0:00:04 > 0:00:09It was 1968 when I first came here to San Francisco.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13I wanted to do my own road trip from the United States
0:00:13 > 0:00:15to the Mexican border and beyond.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18My dad had just died, I'd finished school
0:00:18 > 0:00:22and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25It was a year after the Summer Of Love
0:00:25 > 0:00:30and things like enchiladas, burritos, guacamole,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34I had only heard of from the radio, but they sounded wonderful.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But it wasn't just the food -
0:00:37 > 0:00:40I wanted to live a little bit dangerously.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41And I did.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14MARIACHI MUSIC PLAYS
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I'm getting quite addicted to Mexican music.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19I find it rather abandoned.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Since this trip I have had it on in the kitchen all the time.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27But in Guadalajara I had some great food,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30lovely street food like these bunuelos,
0:01:30 > 0:01:35soaked in lashings of syrup and flavoured with mango and then, well,
0:01:35 > 0:01:36tequila of course.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41And carne con chilli and NOT chilli con carne -
0:01:41 > 0:01:44that makes the Mexicans laugh quite a lot.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48MUSIC: Guadalajara by Pepe Guizar
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I've got their CD.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Thanks, boys.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Just before I came here, people would say to me,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08"I wouldn't fancy going to Mexico City.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11"It's a far too polluted, far too many people,
0:02:11 > 0:02:16"millions of them and it is probably a little bit dangerous."
0:02:16 > 0:02:20All I can say to that is, "Yes, I've heard it all before,
0:02:20 > 0:02:21"so many times before."
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Mexico City -
0:02:26 > 0:02:29if you love your food and you're open to a bit of history
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and culture - then it has to be on your list,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34surely for the food alone.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36I suppose it is the diversity.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41The food comes from all over the place - the deserts, the sea,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44the tropical bits, the mountains.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Indeed it is a melting pot.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And talking of melting pots...
0:02:53 > 0:02:55This is a pulqueria.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57I've always wanted to go into one of these places,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59but I've never really dared to,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02because it was always like a working man's place where they got
0:03:02 > 0:03:06incredibly pissed on cactus juice, fermented cactus juice,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09specifically the maguey cactus.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11But these days students go in there
0:03:11 > 0:03:14as well as working men, so it's a bit lighter,
0:03:14 > 0:03:15and girls as well.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It was all men before, but it's so noisy in there,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20I'm still a little bit nervous.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21Here we go.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Well, it has all the feeling of a student's union mixed with a few old
0:03:32 > 0:03:35fogeys in varying states of inebriation.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I love the ceilings.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42And there's only one thing to order and that is a sweet fermented agave
0:03:42 > 0:03:44sap, not cactus,
0:03:44 > 0:03:45mixed with fruit juice.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49It has been around for at least 1,000 years.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It is probably the original alcopop and it is called pulque.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00- Er... Tarro of mango.- Mango.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- Mango.- Mango maracuya.- Is that it?
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- This is maracuya.- Maracuya.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The customer's glass is dipped in chilli and salt,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14a dash of lime and then generously filled.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Now call me old-fashioned, call me what you like,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20but I can see lots of silly things starting to
0:04:20 > 0:04:23happen after one or two of these.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27THEY CHEER HIM ON
0:04:29 > 0:04:31THEY CHEER
0:04:31 > 0:04:33No way!
0:04:33 > 0:04:37No, of course I won't be led on to drink this in one.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41THEY CHANT
0:04:41 > 0:04:45THEY CHEER LOUDLY
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I've been told pulquerias are dying out.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Most of them are here in Mexico City.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57They remind me a bit of cider bars back at home,
0:04:57 > 0:05:02when in the '60s and '70s there were many and now hardly any at all.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08They've suggested I try a strawberry one, but I'm not dropping this one.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It's actually really nice.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14THEY START TO CHANT
0:05:15 > 0:05:18No.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24Actually in Aztec times, pulque was drunk very conservatively, but when
0:05:24 > 0:05:28the Spanish came with all their Catholic religious festivals,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31then pulque became the party drink of Mexico.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- It's very good.- Good.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41I can't really describe its taste.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46It's just sweet and fruity and not particularly strong.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52I suppose I thought it was going to be very sort of muddy
0:05:52 > 0:05:55and sort of vague in flavour.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Actually it's really nice.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59I could get addicted to it.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07No, it's getting very silly in here, time to go.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Two pulques - sufficient, three pulques - utterly stupid.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Four pulques - good night, Vienna.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18BARREL ORGAN PLAYS TINNY MELODY
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Once upon a time here,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33the air was full of the melodic music from barrel organs,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35loads of barrel organs.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39A gift shortly after the Mexican Revolution from Germany.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Now because they are so old, nobody can tune them.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50They seem to have developed minds of their own and play notes at random.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It's one of the quirks I rather like about the city.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03After the organ grinder, what else? The chilli grinder.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Here there are all sorts of dried chillies blended to order,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09a bit like coffee connoisseurs.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13A few ounces of jalapeno, a handful of poblano,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16the same with serrano and cayenne, etc.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Your own personalised chilli that hasn't been lying around in a jar
0:07:21 > 0:07:23for a year and a half.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28I'm just really fascinated to watch this because, really,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31chillies are obviously what Mexico is all about.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Not just fresh chillies, but dried chillies as well.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37These are called guajillo.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Actually, you can get the same chilli in Spain,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42but it's just slightly different looking.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44The thing that I love about dried chillies,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47they've got this lovely fruity taste.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51And here you can see they're being ground quite roughly and...
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Just see how oily that is.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And to the Mexicans it's not just about the heat of the chilli,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03it's also about the flavour.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05And these, actually, when they're fresh,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08they're called mirasol, which means, "Look at the sun."
