A Taste of Mexico: Cornish Pasties?

The succulent Cornish pasty was once the preserve of Celtic miners. The D shaped, crimped edge pastry is filled with potato, beef, swede/turnip and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper. It can be easily carried and keeps the heat sealed within for a sustaining lunchtime meal, deep within the pit shaft. These days, anyone can and does eat it. It's too delicious to pass up! And it accounts for 6% of the Cornish food economy.



But hold on! This is supposed to be a blog about Mexico and, tasty as the Cornish pasty is, it has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for a Celtic nation in the British Isles! That's a bit far away to be of interest to us. Or so you'd think. But try telling the people of Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, that.

Mineral del Monte is town with a population of around 12,000 people, nestled high in the mountains of central-eastern Mexico. It's a beautiful place, full of red-roof houses, built at an altitude of 8,800ft (2,700 meters), in the Sierra de Pachuca. This is a smaller mountain range with the larger Sierra Madre Oriental.



To the locals (and the tourist board), the town is more often called Real del Monte, or simply El Real. It was designated a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town), in 2004, because of its cultural significance. The town has a definite Olde Worlde feel to it, with narrow streets winding along, lined with historic houses. Many early 19th century buildings are kept in excellent repair. They are often now museums, showing how the town used to be in the early days.

This has always been a mining town. Amongst the attractions are guided tourist trips into mines; a former miners' hospital and cottages dating from the 1820s, restored to how they would have looked then; a mining museum; and Museo de Medicina Laboral (Museum of Workplace Medicine), showing how injuries were dealt with down the pits. There is also the Monument to Miners, an impressive statue in the main plaza.


A second glance might also reveal the British influence, amongst the native Mexican and Spanish. The parish church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary) has two steeples, one in the Spanish style and one in the British. There is a British graveyard around the back, where the stones all traditionally face distant Britain. All of this might give a huge clue as to why we were waffling on about Cornish pasties at the start of this blog entry.

Between 1824-1848, a group of 350 economic migrants from Cornwall arrived in Real del Monte, lured by the silver mines, while escaping crippling conditions back home. The mining industry had been in decline in this part of Mexico, so this wasn't the easy option. Through sheer hard work and determination, the Cornish revived these mines and made them profitable again. Their endeavours, in turn, attracted Mexican miners to the area and the town became firmly established.

Their labour wasn't all that the Cornish brought with them. Mexican workers soon spotted the lunch that their British colleagues were eating. It didn't take them long to send their wives knocking on the doors of their Cornish neighbours, in order to get the recipe for the pasties. The meal is called 'paste' in Mexico, pronounced 'PAH-stays'. Today there are still over 30 paste vendors in Real del Monte, rendering it the town's most popular food.


The tradition Cornish pasty has ended up with some changes, in its evolution into a Real del Monte paste. Beans, sausages, pineapple, mole, apples, chillis, rice and tinga (shredded chicken) have all found themselves inside the crust. But then Mexicans have always liked to be experimental, even with already great ideas!

The descendents of the Cornish miners and their families are still there, though all now consider themselves Mexican. There's barely a word of the Cornish language to be heard, as they've all favor Spanish. But the links remain.

In 2001, the Sociedad Cultural Cornish-Mexicana (Cornish-Mexican Cultural Society) was formed to strengthen links between the two people.

Recently paste maker, Ciro Peralta Gonzalez, flew to Cornwall in order to learn the traditional recipe at the source.

Every October, the Cornish Pasty Festival takes over the town.

This year's event has benefitted from the formation of the cultural society. A party of people from Cornwall (some with ancestors among the original emigrants) will be traveling to Mexico to join in the festivities. They will be joined by Judith MacGregor, Britain's Ambassador to Mexico, and Diana Kennedy, a British celebrity cook known for creating Mexican dishes. Exciting times for little Real del Monte!

It is believed that these Cornish miners had an even bigger impact upon Mexico, than simply leaving pasties and a mining heritage in one of its towns. It appears that they also missed their sport. In 1900, in neighbouring Pachuca, some young men clubbed together to create a football team.



Charles Dawe, John Dawe, James Bennetts, John Bennetts, William Blamey, Richard Sobey, William Bragg, William Thomas, Percy Bunt, Lionel Bunt, Albert Pangelly and William Pengelly were the Cornish footballing miners, who now found themselves in need of another team to play. They encouraged the formation of football teams as far away as Mexico City.

