Think tequila, and many think of spring break and tequila shots, followed by who knows what?
But precursors of this quintessentially Mexican drink considered a gift from the gods.
Tequila has to do with its real roots, with the land it comes from and the lifestyle surrounding it. Here are my top five tequila drinks.
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Having written a bit about chia some years back, as part of an article on the use of seeds in Mexican cooking, I was not surprised to learn that chia seeds have been lauded as the new superfood of 2013.
Nutritionally dense, chia seeds are loaded with antioxidents, fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. They are also gluten free and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Chia seeds met the nutritional needs of early Mesoamericans, and were so valued by the Aztecs that they were considered one of the four grains acceptable as tribute to the Aztec state.
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Taking a look at the past year's Mexican cookbook offerings, it seems that 2012 produced more specialized books than ever before. These are not your essential Mexican cookbooks (for that, go to Diana Kennedy's The Essential Cuisines of Mexico or Adela Fernandez' La Traditional Cocina Mexicana), but they will add new dimensions to a basic Mexican culinary library.
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Awakening to a misty dawn in the Valle de Santo Tomas, we were greeted by cool air, subtle sea breezes, and the sight of row upon row of deep green vines, laden with grapes that would become wine. This rustic valley would one day be part of the Ruta del Vino, the Baja wine country that is now a popular travel destination, with dozens of wineries, bed and breakfasts, crafts boutiques, and world class restaurants.
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Start with an endless array of fabulous dishes from the greatest chefs in the Americas. Add a lavish serving of wines born in regions from Napa Valley to the fields of Chile. Sprinkle with warm, sun-splashed days, beckoning beaches and spirited nightlife. The result: The tempting event called the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival, staged in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
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Yucca appears in the cuisine of several tropical parts of Mexico, of which it is a native, including Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, and the Yucatan. It is made into fritters, tortitas (patties), and bolitas (battered yucca), and often flavored with orange, achiote, and other characteristic regional flavors. It is used to make "dough" for meat pie, eliminating the need for wheat flour dough, which is good news for the gluten intolerant.
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Why did it take so long for the rest of the world to discover quinoa, the centuries-old sustenance crop of the Andes? Held sacred by the Incas, who called it "the mother of all grains," quinoa is actually a pseudo grain, consisting of seeds, and is not a member of the grass family, so it does not contain gluten. It is a welcome addition to meals in Mexico, where it has gained enormous popularity and taken on characteristic Mexican flavors.
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Tejate is a pre-Hispanic corn and cacao based drink. It is likely the only complex food recipe in all Mexico still enjoyed today just as it was thousands of years ago in Oaxaca.
When visiting a Oaxaca...
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Although grown most frequently in the tropical coastal areas of the country, plantains are found in markets all over Mexico, where they are called plátano macho and look like bananas on growth hormones, ranging in color from bright green and unripe to nearly black and looking overripe.
Unlike bananas, plantains are not eaten raw, and their high starch content means that they are frequently used as a vegetable, especially in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa.
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Besides the seemingly endless string of fiestas, weddings, baptisms and saints' days throughout the year, the warm months bring graduations galore. Everything from a kindergarten commencement to the completion of a PhD is celebrated exuberantly in Mexico. And the season's balmy weather invites merrymakers to move outside.
Even the start of the rainy season does not deter al fresco festivities.
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