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I love that expression,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13because...like, chillies are so packed with sun.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Now, I have a friend who subscribes to the theory that the cheaper and
0:08:21 > 0:08:25simpler the dish, the tastier it is.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30Well, that's certainly par for the course here at Cocina Economica,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33"the good value kitchen", that means.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35I just wondered, there is a queue here.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38My name is Rick. I'm making some television.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Very nice to meet you.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Which one are you queueing for?
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Normally I come
0:08:44 > 0:08:47for the second place which is Cocina Economica Lupita.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Actually, all these people, this line, it's only for this place.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56- Really?- There is no other line for other places, only this place.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59So that means it is a good place.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- And nice people. - Really nice people.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05It's very popular and ever since
0:09:05 > 0:09:10it's been opened, they've cooked this - enchiladas verde.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12It's wonderful.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17It's basically corn pancakes wrapped around pieces of freshly poached
0:09:17 > 0:09:23chicken. But the secret ingredient, the embodiment of zingy freshness -
0:09:23 > 0:09:26well, for me it is - is the green sauce.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31It's made simply with par boiled green tomatillos
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and green serrano chillies.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39Tomatillos are a key ingredient here and related to the Cape gooseberry.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Then it's all blended, simmered and served.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49I'm just amazed how simple this is, but none the worse for it, I'm sure.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51So now you have...
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- ..cheese? Queso?- Cheese.- Yeah.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56And then it's finally served with cheese,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00a tart curd cheese like a Caerphilly or Lancashire
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and then topped with sour cream.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05It is fabulous.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Finito.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Now to try it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16God, it's so busy in there and I can't get a seat.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Let's find a little corner somewhere to...
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I mean this really is...
0:10:25 > 0:10:28..Cocina Economica is really, really popular.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29Well, now to taste it.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Oh!
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Mmm. That is so fresh tasting.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I think it's the combination of the green tomatoes,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44the chilli in the salsa verde,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47the sweetness of the onion, but, above all,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50the deliciousness of that poached chicken.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Honestly, it's sensational.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56I mean, Mexicans come here for lunch every day in this market.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57It's not expensive.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59But this is so good.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02If I was living here I'd come here...
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Muchas gracias. ..I'd come here every day.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09HE LAUGHS
0:11:09 > 0:11:10Good on ya.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14There is a similar dish to the enchiladas verde,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16using the same tart green sauce
0:11:16 > 0:11:19that I loved having for breakfast.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It's called chilaquiles and it's one of those dishes
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I'd cook any time back in Padstow, it's that good.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Chilaquiles.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It comes from the Nahuatl word,
0:11:30 > 0:11:35which is the Aztec language word, for chillies and greens.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Actually, I'm going to make a green sauce to go with them but sometimes
0:11:38 > 0:11:39they make a red sauce.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43So, into my blender I first of all put some onions
0:11:43 > 0:11:45chopped up a little bit.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50And now some garlic and a couple of whole Serrano chillies just breaking
0:11:50 > 0:11:51the ends off there.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54And then a whole tin of tomatillos,
0:11:54 > 0:11:56I've drained them first.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Sadly we can't get fresh tomatillos.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01And then a little bit of chicken stock
0:12:01 > 0:12:04just to wet things up and make the sauce very fluid.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And finally some salt.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Wouldn't it have been great if when the conquistadors
0:12:12 > 0:12:17had brought tomatoes over to Spain, they also brought tomatillos.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18We don't really know them,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21but they have got this wonderful green acidity
0:12:21 > 0:12:25which is so special in Mexican food.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Quite a lot of the time in Mexico,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33they do entirely the reverse of what we do, which is basically to fry
0:12:33 > 0:12:35everything and then blend it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38They blend everything and then fry it.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I'm not sure if it makes any difference.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42It's just what you're used to, I suppose.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Right, there we go.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Now, I'm just going to leave that to simmer a little bit, for
0:12:51 > 0:12:54about five minutes, just to reduce down a bit.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59And now I'm going to fry some tortilla chips.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Now, the thing about chilaquiles - I think,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05it's about using up the tortillas from the day before.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Bearing in mind that, you know, Mexico is not a rich country
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and the great thing about countries where people
0:13:11 > 0:13:14don't have a lot of money, they don't waste anything.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17And they don't waste yesterday's tortillas,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21they fry them up in corn oil and make breakfast out of them.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24When these little segments of tortillas are fried,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26they're called totopos.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Spooning them out onto my kitchen paper,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30just to drain off a little bit.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Time to fry a couple of eggs.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I have to have ground black pepper on my eggs,
0:13:49 > 0:13:50it just looks nice for me.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52There we go.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55And a little bit of salt.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Perfect. Now over to my serving bowl.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01First of all, my totopos which are nice and crisp,
0:14:01 > 0:14:06in the bottom of that. Pour some of my salsa verde over the top.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Take out the fried eggs carefully. There is one.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20And then first of all some crumbly cheese, you could use feta cheese.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Then a dollop or two of sour cream.
0:14:25 > 0:14:31Some sliced raw onions and finally some roughly chopped coriander.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36Look at that. That is a very popular breakfast all over Mexico.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58While celebrating 100 years of independence from Spain,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02the government of the day laid the foundations for something so big,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05so classical, so beautifully proportioned...