They are credited with introducing the now national sport of futbol into Mexico. Gracias Cornwall!

Cocktails in Cancun

There's been a lot of talk about tequila, mezcal and cerveza, when it comes to alcoholic beverages in Mexico. But this is not the whole story by any stretch of the imagination.

In Cancún, the undisputed Party Capital of the country, the visitors want more and Cancún delivers! Just check out some of the exotic, fun cocktails on offer here, then imagine sipping them, on a white sand beach overlooking the clear blue Caribbean. Now you're on vacation!



Practically every bar and hotel has its own signature cocktail, as evidenced by the Melon Monkey demonstrated, in the above film, by bar-tenders at the Cancún Palace. However, there are also bespoke cocktail bars aplenty. Naturally Boulevard Kukulcan is where the discerning tourist will find the majority of them. Sunset Bar (km 20); Caña Brava (km 7.5); Pat O' Brien's Cancún (km 11.5); Rendez Vous (km 14); and Beach Bar (km 16.5) are just a handful of them.

They range in reputation and price from the high end of the market down to budget. For example, somewhere like Rendez Vous or Gustino is going to tap your pocket a whole lot more than, say, the Pool Bar at Holiday Inn. But they are catering to a different clientele and who can say which is best? The fair thing would be for us to have a cocktail in each, then decide on own personal taste, just before passing out at the end.



Inevitably, there had to be a cocktail named for the whole city and yes! It does exist! The Cancún Cocktail should be served in a highball glass, filled with crushed ice. Then add in the ingredients, one by one:

1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1/2 oz banana liqueur
1/2 oz coconut rum
cream
5 - 6 oz pineapple juice

Serve with a flourish and sip. This caters for one. Just double each measurement for two, and so on, until your entire party is getting a taste of Cancún.



Sorry, did we say one eponymously named Cancún Cocktail? There is a pretender to the title, so make that two! The second version is served in a hurricane glass, again filled with ice.

1/2 oz Dark rum
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
Fresh orange juice
Fresh pineapple juice
Fresh papaya juice
Garnish with tropical fruits

Once again, the quantity there is for one, so multiply it all by the number of people here to sup!



With such a choice on offer, it's not unusual to find people on personal quests to sample them all. Blogger Candice, of 'Candice Does the World', gave it a good go, then reported back in her blog entry: 'The Cocktails of Cancun'. Here are a couple of her conclusions:

1. Xtabentún – A liqueur made solely in the Yucatan from anise seed and fermented honey. It sounds all sweet and docile, but I assure you this drink packs a punch. Like tequila, but maybe with more bruises...

4. The Julio Loco – A drink specifically developed at the Cancun Caribe Park Royal Grand resort, it’s a daunting (but pretty!) mixture of crushed ice, mango and chocolate. By the time we left Cancun, the drink had caught on and was spreading like wildfire.

Visit her blog to read the rest. Happy drinking!

A Taste of Mexico: Quesadilla!

Many Mexican foods have been exported and found their variants in countries around the globe. Up there in the vanguard is the packed quesadilla, brimming with diverse fillings, based on own personal taste. It can be sampled practically anywhere in the world, wherever a Mexican themed restaurant has sprung up. But, of course, there's only one place to find and enjoy the real thing: Mexico.


The recipe for quesadilla (pronounced kess-a-dee-ya) changes as it travels. The basic idea is there. It has an outer crust, soft or hard depending on the location, called a tortilla. This is folded, in a half-moon shape, around an array of delicious ingredients (mushrooms, vegetables, beans, chicken or beef are favorites), all held into place with melted cheese. Salsa and/or guacamole are usually offered for inclusion too. Nevertheless, outside Mexico, quesadilla rarely tastes the same.

Often this is due to the little changes of convenience and culture made beyond our borders. For example, in Mexico, the salsa is often a matter of honor and pride. It may be a family secret recipe, handed down from a succession of grandmothers, and experimented with until perfection is reached.

In other countries, salsa is just salsa with none of the judgmental values attached. It's ok to just reach for the mass-produced jars of chopped tomato with flavoring and still call it salsa. A Mexican cook would never get away with that. They wouldn't dare produce a bland salsa and hope to escape with their culinary reputation intact.


Also Mexican tortillas tend to be made out of corn. They are rolled by hand and individually formed over smoky comals. In America, Canada, Australasia and Europe, the tortillas are generally made from wheat flour and fried or baked as a batch.

