The Mexican state of Yucatan, located on the peninsula of the same name, is the home of one of the most distinctive regional cuisines in the country. A long tradition of fine dining, going back to the ancient Maya and incorporating sophisticated European dishes, is very much in evidence in the cities, towns and villages […]
Continue ReadingPicture a small tropical city nestled up against sparkling coastal waters, surrounded by fortress walls, complete with drawbridges and moats to keep out invading buccaneers. Where, in the twenty-first century, could this possibly be? No, it isn’t Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. Nothing constructed by a theme park could come close to the real […]
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The US celebrates National Tequila Day on July 24. Present in the popular margarita, tequila can stand alone as a fine liquor. The popular traditional drink boasts an appellation or denomination of origin. Distilled from the nectar of the Weber blue agave, tequila dates from the 16th century. It may have originated in the Mexican […]
Continue ReadingThe Mexican state of Morelos, although diminutive in size, boasts an impressively large cultural amalgam. Long before Europeans arrived and settled in Cuernavaca and Tepoztlan, now upscale resort areas, groups from many parts of Mexico found their way to this area of natural springs and a nearly perfect climate. The Olmec presence in Chalcatzingo in […]
Continue ReadingA lo largo de los años, hemos viajado por carretera desde México a diferentes partes de los Estados Unidos. Las rutas varían, y algunas son más escénicas que otras. Uno de los viajes más bonitos pasó por el estado de Hidalgo, en el norte de México central. Ahí, los paisajes todavía asemejan al arte de […]
Continue ReadingDe Cholula a Chicago, los entusiasta de tacos en todas partes saben que cualquier taquería que se llama “poblana,” tendrá tacos árabes en el menú. Éstos consisten en carne asada en un asador vertical, servida en una tortilla gruesa similar al pan pita que se llama pan árabe. Es un claro ejemplo de la fusión […]
Continue ReadingMexico’s Sea of Cortez, also known by the less lyrical name Gulf of California, supports more marine life than any other body of water on earth. It is no surprise, therefore, that divers, fishermen, and seafood lovers from all over the world find the Mar de Cortez an alluring and gracious host. Like an enormous […]
Continue ReadingA friend from western Mexico is on the phone, planning a trip to visit us down south in Oaxaca. “From the map, it looks like there’s a freeway loop around Mexico City,” he says hopefully. Yes, well. We explain to him that the map was evidently put together by someone with great futuristic vision, because […]
Continue ReadingOver the years, on road trips from Central Mexico to various parts of the U.S., we have explored different routes, some more scenic than others. One of the most unforgettable included the state of Hidalgo, in north central Mexico, where a great deal of the countryside still resembles the beautiful Mexican calendar art of the […]
Continue ReadingThe creative blending of diverse ingredients is the hallmark of Mexican cooking, and in the state of Puebla it is a passion. Everywhere there is talk of food. People give detailed accounts of what they’ve just eaten, plan to eat later, or what was served at the most recent fiesta. Their enthusiasm for the subject is […]
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