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The Mexicans wanted to overshadow
0:15:08 > 0:15:12any building or palace in America or Europe,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14but they ran out of cash.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And then in 1910 came the revolution,
0:15:17 > 0:15:23setting landowners, industrialists, the church, peasants and farmers -
0:15:23 > 0:15:26the agricultural backbone of the country -
0:15:26 > 0:15:28at each other's throats.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31And at the end of ten years of backwards and forwards,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35this became a monument to that conflict.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43I find this monument to the revolution really impressive.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45In fact, I think it is the most iconic building
0:15:45 > 0:15:47in the whole of Mexico City.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49And every time I come here I just like to look at it,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53because I just think it is a wonderful work of art.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59What really affects me are these peasants, the statues.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04They look in some ways so grim, but when you look at them more closely,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07you realise it is a sort of ideal of hard work,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09worthiness and honesty.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And I think it is really quite sad
0:16:12 > 0:16:17that this monument took 28 years to build.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And I think, actually, the revolution wasn't really successful,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23but as a monument to the ideal of honest working people,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26there is nothing to beat it.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Do you know, even at my age I still think it is pretty cool to pop in
0:16:53 > 0:16:56for a coffee and a piece of cake at exactly the same cafe
0:16:56 > 0:17:00that Fidel Castro and fellow revolutionary Che Guevara
0:17:00 > 0:17:02used to frequent quite a lot.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08It's even better to sit at exactly the same table
0:17:08 > 0:17:11where they did, all those years ago.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13They spent hours here planning
0:17:13 > 0:17:16how to get rid of the Batista regime in Cuba.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21I wonder, has there ever been anyone whose photograph
0:17:21 > 0:17:26has given out such a spirit of change and revolution,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29martyrdom and youth all at the same time?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32And there's a bit of sexiness in there, too...
0:17:32 > 0:17:37All students wanted to be like him and this was said to be the most
0:17:37 > 0:17:41famous photograph in the world and I believe it.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46When I went to university in the early '70s,
0:17:46 > 0:17:52there wasn't a student's room that didn't have a picture of Che Guevara
0:17:52 > 0:17:54or a poster of Che Guevara on the wall.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Me included.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03It's said that when they first came to this cafe, they sat down
0:18:03 > 0:18:06at six o'clock in the evening and they were still talking
0:18:06 > 0:18:08at 11 o'clock the next morning.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13And, actually, I was hoping to meet a waitress called Marta who was
0:18:13 > 0:18:14there in those days,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18and actually served Che and Fidel cups of coffee.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22And I wanted to ask her what they were like, but sadly she's sick.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Was it ever thus when you're off filming?
0:18:30 > 0:18:34I'm purposefully staying away from the tourist routes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36I find it's often more rewarding.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41Simply because meeting a local like Paco de Santiago makes a city come
0:18:41 > 0:18:47alive. Paco is a man of few words, but he certainly knows his bars.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Ah, this looks pretty atmospheric!
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Yes, it's one of the oldest cantinas...
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- Oldest?- It was founded in 1918.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05- A beer?- Enrique.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07- Hola, como estas?- Paco, como estas?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09- Muy bien. Aqui para saludarte. - Enrique?
0:19:09 > 0:19:11That's right, that's my name. Nice to meet you.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Can we have a...- What do you want to drink? Cerveza de barril?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Cerveza de barril. Draft beer we are going to try.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Absolutely. Would you call it draft beer, then?
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Cerveza de barril. Beer from the barrel.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Tell me more about a cantina then. What...
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I mean, it's obviously the most famous word for a place
0:19:28 > 0:19:30where you drink in Mexico.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33It's a place where you can have drinks.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36They feed you for the drinks.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- And basically...- Do you pay? - You don't pay for the food.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- OK.- You just pay for the drinks and they are very happy to feed you.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46- I love these glasses. - It's a chabela.- Chabela?
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Chabela or bola, as you want. "A bowl."
0:19:50 > 0:19:51But this a very...
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- And also it's cold and thick. - It's cold.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56We freeze the glasses in the freezer.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- Stays cold for a long time. - Salud.- Salud.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01It's a great glass.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03And you drink from the corner...obviously.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Mm. That's delish.
0:20:08 > 0:20:15- Today we have pork in carnitas. - Which is the pork shank.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- That's very generous.- It's the way that Enrique serves to the...
0:20:18 > 0:20:21So how can you make it...? How can he make any money?
0:20:21 > 0:20:24If you just buy one beer and you get that?
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Beer, my friend, the drink is where the money is.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- We haven't paid for the beer yet. - That's why. That's why.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35The other plate, this is very traditional
0:20:35 > 0:20:38from the cantinas in Mexico City.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Escargots or caracoles... - Caracoles?- ..in mole.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- Can I try one?- Yeah, sure. Let's do it.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Let's try to find one of these little guys.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50The mole is a blend of chocolate,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52peanuts, almond.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55We use three different kinds of Mexican chilli.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57- In this mole?- In this mole.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59The secret is the chocolate, black chocolate.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06- Oh, really good. Good with mole. - I'm glad you like it.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I think this is one of the best snail dishes I've ever tasted.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Chocolate, chocolate, peanuts...
0:21:13 > 0:21:15- Nuts.- ..nuts.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17It's very smooth.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Very satisfying.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21I love it.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35This is Mexico City's Mercado Central de Abasto.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Prosaically that means, "a market for goods."
0:21:38 > 0:21:42It's massive and it's where produce is driven in overnight
0:21:42 > 0:21:44from all over Mexico.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49To me, nopales, the pads, well, they're not leaves,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53of the cactus plant were particularly fascinating.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57We can't get them over here, but they are great in salads or fried.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I'm pretty certain that 500 years ago the conquistadors,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06on seeing these bountiful ears of plump-tious maize,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09would have been extremely pleased with themselves.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12"My God, this is so bountiful", they might have said.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17"So magnificent compared to our wheat and barley back at home."
0:22:17 > 0:22:21To me, the gold, silver and topaz being shipped back
0:22:21 > 0:22:24by the galleon load weren't the true riches,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27it was all those new crops.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29And the fact that the Spanish returned home
0:22:29 > 0:22:33and planted the maize along with chillies, tomatoes,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35the potatoes, the squash -
0:22:35 > 0:22:39all vegetables that we might think were ours...
0:22:39 > 0:22:41And let's not forget the chocolate!