It all comes down to what works and what is acceptable. Corn is more plentiful and cheap in Mexico (it is one of our major exports) than wheat; while the reverse is true for other nations. Those little taste details, as with the salsa, would pass without remark elsewhere, so it makes sense for businesses to take the cheap and lazy option. But all of these things alter the quesadilla too, as it is created across the world. Hence the assertion that, for the real deal, Mexico is the only place to eat one.


Quesadillas are incredibly popular here. Just about every street corner, mercado and food court has vendors selling them. No self-respecting restaurant and cafe would be without them on the menu. The savoury smell whafts out drawing locals and tourists alike. A wedge of quesadilla can be a light snack, to see the hungry through their journey towards their own kitchen. A full-sized portion can (and often is) the full meal itself.

It is universally savoury here, though some have experimented with sweet quesadilla. The 'quesa' part of the name comes from the Mexican word for cheese, 'queso'. Oaxaca cheese is usually used here (another taste difference, as Monterrey cheese is often exported for quesadillas elsewhere). This is white and arrives semi-hard, until it is softened over the comal. Then the cheese becomes stringy and melts with a taste similiar to Italian mozzarella.

The fillings are limited only by imagination and availability. Chicken and beef are standards, though other cooked meat or seafood, like shrimp or crab, can be used. For the vegetarians, many a tasty quesadilla has been made with mushrooms, refried beans and vegetables. So much may go into this mix. Seeds, stew, mole... the list goes on. Just ask and it may happen.

The Star That Comes in the Afternoon

Quetzalcoátl's gift of chocolate has been referred to a couple of times this week. To end our theme of Mexico and chocolate, it is worth getting the full story. Pause now and get yourself a brimming, frothy, hot chocolate. Savour the taste, then sit back and enjoy. It is story-line.


Quetzalcoátl came to Earth in the afternoon. He had been seen before, of course, up in the sky, represented by the star that we now call Venus. But this was the first time that He had deigned to step on the ground and walk amongst humanity. The people stopped and stared. It was obvious that He was a God. No mere man looked like that!

Some Gods, when they come to Earth, do so disguised as carpenter's sons or travellers on the road. The point is that they blend in (give or take a penetrating stare and an aura of other). Not so Quetzalcoátl. He was a God, so He came as a God, with all the trappings of Godliness and symbolical items of office clutched in His Godly hands. It was all a bit disconcerting for a sunny afternoon; but, on the bright side, at least He hadn't arrived in His aspect of the man-devouring feathered serpent.


Imagine that same scene now. A bona fide God turning up in a shopping mall, or appearing in a flash of light, in the middle of a games stadium. Human beings aren't good with coming face to face with deity. They tend to either prostrate themselves or else attack, as a mob, and crucify their God. The ancient Toltecs were not much different to us. Self-preservation took over and they took the prostrating themselves option.

Moreover, they had that horrible moment, when they realised that their icons to other Gods were on full view. A few minutes smashing up clay pots and statues and the place was downright God-free. Obviously give or take the huge, live one, standing in the middle of their town. But, while this might have been good for Quetzalcoátl and good manners on the part of the people, there were other beings who were not at all impressed. The other Gods for a start.


Sometimes it's good politics to side with the flavour of the month, even if He was a usurper responsible for yourself being side-lined. One by one, the other Gods and Goddesses lined up to welcome Quetzalcoátl and to acknowledge Him as their leader. In response, Quetzalcoátl told them to teach the people nice things, like how to grow corn successfully and how to measure the march of the constellations.

The Toltec people immediately made plans for a huge temple to be built in Quetzalcoátl's honor. It would be their biggest architectural endeavour to date and it would tower over every other building in their town. It would have five sides to represent the five-pointed star, that was Quetzalcoátl in the sky. Atlantes warrior statues guarded its frontage and summit. (The remains of it survive to this day, at Tula de Allende, Hidalgo, in Mexico, where it is, unsurprisingly, called the Temple of Quetzalcoátl.)


Even now, the other Gods and Goddesses were merely seething, but then Quetzalcoátl went a step too far. To celebrate His temple, He asked for a cup of chocolate. The human population were nonplussed. They had never heard of this wonder. But the deities most certainly had. Chocolate was the drink of the Gods. It came from the beans of the cacao tree, which only grew in the Garden of Life. No human had access to them. "Oh!" said Quetzalcoátl, "We'll soon fix that!" And off he went to collect the beans and a few trees.

