This Friday night, Mexicans around the world will shout ” Viva Mexico!” raising fists, bowls of pozole and glasses of tequila to mark Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s cry for independence in the early hours of Sept. 16, 1810.
Forget Cinco de Mayo with its excesses of beer and margaritas – Sept. 16 is the true Mexican Independence Day. To that end, we went looking for authentic Mexican food beyond the cheese-covered combo-plate (not that there’s anything wrong with that) – and explored a complex, ancient cuisine just over the border.
Chef and author Rick Bayless crisscrosses that frontier on his PBS show, “Mexico One Plate at a Time” and in his cookbooks that explain the regional differences among Mexican foods. He spoke of the vast variety of flavors south of the border during a recent appearance in Denver.
“For me, it’s very sad that here in the United States, people think that Mexican food is one food – that it’s tacos, enchiladas, nachos, burritos – things that you would never find in Mexico. In reality, Mexican food is a marvel of variety. It’s very fresh, and it’s not completely covered in melted cheese,” he said, laughing. (See the complete interview in Spanish at denverpost.com/aldia.)
In the companion book to “Mexico One Plate at a Time,” Bayless compares our knowledge of Mexican food to how most Americans viewed Italian food decades ago:
“When it comes to Mexican cooking, the cooking of our next-door neighbor, most of us aren’t even familiar with the everyday classics found in Mexican kitchens all through the country – the moles, ceviches, adobos and barbacoas – let alone all the nuances and specialties of Mexico’s regional cuisines. We’re still at the ‘spaghetti and meatballs stage’ – which is how I describe our knowledge of Italian food just 25 years ago.”
While Bayless is speaking generically, we here in Colorado speak “Mexican food” more fluently than most. But there’s always more to learn. And lucky for us, the studying tastes delicioso.
Food editor Kristen Browning-Blas can be reached at 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com.
Para leer este artículo en español, vaya a denverpost.com/aldia
Northern mexico
Tastes: Beef, beans, beer, flour tortillas and cheese.
Coloradans would find this arid region familiar, with its grazing cattle and wheat fields. In the regions that border the United States, hunters and cowboys created earthy beef-based dishes. In addition to some of the best beef in the world (they say it’s because the cattle graze on wild oregano), Monterrey’s dairy herds yield milk that becomes jocoque, a rich sour cream, and cheeses destined for fundido. Recipe: Northern-
Style Shredded Beef
Pacific coast
Tastes: Fish tacos, shrimp cocktail, tequila, pork and game.
Plentiful seafood and fruit, along with the resorts of Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, make this a lively food region. In addition to ceviches and aguas frescas (fresh fruit drinks), you will find insects, larvae, worms, parrot soup and iguana tamales, according to Taos-based cooking teacher and author Daniel Hoyer. Recipe: Oyster Cocktail
Gulf coast
Tastes: Mango, banana, coconut, pineapple, shrimp, fish and crab.
Here, tropical flavors dominate over spice, although the jalapeño pepper hails from Jalapa, northwest inland from coastal Veracruz. Salsa Veracruzana blends tomatoes, chiles, capers and olives, covers huachinango (whole red snapper) and chicken in Veracruz and in similar dishes throughout Mexico. Recipe: Shrimp Cocktail with Avocado and Chipotles
Federal district
Tastes: Grilled nopales (cactus)
In the area around Mexico City (called the Distrito Federal, or the D.F., for the seat of government), you’ll find signs of the Spanish influence in European-style dishes.
Recipe: Swiss Chard Tacos
Mole country
Tastes: Chiles, chocolate, coffee.
All Mexico is mole (MOH-lay) country, but the sauce was perfected in the region south from Mexico City through Puebla and Oaxaca, site of the Food of the Gods festival, From Chiles to Chocolate: A Culinary Exploration of Culture Oct. 7-14. (More info: www.food-of-the-gods- festival.com) Recipe: Black Bean-Bathed Enchiladas
Yucatán
Tastes: Corn, eggs, sweet potatoes, fish, black beans and the pungent herb epazote.
Remnants of the Mayan empire appear in this region’s pyramids, faces and foods. Vinegar is often used in the spice pastes, or recados, that paint roasted chicken and fish red with annatto (achiote) seeds.
Recipe: Grilled Bananas with Goat’s Milk Caramel and Ice Cream