0:22:42 > 0:22:46A good way to see this juxtaposition is to come here to the
0:22:46 > 0:22:52Palacio Nacional. To the brilliant murals created by Diego Rivera,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54the most famous artist in Mexico.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58I mean, to me this is fascinating.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02The thing about Diego Rivera was it was art for the people.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07And as a person, I can't help but find this utterly fascinating.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09And the point was, the political point,
0:23:09 > 0:23:14was to elevate the local Indians and you can see that here.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19The idea the Spanish had was that they were savages
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and this enormous mural says anything but.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27And in the distance you can see the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30the city that is now Mexico City.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35And when Cortes saw it he described it as as big as Seville or Cordoba
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and about the great straight causeways
0:23:38 > 0:23:40leading to this island city.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45In itself it looks wonderful and then when you look in the foreground
0:23:45 > 0:23:49you see a market and the guy sitting in the chair there
0:23:49 > 0:23:51is the sort of market official.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53And everything is happening,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55you've got fish being sold here.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Over there you've got corn and you can see the blue corn being sold.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04And it's just full of activity and it's not altogether
0:24:04 > 0:24:07lovely activity, there are some nasty, gruesome scenes.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12But particularly in the middle distance there you've got sacrifice.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17You can see the blood pouring down the steps of the temple
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and this is what upset the Spanish,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23this is why they called the Aztecs heathen.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26But this was in the 15th century and 16th century
0:24:26 > 0:24:31at which time the Spanish were gleefully burning people alive -
0:24:31 > 0:24:33the Spanish Inquisition.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40There was a long-standing belief by the Aztecs that one day they were
0:24:40 > 0:24:44going to be visited by gods fair of countenance who would integrate with
0:24:44 > 0:24:46them and help them build their nation.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53However, the Spanish conquistadors were anything but gods.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55They were greedy for gold and silver
0:24:55 > 0:24:59and cared very little for the Aztec people, to put it mildly.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14This is Xochimilco, a rich fertile area
0:25:14 > 0:25:17in the southern part of the city.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22It's full of man-made garden islands called chinampas.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25People refer to them as the lungs of the city.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Because of the sunshine and the endless supply of water
0:25:29 > 0:25:32coupled with rich volcanic soil,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36they get as many as seven harvests a year from this land.
0:25:39 > 0:25:45It was extremely clever engineering creating small fertile islands with
0:25:45 > 0:25:50nitrogen-rich soil to grow all the essential ingredients needed to feed
0:25:50 > 0:25:52the capital of the Aztec Empire.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58Someone told me that Mexico before the conquistadors was virtually
0:25:58 > 0:26:02vegetarian, so these chinampas were incredibly valuable,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04a real lifeline.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I'm with one of Mexico's top chefs.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14He's Eduardo Garcia, Lalo to his friends.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18He used to pick fruit for a living in the United States and he has been
0:26:18 > 0:26:22deported at least five times for his troubles.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25This is his favourite place in the whole of the country.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I love coming here, I feel free.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34I'm a farmer, I grew up on a farm in Guanajuato where I'm from.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37But also in the US I was a farmer,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39I picked fruits and vegetables for a living.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43So coming here and kind of running away from that big city,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46to me it's like I'm somewhere else.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50I love nature, so when I come here I'm always happy.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Especially to the chinampas, I think of the dishes,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56what to use with this, you know, grow this for me.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59And I saw this chef was using this, please grow it and they grow it.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01To me this is paradise.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12You can take a bite.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15And I just had some beetroot earlier. Is it spicy?
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Mm!
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Oh, wow.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24CRUNCHING That is good.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26- Crunchy.- Crunchy.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30- Full of horseradish-y flavour. - Mm-mm, yep.- You could maybe...
0:27:30 > 0:27:35All we need with that is some lime and some olive oil,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37- we have a perfect dish.- Yeah.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Or maybe grate it over a bit of raw fish.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43That would be lovely. Yeah. Because it is spicy now, huh? Yeah.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48This is why I love the radishes from this particular chinampa.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Now, another reason for meeting up with a good chef
0:27:57 > 0:28:00is that you always get a good lunch.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Lalo produced something very simple,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06it's a salad made with vegetables from his garden -
0:28:06 > 0:28:09well, this garden - flavoured with a bit of fennel
0:28:09 > 0:28:12and wonderfully tasty beetroot.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16I've always said I would far rather have a few things fresh from the
0:28:16 > 0:28:20garden, seconds old, than an elaborate melange
0:28:20 > 0:28:22that comes from the world over.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26There were tortillas with cheese, Oaxaca cheese, stringy,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28strong and very distinctive.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32The whole thing was a celebration of seasonal food,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34not over the top at all.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38How did you become a chef then?
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- I became a chef out of necessity. - Really?- Yeah.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47So did I.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50I was telling you that I grew up in the States as a migrant worker.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- Yeah.- I found a job washing dishes.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- In the States? - In Atlanta.- In Atlanta.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00And then from then on I started cooking, it has been 25 years.
0:29:00 > 0:29:01I never really...
0:29:02 > 0:29:06..did it to become a chef, I just did it...
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- For a job.- ..for a job.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- And here we are.- And here we definitely are.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15You've got a very big reputation, you've got restaurants in London,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18you've got one opening in Dubai, here we are indeed.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21- Yeah.- It's looked after you.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Just tell me this, because it is very important to me,
0:29:24 > 0:29:26but I think people that watch this programme will think,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30what is so special to you about Mexican cuisine?
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Mexican food is very cultural, you know.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36And I think one of the reasons why
0:29:36 > 0:29:39it is so good or why Indian food is so good,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43it all has to do with, I think, poverty.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44You know, people...
0:29:44 > 0:29:47You ever notice how most countries that are poor
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- just have amazing food? - I do, I do.
0:29:50 > 0:29:56They take, wherever, they take a simple leaf, a simple tree
0:29:56 > 0:29:59or whatever and make something amazing out of it, you know,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01with just a few ingredients.
0:30:01 > 0:30:02I've always felt that the more...