The deities present exchanged shocked glances. He was really going to allow mere mortals to taste the sacred drink?!

Quetzalcoátl did more than that. He taught the people how to cultivate the trees and process the beans, so that they could produce a plentiful supply of chocolate. It was an amazing coup for the people. It was war for the Gods.

They were organized by Tezcatlipoca, the God of Darkness and Night. He had his allies in the Tzitzimimeh, the all-female, humanity-devouring star dwellers. His ire had already infected them and they were just looking for an excuse to attack Quetzalcoátl. Tezcatlipoca came to Earth, in the guise of a spider, and entered Toltec country. There he altered his form again, blending in as a travelling merchant. He quickly found Quetzalcoátl and enquired after his health.

"I'm a bit down actually." Quetzalcoátl informed him. "I think that the other Gods and Goddesses are plotting against me."

"Surely not!" The God of Darkness and Night replied. "But I have just the person to cheer you up."

Thus Tezcatlipoca introduced Quetzalcoátl to Mayahuel and... well, that story has already been told: Mezcal.


Quetzalcoátl returned to the stars after that, allowing the other Gods and Goddesses to regain their former prominence in the hearts of the people. But Quetzalcoátl would always be special for the Mexicans. He left behind him chocolate, tequilia, corn and knowledge of the night skies. It's a gift that we're still very much enjoying.

Oaxaca and Chocolate

Chocolate originates from Mexico and traditional recipes can be found all over the country. However, there is one state that has gained an international reputation for producing 'the real thing'. Oaxaca, in south-western Mexico, is where the true chocolate aficionados come. For many, it is the chocolate capital of the world. It is hardly surprising that it prevades so much of their local culture, while creating many tourist attractions in the region.

Human beings first settled in Oaxaca 13,000 years ago. Archaelogical evidence, from this time, earned the state the distinction of being the earliest known agricultural area in the entire continent. Guilá Naquitz cave, near Mitla, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, on the strength of this. Just over 4,000 years ago, the tribes of Oaxaca started cultivating cacao trees, thus began their love affair with chocolate.



Though European style sweet chocolate is produced here, that is largely a sap for the tourists. Homegrown and perfected by millennia, traditional Oaxaca chocolate can seem quite bitter to the foreign palate. (So called 'Mexican chocolate' is usually that which comes from Oaxaca.) However, it is also heedy stuff. It's not simply a nice taste. It can cause a mild rushing sensation, that has been likened to how one feels after a passionate kiss with a loved one. It can also temporarily sharpen the mind, leading to clarity of thought. It's not coincidental that chocolate so often serves as a metaphor for the heat of romance.

Here the chocolate isn't normally made to be eaten in a block. It's an ingredient for mole or, even more commonly, it's to be turned into a hot drink. Traditionally, the cacao beans are roasted over a slow flame, then their shells are snapped off. The naked beans are then ground into a sticky paste, known as chocolate liquor (not to be confused with anything alcoholic).

Now other things are added to taste. These can famously include almonds, but also sugar, cinnamon, chilies or a raft of spices. Really only the imagination inhibits the adventurous chocolatier at this stage.

The result is a block of strong tasting chocolate. Pieces of this are broken off and added to hot water or hot milk (which depends upon personal preference; those serving it, in cafes or restaurants, will ask, "¿Con agua o leche?" ("With water or milk?"), and there is no right or wrong answer). The fragments of chocolate melt in there to form a beverage. A variation is champurrado. This is a corn-based hot drink (called an atole), which has been flavored with chocolate. It is delicious.

These are often served with buñuelos - a light, fluffy pastry - which has traditions all of its own.



The bowls were smashed afterwards to bring good luck to the person eating from them. Remember that chocolate was historically believed to have been delivered to humans by the God, Quetzalcoátl, and it was consumed only by priests and the nobility. Chocolate was meant to be sacred and therefore nothing should sully the bowl in which chocolate has been served.

For those who wish to have a go at cooking their own Mexican cuisine, then there are classes throughout the state.

One of the most popular is in the beautiful tourist resort of Huatulco. Chiles & Chocolate Cooking Classes, run by local brother and sister combo, Alfredo and Vero Patino, are a lot of fun. They have made it to number 11, in TripAdvisor's Top 25 attractions for the area.

