Taste of Mexico on a wet London evening

by Bruce McMichael

Plates of fried locusts, tumbling piles of brightly coloured chillies and Mole Poblano dribbling down your chin can only mean one thing … you’re in Mexico.

Sculpture from Mexico's 'The Night of the Radishes’
Radish sculpture from Mexico’s ‘The Night of the Radishes’ (c) Mexico Tourism
Straddling the Carribean Sea and Pacific Ocean Mexico is a land of extremes in climate, politics, geography and food. Always colourful, Mexico is enjoying a renaissance in its food, thrilling visitors with fresh ingredients cooked with a splash of the past and present. This unique cuisine has been forged over centuries through the empire builders of the indigenous Aztecs and Mayans to Europeans from Spain and France and to a lesser extent the British.

For example, which other country can lay claim to celebrating the humble radish, as the country does with its Noche de Rábanos festival, ‘The Night of the Radishes’. Here, on every December 23, oversized radishes are carved into fantastical shapes across the city of Oaxaca. Such devotion to simple, well grown ingredients tempts me and other travellers keen to explore and understand the local culture.

It’s that commitment that prompted me to buy a couple of pots of  ‘Mexican Tomato & Fire Roasted Pepper’, made by UK-based food company Glorious!. During a rainy day in London I wanted a tasty lunch to whisk my imagination off to a sunny Mexican beach, to be sipping Margaritas in Acapulco or perhaps heading for a bustling market in a town on the slope of a volcano. Indeed, such sensations are encouraging me to plan a trip to the country, sharing the adventure with family and friends, enjoying great food along the way. It’s very close to the top of my bucket list.

I taste the essence and adventure of Mexican cuisine that has been harvested, cooked and packed in a SkinnyLicious soup made by Glorious! My tomato and pepper soup reflected a complex country in each spoonful with added nachos and fresh limes. The sweet roasted peppers and tomatoes are balanced with a hint of lime and a delicate crunch of the nachos, reflecting the delicious complexity of life, food and travel in the country itself.

Sharing a pot or two of this soup allows our taste buds to take us on that wishful journey to Mexico. It moves my dinner table chatter to planning a road trip starting on its Carribean coast and finishing thousands of miles later eating crab ceviche in a Pacific coast beach café.

Many British chefs including Thomasina Miers’, a past winner of the popular Masterchef TV show, found tasting plump, ripe tomatoes and enjoying flame-grilled street-food ignited a lifelong love of Mexican food.

Deeply associated with cinnamon churros and thick chocolate dipping sauce; chillies and street foods such as enchiladas and fajitas, Mexico has much to offer the lone traveller on a budget to serious foodies seeking Michelin-starred experiences.

Mexico offers volcanoes, chillies, bitter chocolate and the ubiquitous mole (pronounced MOL-eh). Popular British food writer Diana Kennedy has spent years criss-crossing the country seeking out the ingredients, flavours and experiences that define the nation. Six decades into her journey she is still discovering new tastes and flavours, styles of cooking and ways of sharing her passion.

Talking with family and friends about having an adventure in Mexico, it soon becomes clear that the pull of chocolate and beaches; ancient civilisations and chilli, all combine with stunning landscapes and glamorous cocktails to make the country a ‘wish list’ favourite.

Mexico tourism www.visitmexico.com
Glorious! www.gloriousfoods.co.uk

“This blog post is an entry into the Foodies100/GLORIOUS! soup #GloriousAdventures blogger challenge”.

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Bruce McMichael

Food writing, discovering food stories, meeting producers, chefs and food enthusiasts are all part of desire to inspire, inform my readers and fellow food lovers. I am a freelance writer, journalist and published author focusing on the international world of food and drink, culture and travel. In 2019 I graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy with a Masters in Food Culture, Communication and Marketing. I am now a visiting Professor at the university teaching Food & Drink Writing. Based in London I travel widely, particularly across western Europe. I have chaired many conferences and meetings, spoken at conferences and events and often appear on radio and TV talking most about food, the business of food and being an entrepreneur. In 2017 I won an episode of the ITV (the UK-based national television channel) cooking competition show, 'Gordon Ramsay's Culinary Genius'. I took my children on holiday to Sicily with the prize money. As an experienced farmers' market manager and operator of a small marmalade/ preserves company, I am very familiar with the issues surrounding local food, farming, enterprise and the environment.