0:30:02 > 0:30:05..that human beings do best when they are deprived.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08As soon as you give them too much, they don't know what to do with it.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13- Yes.- Whether it be space, whether it be money.- Yes, I agree.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17I totally agree with you and I think that is why I love Mexican cuisine
0:30:17 > 0:30:20so much. Because it is like Indian cuisine, you're right.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Not in flavour, but in the way it sort of reflects hard times.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Exactly, yeah.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Well, I've just got to taste this.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39Looked so good being made and most of what is in it has been made from
0:30:39 > 0:30:44this chinampa, particularly the beetroot and the lettuce
0:30:44 > 0:30:46and the fennel bloom.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53It is lovely. It's so good talking to Lalo, because
0:30:53 > 0:30:58you just love to hear from a local about what makes them tick as a chef
0:30:58 > 0:31:03and it is a combination of, with him, I think simple food,
0:31:03 > 0:31:08great combinations, but also a background of somewhere like here,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10where you know the produce is so good
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and you get so enthusiastic about it.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16I think actually I've learned a bit today,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19I think if you are going to cook really well,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23you have to be really in touch with where your produce comes from.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25There's no ifs or buts about it.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33I enjoyed my time on the chinampas - very inspirational for a chef.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36And although this recipe did not come from Lalo,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40I had it in the hotel that very same day and loved it.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42They call it Aztec soup.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47It's simple. First you fry some sliced tortillas in corn oil,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49until they are crispy, about a minute or so.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51And that is the base for the soup.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57I really like Aztec soup, I actually like Mexican soups.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01The thing to do is have lots of things to add
0:32:01 > 0:32:03and that is what the Mexicans do.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06So there they are, they're really nice and light brown now.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12And now to start the soup and very often the Mexican dishes that
0:32:12 > 0:32:16contain tomatoes, you char the tomatoes to get the skin off.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19So in they go and a couple of garlics.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22I do think there is a transfer of flavour of charred tomatoes
0:32:22 > 0:32:24even though you are not going to use the skin.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28It is just a very convenient way of doing things and I think a lot of
0:32:28 > 0:32:31cooking is about making things as easy as possible.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33There we go, look at the colour on that.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36They are almost singing to me as they colour up.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41And now I'm just going to peel them.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44It's not particularly easy, but it's very satisfying.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48You have to get it quite right, that is why I toss them around like that.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51But the skin is coming off.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Just a bit of skin on them, but that's fine.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55So now to make up the soup.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I've got some lard melting in the pan there.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Lard - very common in Mexican cuisine.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Add in my sliced onions.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Now, I'm just going to add these garlic cloves which have already
0:33:06 > 0:33:08partially cooked and charred.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14And now some chipotle in adobo, three heaped teaspoons of that.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19That's a very lovely chilli paste, very common in Mexico.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23It's cooked with tomatoes and it adds loads of heat and flavour.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Now the charred tomatoes.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30It will take a bit of time for them to cook down.
0:33:32 > 0:33:38Oregano, much used in Mexico and the soup really benefits from this.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Chicken stock and that's it, for say 20 minutes.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46Until everything softens and starts to smell so good.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52So now it's time to liquidise the soup with my...
0:33:52 > 0:33:53I call it the outboard motor.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00It's rather unfortunate but the crew who are filming now are expecting me
0:34:00 > 0:34:04to splatter the whole kitchen now and I'm determined not to.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08But it is frothing over the edge so I think they've got a point.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10But now I'm going to top speed.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Thank goodness we got that over.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Now a little taste.
0:34:20 > 0:34:21That's really lovely.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23It's so important to have a good stock.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26That really is good but it just needs some salt.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27It's quite hot.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30It needs quite a lot of salt.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Now shred some chicken to go in there.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41I know it's called Aztec soup and it's lovely, but I do have a feeling
0:34:41 > 0:34:44it's one of those dreamt-up names,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48a bit like the Ploughman's lunch or Lymeswold cheese.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Slight over-romanticism, but who knows,
0:34:51 > 0:34:56it might well have been Emperor Montezuma's favourite.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00So first those crisp tortilla strips in the bottom.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03And then my avocado just diced in there.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Then in goes the soup.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Look at that. Just looks very tasty, I think.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16And then to finish off, well, I've got some sour cream.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Just put a dollop of that in there.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21And some cheese, this is actually Lancashire cheese,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25which is really good, because it's crumbly and very similar
0:35:25 > 0:35:27to the cheese that you get in Mexico.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29And then just for extra heat,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32some more chopped up chipotle chillies.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And finally a good pinch of freshly chopped coriander.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Look at that. That's what I mean,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44it's adding all those bits that make the soup so special.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16It's time to leave Mexico City.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18I know it's very polluted,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21I know its population could be as many as 20 million,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24but I loved it there.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Having said that, I'm now relishing the open countryside and off to
0:36:28 > 0:36:33Puebla. It's an old colonial city, very well preserved.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38In fact, this is where the Mexicans gave the French Expeditionary Army a
0:36:38 > 0:36:42bloody nose and it is massively more relaxed than Mexico City,
0:36:42 > 0:36:4480 miles up the road.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47I just love the centre of Puebla.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51It's so pretty, so attractive and sometimes in Mexico,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and this is what I actually really like about Mexico,
0:36:54 > 0:36:55you have to pinch yourself to realise
0:36:55 > 0:36:59you are in the New World, because you could be in part of Spain.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04Actually, other parts of Mexico are quite shocking at times,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08massive industrial complexes, terrible deprivation,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12horrible dilapidated buildings, but then you find yourself
0:37:12 > 0:37:15in a perfect city square like this and you think,
0:37:15 > 0:37:20"There is something really quite stylish about this country."