For $65 USD per person, complete beginners can spend three hours learning how to create the most fabulous Mexican meals. The classes are relaxed, fun, informative, and hands on, so that everyone gets to feel the accomplishment afterwards. They are also given in English. (Alfredo Patino is Huatulco born and bred, but he did spend six years living in the USA and he does have a Canadian wife. His English is fluent.) The price includes lunch and drinks; while each student gets to take a recipe manual and a gift bag home with them.

Oaxaca is awash with stores and street vendors selling variations on their chocolate recipes. If you are a chocolate lover, then it is surely THE place in the world to visit.

Chocolate: Quetzalcoátl's Gift to Mexico and the World

With the approach to Easter, many people are out there buying up chocolate eggs or chocolate bunnies. Beyond the religious aspect, Easter means chocolate in homes throughout the world. But have you ever wondered where it came from? The clue is that it was once considered a gift from the god, Quetzalcoátl, and only the Atzec ruling classes and priests were allowed to consume it. It was not a candy for mere mortals. Yes, chocolate comes from Mexico.


A Maya chief refuses chocolate to a commoner
Chocolate is a Spanish rendering of the Atzec word xocolātl, meaning sour (xococ) drink (ātl). An alternative theory is that the word was Mayan. Here it would come from hot (chokol) drink (ātl). As either interpretation highlights, chocolate was always used as a beverage in Mexico. It was only after the Spanish took it into Europe, that it became more commonly seen as a solid block.

The legend goes that, in 1519, Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, was granted an audience with the Atzec Emperor Moctezuma. This took place in Tenochtitlán, which is the modern day, Mexico City. Cortés and his men entered to find Moctezuma sipping xocolātl from a cup. As honored guests, the group were all served xocolātl. It was reported that the drink had 'a very exciting nature'. Forget the gold! They had just discovered chocolate! Thus Mexico's secret was out and its Fate was sealed.


Chocolate literally does grow on trees in Mexico. At least the cacao beans do, which are then ground up and treated to create chocolate. Cacao trees have been cultivated since around 1400 BCE. The Olmec appear to be the first to have created their sacred bitter drink from its ground beans. The Maya were next, with archealogical evidence showing that they were drinking chocolate from about 400 CE. Cups have been found, with a chocolate residue, dating from this period. Digs, at their historical settlement sites, have shown cacao trees being grown in their backyards.

The Atzec people saw chocolate as a divine drink. It was a gift from the feathered-serpent god, Quetzalcoátl, who had fetched the cacao beans from the Garden of Life.

As such a holy thing, chocolate was initially reserved only for the most ceremonial occasions. It was ritually prepared and drunk only within sacred areas.

Over the years, this was relaxed so that the higher echelons of society could imbibe it. However, it never lost its association with deity; so much so that, it was later at the center of a Christian scandal. The Catholic Church was brought into Mexico by the Spanish. It eventually become strong enough to start to eradicate the items and practices of the religions it had usurped. One bone of contention was that converts would bring chocolate drinks into Mass. The congregation were using it to honor the Catholic God, not Quetzalcoátl, but it made no odds. It was deemed as breaking the fast, in a Pagan way, and so the Church hierarchy banned chocolate outright.


Cacao tree with pods full of beans
This did not go down well. As each Catholic priest prohibited chocolate, then the congregation would up and leave, moving onto more lenient institutions. It was a battle of wills that eventually resulted in the Bishop of Chiapas threatening excommunication to anyone drinking chocolate. (He was killed, shortly afterwards, after he drank a cup of poisoned chocolate. It was handed to him by the same group of noble women, who he had just banned from drinking the very same.)

Finally, in 1662, Pope Alexander VII had to personally intervene. He ruled, "Liquidum non frangit jejunum!" (For those with rusty Latin, that basically says that liquids do not constitute breaking the fast.) In short, the Mexicans could drink all of the hot chocolate that they wished and still be regarded as fasting. The church's chocolate ban was lifted!

Of course, now the Catholic Church is firmly on the side of chocolate. In Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral, there is a 16th century sculpture of Jesus Christ. It is called El Señor del Cacao (The Lord of Cacao).


El Señor del Cacao
The error has now been firmly corrected. It was not Quetzalcoátl who gave chocolate to the world, via Mexico; it was Christ Himself.

Chocolate became popular, on a global scale, after a group of Mexican nuns thought to add vanilla and sugar to the chocolate mix. Overnight, it stopped being a sour drink and started becoming very sweet instead.

