into a mole and spooned over everything from tacos to grilled fish.

For the rest of the story go to http://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2015/03/17/fresh-bites-tomatillos-add-fresh-zip-to-anything-mexican.html

Dinner at the Food Factory

Tonight Marsha and Darryl invited us to dinner at Food Factory at Fabrica La Aurora. The menu was written on a blackboard. We set at a table by a fireplace and glossy, black-framed windows that reached the ceiling. Bev, Marsha, and Darryl ordered chicken kabobs. I ordered Pasta Medetrenea. This was the finest meal I've eaten. Think Caprece in penne pasta. It was a creamy concoction of tomatoes, onions, cheese, black olives, basil and pasta.  My God it was good. A must to visit again.

Here's the best part: The meal was 700 pesos including tip or about $50 for four! I'm used to spending $50 for two in the states no matter where we went.

LA FABRICA LA AURORA is one of San Miguel's most unique destinations, a beautiful art and design center housed in a former textile factory from the turn-of-the century. Come to La Fabrica La Aurora to enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee, take an art class, attend a gallery opening, or simply to wander through one of Mexico's finest collections of art, galleries, design, furniture, more...

Mexico: What is the best Mexican food dish?

 

Diego Noriega Mendoza, Filmmaker with a passion for everything and anything, writes in Quora:

 

"What are you looking for? Is it a fancy dish, which will make your palate feel like it is being handled by a tiny and very graceful masseuse? Is it something homely, like mama used to make, something that will evoke memories of playing in street corners and coming home to a warm bed? Or is it something from the street, the real taste of Mexico?

"As far as fancy dishes go, there is nothing fancier in Mexico than Chiles en Nogada. 

 

"A green pepper, filled with especially seasoned minced meat, covered with walnut cream, and garnished with pomegranate pulp. The combination of flavors is marvelous. It is a plate that requires time, patience, and knowledge. Even if you were to prepare it in your house and tasted good, I can assure you, the taste would be wrong. The plate is now prepared in many restaurants, but the really good ones are extremely hard to find. It is Mexico's national dish (yeah, not tacos) because of its worldwide recognition and the fact that it incorporates all three colors of the flag in it (Green, White, Red).
(Note: This is a traditional dish. Although many restaurants will serve dishes that many would consider fancier than Chile en Nogada, most of these dishes are author creations, or rethinkings of traditional dishes)"

 

Read more at Mexico: What is the best Mexican food dish?
 

Chilies and Chocolates

Aylin Öney Tan writing in the Daily News informs us about the origins of moles and Mexican cooking:

"Exactly 18 years ago, I was at the National Day of Mexico reception at Singapore Raffles Hotel. Finally, I would be able to taste the legendary mole poblano, wild turkey smothered in the scary dark bitter chocolate-chili sauce with a zillion spices. I fell in love the moment I tasted it, but ours would be a love of separation and longing. My instant decision to go to Mexico as soon as possible was never realized and I seldom had the chance to taste real authentic Mexican food again.

"I was always amazed by the diversity of Mexican food, and I thought we had much to share between the two countries. So many tastes and dishes seemed to be so similar. Years later, about eight years ago, I met a culinary historian friend living in Mexico who opened up a whole new world in my perception of Mexican food. Rachel Laudan, the author of the recent colossal book “Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in Word History,” has lived in Mexico City for many years. I met Rachel at the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, where she was immensely supportive of my first paper delivered to an audience of crème de la crème of food researchers. Rachel has a very interesting theory on how Spanish-influenced-Mexican food had its roots in Middle East, going as far as India. I could not agree more. When I was doing my research on Turkish-Sephardic cookery, I traced similar links between the cuisines of Andalusia and medieval Arab cooking, which sometimes explains why we find some Mexican tastes so very much like ours.

"The cookery of the Iberian Peninsula before Columbus discovered the Americas carried strong traces from the early Medieval Arabic cuisine from the Middle East. The same was very true for the Ottoman court. Two cookbooks, 13th century Iberian Al-Andalus and 15th century Ottoman Şirvani, were both greatly based on the early 13th century Baghdad text Kitab al-Tabikh, also known as al-Baghdadi. Many Muslims and Jews living in medieval Spain were originally from eastern Mediterranean countries, still maintaining their eating habits. Ziryab, a freed slave from Baghdad, brought over the latest fashions in the Abbasid capital to al-Andalus in the 9th century and introduced the practice of dining in courses to the West. The eastern tastes were synthesized in Spain to an even greater sophistication where people of all creeds intermingled. These cooking traditions were carried to Mexico by the first Spanish conquistadors, followed later by many Middle Eastern immigrants after the break of the Ottoman Empire. The latter is more responsible with el Pastor being a popular street food in Mexico, just like the Döner Kebab in Turkey, Souvlaki in Greece or Shawarma (from Turkish çevirme-to rotate) in Syria or Lebanon. The former influence however, may well be the reason for today’s mole dishes in Mexico. Laudan suggests the Mexican mole has roots deep in these historical connections, stretching the influences as far as Indian curry. Well, the result is a delightful combination of indigenous ingredients like cocoa or Mexican bitter chocolate & red hot chilies with a plethora of old-world spices on the only truly native American bird, that is the turkey!"
Further reading: https://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/2004/the.mexican.kitchen.s.islamic.connection.htm

The Faded Glamour of Mexico's Merida

DILAPIDATED BUT STILL GRAND, the colonial city of Mérida was once home to the greatest concentration of wealth in the world. It was the sisal barons of the 19th century who hired Parisian architects to build the opulent villas along Paseo de Montejo, a wannabe Champs-Elysées. Yet Mérida, the inland capital of Mexico's beach-famous Yucatán, is not an Important City and herein lies its charm. It is not packed with visitors.
Read more at Condé Nast Traveler