0:37:36 > 0:37:41I love all the travelling, I do, but I'm never far away from food,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44from markets, restaurants, street food.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47To me it is the whole point of going somewhere in the first place.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50I like old churches, castles and monasteries,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52don't get me wrong, I do.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58But the smell of freshly-cooked tortillas is just so good.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04This is probably the most common ritual in the whole of the country.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Ours at home of course would be boiling the kettle for a cup of tea.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11But here it's making the tortilla.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14This is so important.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Yes. That's not too bad.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34Now this is the difficult bit.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Well, it's not too bad.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45I just wanted to do this, because I feel it's the most important thing
0:38:45 > 0:38:47about Mexican cooking, is making a good tortilla.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52Of course this is made from fresh corn just slaked with lime.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56It's not made from flour, so it's really moist.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59I'm learning an awful lot about tortillas already.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Apparently when your tortillas can puff up like that,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05it's the sign of a really good tortilla maker
0:39:05 > 0:39:08and in Mexico that is when you can get married.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11When you can make tortillas that puff up.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16And here she has just made me this - picarita a la bandera,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18the colour of a Mexican flag,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21with some refried beans underneath,
0:39:21 > 0:39:26salsa roja, salsa verde, and a little bit of cheese and onion.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28And you eat it flat.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31But I will turn it over a little bit,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34just to make it easier to eat in my hand.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35A little bit hot.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Is there any better street food in the world than Mexican?
0:39:47 > 0:39:51CHATTER IN SPANISH
0:39:57 > 0:40:02One of life's great luxuries for me is to meet up with someone
0:40:02 > 0:40:05who's passionate about the local food.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08So I was very pleased to see Ailyn Marchande
0:40:08 > 0:40:12at this restaurant in the heart of nearby Cholula
0:40:12 > 0:40:16She's a Mexican with French roots, a historian and a food guide.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Ailyn, I do think that Mexican cuisine
0:40:19 > 0:40:21is amongst the best in the world.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26There's so much variety to it, it's so interesting.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Why do you think that is?
0:40:28 > 0:40:32We use all the natural ingredients that nature has given
0:40:32 > 0:40:35the different regions of Mexico,
0:40:35 > 0:40:40but we're not at odds with the things that were brought in by
0:40:40 > 0:40:44conquistadores such as the Spanish,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48later on the French occupation that we had, particularly in Puebla.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51In Yucatan, of course, they had a lot of influence
0:40:51 > 0:40:53from Holland and the Dutch.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56So we're not at odds with incorporating
0:40:56 > 0:41:00all of those ingredients and those things into our cuisine.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Why do you think that is, because some countries are really very
0:41:03 > 0:41:05conservative? I'm thinking the French.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08You know, you can't change a thing
0:41:08 > 0:41:11in their cuisine without a big outburst.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16- Why?- This is true. We realise that the best thing you can do is
0:41:16 > 0:41:21to take it with a salt of grain.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- A pinch of salt.- A pinch of salt, exactly.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26- Definitely.- There is an English expression which goes,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28if you can't beat them, join them.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30I think that's part of it.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34And OK, you're here, you're conquering us,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36but what good can come of that?
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Is there anything that you can offer me that I don't have?
0:41:39 > 0:41:44And I think cuisine is definitely a big part of that.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Religion as well, yes, because something that is very
0:41:47 > 0:41:50complex about Mexicans is the way that they
0:41:50 > 0:41:53incorporate their, let's say, pagan beliefs,
0:41:53 > 0:42:00very pre-Hispanic, with the Catholic religion that was imposed on them.
0:42:00 > 0:42:01And the same is true of cuisine.
0:42:01 > 0:42:07I suppose it's very easy when you look at some work of Diego Rivera,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11and you think of the indigenous population, Indians,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15as being the noble ones and you've got these pictures of all these
0:42:15 > 0:42:19frightful-looking Spanish but basically Mexico is a mix of both.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23- It is.- But there doesn't seem to be any racial tension in Mexico,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27there's lots of other things going on, of course, but I don't notice
0:42:27 > 0:42:29any racial tension at all.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34No. I think that definitely we are not a people
0:42:34 > 0:42:39that discriminate against each other based on racial issues.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42It's definitely more of a gender issue.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47And the whole macho, Mexican macho kind of thing.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Perhaps even elitist, yes, issues.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52But definitely race is not an issue.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57I think we all embrace each other as Mexicans, but we all know just by
0:42:57 > 0:43:00looking at each other that we all
0:43:00 > 0:43:03have a mix of Spanish, French, Lebanese.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07It would be impossible for us to be racist against each other.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09So...
0:43:11 > 0:43:16Ailyn mentioned this place, the Dominican convent of Santa Rosa,
0:43:16 > 0:43:22a culinary icon and the birthplace of Mexico's most famous dish
0:43:22 > 0:43:25that's always the centre of every feast day, mole poblano.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32They say it was created without any planning, almost like a miracle.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39I like a bit of a story with famous food.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42I'm thinking of things like tapas,
0:43:42 > 0:43:46originally invented a bit of bread with something on it in Spain to put
0:43:46 > 0:43:49on top of your sherry glass to keep the flies off.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Or if you think of something like pizza margarita,
0:43:53 > 0:43:58just invented by a baker in Naples in honour of the Royal family.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01So you've got the colours of the Italian flag in that.
0:44:01 > 0:44:02And the humble sandwich,
0:44:02 > 0:44:07invented by the Earl of Sandwich so that he could sit at the gambling
0:44:07 > 0:44:12table and not have to break his habit by going off for some lunch.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Great story, and this one is a good story too actually.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18The nuns in this convent were a closed order,
0:44:18 > 0:44:20they weren't allowed to speak
0:44:20 > 0:44:24and they weren't allowed to eat anything exotic.
0:44:24 > 0:44:29But they made lots of exotic dishes to make money for the convent
0:44:29 > 0:44:31and one day the vice regent,
0:44:31 > 0:44:35the vice regent from Spain announced he was coming
0:44:35 > 0:44:38and they had to come up with something really special.
0:44:38 > 0:44:44So they invented this wonderful sauce to go with local turkey,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46the mole poblano.
0:44:46 > 0:44:51And it came from chillies, from tortillas, from chocolate,
0:44:51 > 0:44:55from almonds and from sugar,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57all pounded together.