It is also a major ingredient in the Mexican national dish: Mole Poblano; as well as a stable of drinks, such as champurrado, and dips, to be used with churros.

Chocolate is still widely produced in Mexico, with cacao plantations stretching for miles. The World Cocoa Foundation estimates that 50 million jobs, internationally, rely upon cacao trees and the chocolate industry. Forget Willy Wonka. The real chocolate factories are scattered all over Mexico. Nestlé, Hersheys and Barry Callebaut are amongst the companies that create their confectionery here, before exporting them into shops near you. Chocolate is also created, straight from the tree, in many Mexican homes.

Carnival! Veracruz Rocks Mardi Gras

Mexicans love to party, neither argument or apology there! Once a year, the biggest party of all erupts throughout the country; and no city does it better than Veracruz. This is Carnival! It is Mardi Gras! And it is absolutely spectacular.



Carnaval de Veracruz runs from March 1st to March 9th this year, so the festivities have already begun. Tuesday's celebrations began with the official launch, followed by the children's parade. They were followed by orchestras and dance groups. As afternoon turned to evening, things really started to heat up with Rumbata!

The effigy of 'evil humor' or 'bad mood' was paraded, alongside music, laughter and dancing. While the crowds were entertained by live bands and dance troupes, performing Salseras, the effigy was set up in Zócalo de Veracruz. At 9pm, everyone packed into the square to watch 'evil humor' turned into a bonfire. It was the ceremonial start of Carnival - the burning of all residual bad feeling from 2010. It was the signal to let down your hair and become truly carefree. As the fireworks filled the skies, the message was clear: Let the fiesta begin!



Carnival is celebrated all over the world, particularly where Christianity has left its mark. It occurs during the run up to Lent, when Christians are traditionally supposed to eat no meat (many dilute that into giving up sweets or television or something). As Lent was a time of fasting, then the days before it had to be a period of eating up everything that wasn't going to keep.

Great banquets of perishable foods arrived on the table, particularly during the eve of Lent - Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras in French) or Shrove Tuesday. It was the last gorging before the diet of basic sustenance. In short, it was 'farewell to meat' or, in the Latin, carne vale; carnival in English or carnaval in Spanish.

Of course, if you're going to have a big meal, then you might as well have a party. Veracruz is the perfect example of just that!





There will be parades, music and other festivities from now until March 9th. Each day takes a different theme or story. Today, the King of Happiness is key. He will move in procession through the streets, before eventually ending up in Auditorio Benito Juárez. Here there will be his coronation ceremony. Let Happiness reign!

His consort, the Queen of the Carnival, has her big moment tomorrow. The streets will be thronged with Veracruz's most beautiful ladies, all escorting their festival regent. She too will arrive in Auditorio Benito Juárez for her very own coronation. Happiness and Carnival, it doesn't need spelling out, does it?

Not all of the spectacles are in the streets. Veracruz is a port and so there's a vast ocean out there to fill too. The Boat Parade takes place on Saturday.





The Carnaval de Veracruz is a huge affair. It's big enough to attract performances from some of Latin America's biggest celebrities. This year is no exception. Macro Plaza Malecón is one of Veracruz's largest public squares. It will be the venue for some stunning live shows. On Saturday night, Luis Enrique, aka El Principe de la Salsa (the Prince of Salsa), will take to the stage. The following night, it will be Yuri. Born and bred in the city, she is Mexico's answer to Madonna.

For more information, please visit the Carnival's official website (Spanish). An English translation of the programme can be found here.

A Taste of Mexico: Mole Poblano!

Salsa might be the food most commonly associated with Mexico, so it's only fitting that one of its variants is the national dish. Mole Poblano was literally a meal fit for a king (or, at least, his representative in Mexico) and legends abound as to its origin.


Mole Poblano
Before anyone starts panicking here, mole has nothing to do with a small, sightless mammal, which lives underground. It is pronounced 'mo-lay' and it is actually the sauce that is, traditionally, poured over turkey. However, it does have one strange ingredient - chocolate!

Mole Poblano is a rich and very tasty dish, which utilizes at least twenty components. These include turkey, tomatoes, chocolate and chillies, within a spicy mixture of black pepper, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, anise and garlic. It is known as 'fusion food', because of these ingredients, as they range from home-grown produce to those exported from Europe. How they came to be mixed together is the stuff of legends.


