What can I say about the Culinary History of Mexico? Well, I'm pretty biased to be sure but then I'm not alone in my praise as there are many of us that feel this is among the world's best and deserves to be recognized as such, plus we firmly believe it is our duty and responsibility to inform and educate the world to the true Classic Mexican Culinary Traditions so they will not continue to be confused with the food being produced in other lands which then gets called "Mexican Food" but bears very little resemblance to our wonderful food.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has declared that Mexico's Culinary Heritage meets the
criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as follows:
- Traditional Mexican cuisine is central to the cultural identity of the communities that practice and transmit it from generation to generation;
- Its inscription on the Representative List could enhance the visibility of intangible cultural heritage and promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity
; - Current and planned safeguarding measures include consultations and research projects as well as practical training, with the support of the State and the communities concerned;
- Practitioners participated actively in the nomination process and provided their free, prior and informed consent;
- Traditional Mexican cuisine is included in the Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico maintained by the National Council for Culture and Arts.
What do I have to say on the matter? A couple of things: First- About time and Second, so there!
Now we must keep promoting and insuring that the younger generations know, love and cook the food so later generations will also come to know it as a living and daily remembrance of their history and country. We must also strive to bring our amazing culinary heritage to those that haven't been fortunate to have an intimate knowledge of our foods so they too can know how authentic, exotic, varied, rich, flavorful and amazing it is.
This also opens up a huge volume of information since all regions have their
own particular and equally wonderful offerings that it would be almost impossible to say which "reigns supreme". To this you add the religious celebrations or those associated with harvests or historical events and then the local events and there isn't a day of the year that something isn't being celebrated with it own food, music, dance and tradition, so how could you pick? Of course we all have our favorites but this too is so particular depending on your family and it's traditions or region where you are from or lived in or which flavors are particularly attractive to you and again, it's a tough choice.
But why choose at all? Let's allow them to co-exist and be available to us so they can all form part of our past, present and future and visit them often so they also become well known and beloved by all. This way we reap the most generous results from this most extensive culinary treasure trove.
In keeping with this historical significance, let me share with you some real gems from my country in the hopes that it will spur you try them. Hope you enjoy!
From San Miguel Allende in the state of Guanajuato comes this easy yet impressive dish of
Pollo Al Azafran (Chicken in Safron).-
1 chicken cut in 8 pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed or through a press
1/2 a medium onion, cut in fine slices
2 tbl flour
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups dry white wine
1/2 tsp saffron threads
salt & pepper to taste
125 g almonds, slivered
The chicken is rubbed really well with the garlic and then salt & peppered. You fry in the oil, then add the onion which is allowed to soften. Now add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour taste before you add the stock, wine and saffron. Allow everything to simmer on low heat until the chicken is done yet tender and the sauce thickens.
Remove the chicken pieces and run the sauce through a sieve, now return the chicken to the sauce and add the almonds. Allow everything to combine by heating it up well and allowing the flavors to incorporate. Serve at once.
NOTE: If you are ever able to visit San Miguel Allende you'll see why we love this town so much, it's one of the most beautiful!
***************************************
From Oaxaca comes one of the most unusual desserts:
Rose Petal Ice Cream!
1 Liter of
Milk
1/2 cup dried rose petals (make sure these were grown organically) you can buy them in Mexican pharmacies as "Rosa de Castilla seca"
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup almonds, peeled
2-3 drops of red food coloring (optional)
Over low heat, boil the milk, rose petals and sugar for about 15 minutes. Run through a sieve and allow to cool a little before adding the almonds. Put everything in a blender and mix until smooth. If you're adding the coloring, do so now and blend.
Put the mix into an ice cream machine and process as usual. Serve with more rose petals and some almonds.
I had to in
clude the picture at left of the ice cream cone in the shape of a large rose, just because it's so beautiful to look at, and if you can get your ice cream to look like that- you are an artist indeed! But check of the sign on the right with some of the popular flavors of ice cream at the Oaxacan market.... most Mexican markets and store fronts have these and many other flavors of ice creams and are all amazing! We were remembering afternoons in Merida's Zocalo Square, under the Portales, having an ice cream while we people watched, so nice!
***************************************
Now we're in Guerrero and Acapulco in particular where this "
Sopa Fria de Pollo al Curry con Coco y Tamarindo" (Cold Soup of Chicken with Curry, Coconut and Tamarind) is a perfect way to pass a sunny late afternoon....
4 tbl oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbl curry powder
1 tbl flour
1 Liter chicken stock
1/2 Litre coconut milk
1 cup tamarind pulp
1 tbl mustard
1/2 can of cream of coconut (Calahua brand)
Garnish:
1 chicken breast, cooked and finely shredded
8 tsp Basil leaves, cut in chiffonade (very thin strips)
8 tsp tomato, cut in very thin strips
In a pan with some of the oil, stir fry the garlic and onion until soft over low heat, add the curry powder and fry everything for a couple of seconds, then add the flour and allow this to cook for some seconds more, then add the chicken stock and the coconut milk. The tamarind pulp is put in the blender along with some of this mixture and then you incorporate it back to the pan. Add the cream of coconut and the mustard. Taste and add salt & pepper and allow this to bubble for a couple of minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then put into the fridge. It is best when it can be overnight but 4 hours would work.
Get a fresh coconut and open it to use the coconut pulp which you will grate. Place this grated coconut into some boiling water for a couple of minutes and then either use a fine sieve or some cheesecloth to wring as much "milk" as possible from the meat.