0:44:57 > 0:45:02And so much did the vice regent like this dish,
0:45:02 > 0:45:06he ordered that the kitchen here in the convent should be tiled
0:45:06 > 0:45:08by Spanish Talavera tiles,
0:45:08 > 0:45:10in the 16th century
0:45:10 > 0:45:14possibly the most sought-after tiles in the world.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18Santa Rosa. Es una cocina de finales del siglo 17.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21Jesus Vasquez is the curator here,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24a man very proud of this brilliant kitchen.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28I asked Jesus, what does mole mean to him?
0:45:29 > 0:45:33A ti tanto te gusta mole a ti?
0:45:33 > 0:45:39Guau. Desde muy pequeno, a mi me ensenaron a degustar este platillo.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43He said he started knowing mole when he was very young.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47The families in fiesta time would always prepare mole.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49- It was the best.- Una fiesta de mole.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52So every time you're going to have a party,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55everyone expects to have a mole meal.
0:45:55 > 0:45:56Aunque es un poquito dificil,
0:45:56 > 0:45:59porque hay muchas recetas diferentes de mole.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02He said, but there are lots of different moles,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05it depends where you are in Mexico.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08But whatever they are, I love them.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Y todas las recetas son muy buenas.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23So back at home in Padstow, I thought I'd cook one of these moles.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26It would be so disrespectful if I didn't.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28It will have chillies of course,
0:46:28 > 0:46:32it's going to be smoky hot and sweet but not too much.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34So here it goes.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41So, first of all I'm toasting these chillies.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44The first one I'm putting in there is called mulato.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46They are very fruity.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50And now in here goes some pasillas, again they're very fruity chillies.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55And it's really important, very important just to toast them,
0:46:55 > 0:46:57not to burn them.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02Otherwise your mole will always taste bitter.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06And I can't tell you how lovely this smell is and how the Mexicans worked
0:47:06 > 0:47:09out that drying and toasting chillies
0:47:09 > 0:47:13would create such a unique flavour, I don't know.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18So for now those hot toasted chillies
0:47:18 > 0:47:20go into water to be used later.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Next I toast bread - that helps to thicken the sauce.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28Sesame seeds, they are very prominent in the dish
0:47:28 > 0:47:30and now almonds.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32The sesame seeds are starting to get a bit active.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35I hope there will be some left by the time I'm finished toasting,
0:47:35 > 0:47:37they're popping up all over the place.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42Then chilli seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns,
0:47:42 > 0:47:46a big piece of cinnamon and I'm just going to toast that.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50Just press the bread down a bit, try and toast that a bit more.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55And now over to my spice grinder,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58just putting all those spices in there.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00I'm just going to finely cut the bread up,
0:48:00 > 0:48:03because otherwise it won't blend properly.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06And there we are ready to grind.
0:48:13 > 0:48:19So just look at that, just slightly smoking but not too hot.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21Beautiful toasted smell.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24Lovely that, it's so important, I keep stressing it,
0:48:24 > 0:48:26not to over toast any of it.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Because it's all about this sort of lovely,
0:48:28 > 0:48:32mellow, toasted flavour in the final sauce.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36This is not one of those dishes you decide to do after you come home
0:48:36 > 0:48:40from the cinema unless you like eating at four in the morning.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44I put in green bananas, in Mexico they would use plantains.
0:48:44 > 0:48:50There's onion, currants, garlic, one clove roughly chopped.
0:48:50 > 0:48:56Some ground cloves, just a pinch, and oregano.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01It's just smelling so fruity and delicious.
0:49:01 > 0:49:06I've got really good thoughts about this mole poblano, I must say.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09I think, as I say again, as long as you don't overcook anything,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12it really is quite a subtle sauce.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14Albeit a tad complicated.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19And now just going to add that into the blender.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24And then get my soaked chillies.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27And drop those in, too.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33And finally some chicken stock,
0:49:33 > 0:49:37that's just to get everything turning round in the blender.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42This is a dish, I'm afraid, where
0:49:42 > 0:49:46you have to be in love with the very thought of making it.
0:49:46 > 0:49:51You can't cut corners, it is what it is, a true labour of love.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57So just cleaning these bits and bobs out of the bottom of the pan
0:49:57 > 0:49:58with a bit of kitchen paper.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01And now in goes my mole.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03All but the chocolate.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Get that all in there, it's looking a bit thick.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09I'm just going to add some stock to loosen it up a bit,
0:50:09 > 0:50:11some chicken stock.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13And now here we go with the chocolate.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15Do you have to use chocolate?
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Yes, of course you have to use chocolate,
0:50:18 > 0:50:23it's a classic Mexican mole poblano and chocolate is Mexican produce.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26You know, of course it's got to have chocolate in it.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30I mean you must have had things like hare with chocolate from France?
0:50:30 > 0:50:31- No.- No?
0:50:31 > 0:50:34And what about sometimes they put chocolate into a red wine,
0:50:34 > 0:50:36deep red wine sauce with some beef.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39- No.- So you've never cooked with chocolate in a savoury way before?
0:50:39 > 0:50:43- No.- You're missing something, honestly, this is really good.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46So, anyway, just adding that chocolate.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50It's quite unsweet chocolate as well so...
0:50:50 > 0:50:51And a bit more stock now.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55Just maybe another half pint, 300ml of stock.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58Just got to make sure that the sauce is quite loose,
0:50:58 > 0:51:01doesn't want to be too thick, but it does need to be a bit thick.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04I'm just going to leave that to simmer down for about five minutes.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Now I fry a couple of chicken breasts in hot oil.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13The Mexicans would use turkey,
0:51:13 > 0:51:15especially at celebrations
0:51:15 > 0:51:19and turkey is a native bird of Mexico and not Turkey.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Strange that, isn't it?
0:51:24 > 0:51:27I actually like to see the chicken underneath, because I think if it is
0:51:27 > 0:51:29completely covered with chocolate sauce,
0:51:29 > 0:51:32it just doesn't look particularly appetising.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34But I think that looks really nice.