Mole Poblano, with some of its ingredients
The most pervasive story involves those celebrated nuns of the Convent of Santa Monica, in Puebla (aka Santa Rosa). These were the devout ladies who later became famous again, when it was learned that they had continued to exist, in subterranean tunnels, after their existence had become illegal. (The Underground Nuns.) A century before that, the nuns were not only accepted by the State, but there chosen for a visit by the Spanish Viceroy. A good meal was clearly required.

The Convent's kitchen had turkey to use, along with the trimmings, so all that was really needed was the salsa to accompany it. The available foods and spices were laid out, and then someone added chocolate.

There are those that say that it was a divinely inspired nun, who just knew that it would work; others say that it was a mischevious novice, who sneaked into the kitchen and sprinkled in cocoa as a prank; yet another version tells of a window left open and a freak wind blowing across the table, knocking the chocolate into the mix (God did it?); while a fourth story was that a team of nuns worked tirelessly for days, experimenting with all that they had, in order to make an impression with a unique sauce.

There was a fifth telling, but that has been largely discredited by historians. That one said that a folk-memory of an Atzec dish had been carried into the Convent by a nun. They just had to reproduce it. This one is seen as unlikely, as chocolate was sacred to the Aztec. It would have been like a Christian using Communion wafers like nachos. It would have been just short of heresy.


A street vendor serving from a vat of Mole Poblano
Puebla may take the credit for the invention of Mole Poblano, but these days it can be found all over Mexico. The idea of chocolate and turkey together may sound bizarre, however the proof of the sauce is in the tasting. Mole Poblano always passes first time.

A recipe for Mole Poblano may be found here.

A Taste of Mexico: Salsa!

You have never tasted salsa, until you've entered Mexico. Just saying. In some countries, the salsa is the dressing. It's something that's plonked on top, that you can take or leave. Not so in Mexico. In Mexico, meals get formed around the salsa. It's never the same twice. It evolves. It's personal. For many cooks, their most prized knowledge is the salsa recipe that got passed down from grandmother. If this is your first time in Mexico, then you must eat salsa. (If it's your second, you won't need telling.)


On a recent trip abroad, I visited a theater complex. Among the snacks on offer were nachos, with hot cheese sauce, jalapeño peppers and salsa. It arrived and I stared in askance at the little, plastic pot of red stuff. "What's this?" "That's your salsa. Enjoy your day." That wasn't salsa. That was a few chopped tomatoes, shoved through a blender, with a spring of coriander. If that is your experience of salsa, then you are in for a serious treat in Mexico.

Admittedly, Mexican salsa does often use tomato (or green tomatillos) as its base. Coriander (or Chinese parsley) does have its place too. But there's more! Even the most basic salsa will have garlic, onions and a choice out of literally thousands of chiles, ranging from the mild to the blow your socks off strong. It never stops there. What gets added next can often be a jealously guarded secret; or it can be up to individual tastes. Chocolate in the mole; carrots; sesame seeds; paprika; nuts; any number of spices; sweetcorn; olives; peppers; fruits (mango is popular); lime juice; you name it and someone in Mexico will have experimented with it.

Making salsa is an art. Some of the fast food restaurants will use a blender for speed, but in the homes, and in the quality establishments, salsa is made in a molcajete.


The molcajete is used just like a pestle and mortar, though it is made out of basalt. It was used as a cooking utensil, in Mexico, way before the coming of the Spanish. The ancient Maya used one. Its very name comes from the Nahuatl language. The Atzec had something similar, though their's was made from ceramic. The point being that when a item has been used for over a thousand years, with no sign of being given up any time soon, you know that there's a reason. And that reason is the taste of the salsa coming out of it.

Each of the ingredients are added in separately and pounded into submission by the cook. The subtle flavors depend upon when they were added, and in which quantities, and how long they were allowed to influence the dish. You just don't get that in a blender.


Salsa, in Spanish, means 'sauce'. Most of these are served cold, though some recipes do call for cooked salsa. It can be eaten on its own, or as a dip with tortilla chips, or as a spread (think tacos).

The actual recipes can differ from restaurant to restaurant, and certainly from home to home. But there are regional variations too. The salsa served in Monterrey may be nothing like that presented in Guerraro.

For more information about salsas, plus some recipes, visit: Mexican Salsas by Luis Dumois.