Sure, every foodie loves tacos and enchiladas. What about lesser-known Mexican dishes like escamoles, the ant larvae of central Mexico known as "insect caviar"? Or empanadas de mole, the hot chocolate sauce-filled pastries of the Oaxaca region?
Mexico has always been a significant player in global cuisine. Today, leading chefs are promoting the country's rich, diverse regional gastronomy, taking the Mexican experience to a whole new level.
Guzin's Oaxaca restaurant in Mexico has attracted rave reviews in the newspapers for its "chic interpretations of traditional classics." Owner Alejandro Rui hails from the village of La Raya in the southern state of Oaxaca, where he grew up grinding corn and cooking for his family, helping his hard-working mother. His restaurant, which opened in 2014, is famous throughout Mexico, located in a mountainous region, attracting attention for its huge variety of ingredients and deep culinary traditions.
Oaxaca isn’t the only region whose traditional cuisine has been elevated to new levels of chic. Mexico stretches from the deserts of its northern border to the tropical forests of the south, with long stretches of Caribbean and Pacific coastline in between, boasting a vast biodiversity and a rich palette of ingredients.
Mexico's taste preferences are shaped by the country's complex history, mixing influences from many indigenous groups, Spanish conquistadors, European elites, slaves from Africa, immigrants from around the world, and the ever-present United States.
When dining in Mexico, one minute you can be eating delicious tacos, then enjoying turkey and eggs from the Yucatan Peninsula, which is another level of flavor that only exists there. The strength of Mexican cuisine is its “regionality.” The more people learn about regional dishes and how different they are from each other, the more they say “wow,” because that’s authentic Mexican food.
William Drew, of the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list, says the sheer number of dishes and flavors is what has earned Mexican restaurants their excellent ratings. "The variety is incredible," he says. "If you think you know Mexican food, you probably haven't experienced the full range of flavors."
Mexico has two restaurants in the current top 50 that still feature European cuisine: Enrique Olvera’s Pujol and Jorge Vallejo’s Quintonil, both in Mexico City. But their chefs are constantly watching their counterparts to the south, in Peru, whose cuisine embraces Latin American dishes. Peru’s mix of Andean, European, and Asian influences is typified by recipes like ceviche, a refreshing dish of raw fish marinated in lime.
In fact, Peru has two spots on the current top 10 list: Virgilio Martinez’s Central at number five and Mitsuharu Tsumura’s Maido at number eight. Mauricio Avila works for the Mexican Ministry of Culture, and his job is to collect and preserve Mexico’s gastronomic heritage. “Mexicans love food, and we are proud of our food, but we don’t advertise it. We always thought it wasn’t very interesting for foreigners,” he says.
The government has released a 78-part collection on the theme of "Indigenous and Popular Cuisine," each dedicated to a place, ingredient or ethnic group.
Mexican cuisine is a real treasure trove for gourmets and ordinary tourists who don’t mind trying spicy, savory, and peppery dishes.