0:51:34 > 0:51:39And just finish off with a few sprinkles of sesame seeds
0:51:39 > 0:51:43and I really think that as a first course, that is perfection.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48For a main course, for us Westerners, for us gringos,
0:51:48 > 0:51:50maybe a little too much.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10It's a very long way from Puebla to Oaxaca.
0:52:10 > 0:52:15But there's a point to my journey. The two Mexican culinary icons:
0:52:15 > 0:52:18the mole and the mezcal.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21And this is where I feel I'm in cowboy country.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24I can sense Sam Peckinpah, The Wild Bunch,
0:52:24 > 0:52:28and Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29Oh, yes.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35This is where they make their celebrated mezcal,
0:52:35 > 0:52:38much-loved by the Mexicans.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41It is a clear drink, a bit like tequila.
0:52:41 > 0:52:47To me it has a taste of smoky brown sugar with a slight hint of lime.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49I love it. But it's very strong.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54- Rick.- Carlos. I've heard a lot about you.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57And I've actually tasted your mezcal, too.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00This is the boss here, Carlos Moreno.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04They call these little distilling farms palenques.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07- So why do you love making mezcal? - Mezcal.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10I'm Oaxacan,
0:53:10 > 0:53:12you know, it's in my blood, I think.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15The amazing thing in mezcal is that each village,
0:53:15 > 0:53:21the terroir...the older people have their own way to make mezcal.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23and that gives it identity.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25That's the reason why we work in different communities,
0:53:25 > 0:53:29and we don't try to make all the production in just one place.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32So I suppose if you love mezcal,
0:53:32 > 0:53:35you would identify each little...
0:53:35 > 0:53:39- ..palenque?- Palenques.- Palenque.
0:53:39 > 0:53:43And you'd understand that this was special to this particular palenque?
0:53:43 > 0:53:46You can have more than 30 expressions of mezcal,
0:53:46 > 0:53:49you know, in one community.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52But if you move that same agave in another community,
0:53:52 > 0:53:55because you change the wood, you change the days of fermentation,
0:53:55 > 0:53:57that's where the magic happens, you know,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01where the sugars become alcohol, and when you distill, it's...
0:54:01 > 0:54:04It will be different. It will be different.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10These are the hearts of the agave plant that grow everywhere here.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13This is what mezcal is made from.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16People say when the leaves have been chopped,
0:54:16 > 0:54:19they look a bit like monster pine cones.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23In fact the locals call them that - pinas.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27We cultivate this one, it takes around seven years.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Seven to nine years, it depends on the weather.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33- How much do they weigh? - Each one is around 60kg.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36- 60kg?- It doesn't matter sometimes
0:54:36 > 0:54:40the size of the agave, but it's sweet, that's what we need.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45Everything about the production of this is sort of macho, isn't it?
0:54:45 > 0:54:47You've got a heavy...
0:54:47 > 0:54:49You've got to cut them in half.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53Great scenery, great dry country, it's fabulous.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57- It is. Ah. Yeah.- Sorry.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02I'm not very good with smoke. THEY CHUCKLE
0:55:02 > 0:55:06This is really hot work under the baking sun.
0:55:06 > 0:55:11They build a huge, smoky fire to heat up rocks in a massive fire pit.
0:55:11 > 0:55:16This is where the pinas are roasted, because they're full of fibre.
0:55:16 > 0:55:17They are really tough,
0:55:17 > 0:55:21but they're also very sweet, so they need lots of time to
0:55:21 > 0:55:25cook to soften, to yield those lovely sugars.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34After we cook it,
0:55:34 > 0:55:36we bring it here to this masher and put it in the fermentation.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38So there's no juice coming out of the...?
0:55:38 > 0:55:42Not really. The agave is very dry.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44What we need to do is smash it and
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- then we need to add water in the fermentation.- Oh, I see.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50- Yes.- Is there any real reason for the horse?
0:55:50 > 0:55:53It looks great. I can't imagine any...
0:55:53 > 0:55:55But could you use a more modern way of doing it?
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Yes, it could be possible,
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- but we love to keep the tradition. - Good stuff.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05THEY CHUCKLE
0:56:05 > 0:56:07So after a week or so in these barrels,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10fermentation is complete and then
0:56:10 > 0:56:13it's all put into these distillation pits
0:56:13 > 0:56:18to steam, to cool, to evaporate and to end up with a clear,
0:56:18 > 0:56:19delightful liquid.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24After all the smoke and heat, I can't wait to try it.
0:56:29 > 0:56:34The first one we're going to try is an ensemble, we call it.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36- A blend?- A blend.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41It's four different wild agaves inside this bottle.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46You can taste what I've just experienced.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50In the fermentation, in the distilling, even in the smoking.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Oh, that's gorgeous. That's a single, that's a single...
0:57:03 > 0:57:07- Agave. Yes.- What's it called? - Tobaziche.- Tobaziche.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09- Very earthy.- Hm.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14Gosh, that's good. And lastly?
0:57:14 > 0:57:17- And this one we will have... - Just there.- ...a tepeztate.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21This is a wild agave. We need to bring it from the mountains.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26Ah. That's wild. Dare I say, it's furious.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33I am going to become a mezcal drinker,
0:57:33 > 0:57:36- not for the effect, but for the flavour.- Yeah.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43- Cheers.- Salud.- Salud.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46- Stigibeu in Zapotecan. - What's that?- Stigibeu.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48- Nish-vel.- Stigibeu.- Dish-vel.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Dish-vel.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55It's not the best cup, it's running down my chin.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59I think it's broken, right, or something. Because it's...
0:58:02 > 0:58:06Next I go to a whirling wedding in Oaxaca.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10Well, every film about Mexico has got to have a wedding in it.
0:58:10 > 0:58:11Then into the tropics,
0:58:11 > 0:58:15to the mountains to discover cacao
0:58:15 > 0:58:17and the joys of making chocolate from scratch.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22This is what every beef lover dreams -
0:58:22 > 0:58:25beef on charcoals, simply cooked.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27Perfection.