You serve in soup bowls with some shredded chicken, the Basil and tomato. This is also served with cooked shrimp, crab, lobster and fish instead of the chicken.
*************************************
How about that for a nice little culinary travel trip? We just touched the very tip and didn't even get into the "heavy duty" stuff.... so much left. I hope I have piqued your interest into taking a more in depth look at everything we have to offer and will try to produce some of our "Culinary Jewels". You'll be glad you did!
Warm regards to everyone from way out here..... Talk soon!.............
What can I say about the Culinary History of Mexico? Well, I'm pretty biased to be sure but then I'm not alone in my praise as there are many of us that feel this is among the world's best and deserves to be recognized as such, plus we firmly believe it is our duty and responsibility to inform and educate the world to the true Classic Mexican Culinary Traditions so they will not continue to be confused with the food being produced in other lands which then gets called "Mexican Food" but bears very little resemblance to our wonderful food.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has declared that Mexico's Culinary Heritage meets the criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as follows:
own particular and equally wonderful offerings that it would be almost impossible to say which "reigns supreme". To this you add the religious celebrations or those associated with harvests or historical events and then the local events and there isn't a day of the year that something isn't being celebrated with it own food, music, dance and tradition, so how could you pick? Of course we all have our favorites but this too is so particular depending on your family and it's traditions or region where you are from or lived in or which flavors are particularly attractive to you and again, it's a tough choice.
But why choose at all? Let's allow them to co-exist and be available to us so they can all form part of our past, present and future and visit them often so they also become well known and beloved by all. This way we reap the most generous results from this most extensive culinary treasure trove.
In keeping with this historical significance, let me share with you some real gems from my country in the hopes that it will spur you try them. Hope you enjoy!
From San Miguel Allende in the state of Guanajuato comes this easy yet impressive dish of
Pollo Al Azafran (Chicken in Safron).-
1 chicken cut in 8 pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed or through a press
1/2 a medium onion, cut in fine slices
2 tbl flour
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups dry white wine
1/2 tsp saffron threads
salt & pepper to taste
125 g almonds, slivered
The chicken is rubbed really well with the garlic and then salt & peppered. You fry in the oil, then add the onion which is allowed to soften. Now add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour taste before you add the stock, wine and saffron. Allow everything to simmer on low heat until the chicken is done yet tender and the sauce thickens.
Remove the chicken pieces and run the sauce through a sieve, now return the chicken to the sauce and add the almonds. Allow everything to combine by heating it up well and allowing the flavors to incorporate. Serve at once.
NOTE: If you are ever able to visit San Miguel Allende you'll see why we love this town so much, it's one of the most beautiful!
***************************************
From Oaxaca comes one of the most unusual desserts: Rose Petal Ice Cream!
1 Liter of 
Milk
1/2 cup dried rose petals (make sure these were grown organically) you can buy them in Mexican pharmacies as "Rosa de Castilla seca"
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup almonds, peeled
2-3 drops of red food coloring (optional)
Over low heat, boil the milk, rose petals and sugar for about 15 minutes. Run through a sieve and allow to cool a little before adding the almonds. Put everything in a blender and mix until smooth. If you're adding the coloring, do so now and blend.
Put the mix into an ice cream machine and process as usual. Serve with more rose petals and some almonds.
I had to in
clude the picture at left of the ice cream cone in the shape of a large rose, just because it's so beautiful to look at, and if you can get your ice cream to look like that- you are an artist indeed! But check of the sign on the right with some of the popular flavors of ice cream at the Oaxacan market.... most Mexican markets and store fronts have these and many other flavors of ice creams and are all amazing! We were remembering afternoons in Merida's Zocalo Square, under the Portales, having an ice cream while we people watched, so nice!
***************************************
Now we're in Guerrero and Acapulco in particular where this "Sopa Fria de Pollo al Curry con Coco y Tamarindo" (Cold Soup of Chicken with Curry, Coconut and Tamarind) is a perfect way to pass a sunny late afternoon....
4 tbl oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbl curry powder
1 tbl flour
1 Liter chicken stock
1/2 Litre coconut milk
1 cup tamarind pulp
1 tbl mustard
1/2 can of cream of coconut (Calahua brand)
Garnish:
1 chicken breast, cooked and finely shredded
8 tsp Basil leaves, cut in chiffonade (very thin strips)
8 tsp tomato, cut in very thin strips
In a pan with some of the oil, stir fry the garlic and onion until soft over low heat, add the curry powder and fry everything for a couple of seconds, then add the flour and allow this to cook for some seconds more, then add the chicken stock and the coconut milk. The tamarind pulp is put in the blender along with some of this mixture and then you incorporate it back to the pan. Add the cream of coconut and the mustard. Taste and add salt & pepper and allow this to bubble for a couple of minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then put into the fridge. It is best when it can be overnight but 4 hours would work.
Get a fresh coconut and open it to use the coconut pulp which you will grate. Place this grated coconut into some boiling water for a couple of minutes and then either use a fine sieve or some cheesecloth to wring as much "milk" as possible from the meat.
You serve in soup bowls with some shredded chicken, the Basil and tomato. This is also served with cooked shrimp, crab, lobster and fish instead of the chicken.
*************************************
How about that for a nice little culinary travel trip? We just touched the very tip and didn't even get into the "heavy duty" stuff.... so much left. I hope I have piqued your interest into taking a more in depth look at everything we have to offer and will try to produce some of our "Culinary Jewels". You'll be glad you did!
Warm regards to everyone from way out here..... Talk soon!.............
No comments:
Post a Comment