A bit of Mexico
August 10th, 2008We were recently contacted by the lovely Karina Gonzalez, a Mexican living in Swansea, who wanted to tell us about her view on food:
I was born in Mexico City and I decided to come to study in Swansea for two reasons, the first one is because my boyfriend is Welsh and when I came to meet his family I fell in love with Swansea because it is a place full of natural beauty and full of multiculturalism and contemporary restaurants. As you may know Mexican food is extremely popular all around the world and one of the reasons why is because of its original delicious flavours and textures that identify it.
Mexican food comes from the fusion of traditional indigenous food such as corn which is a vital ingredient in Mexican cuisine, together with beans and chillies and with the arrival of the Spaniards to the New World, rice, citrus fruits and exotic spices from Asia were introduced and incorporated into the diet and cuisine of the people living in Mexico giving birth to what is known today as Mexican food.
Every region in Mexico has contributed to shape the Mexican culinary world since each province has its own signature dish and the same dish can be prepared with more or less ingredients and can be more vibrant in different regions of Mexico. For example in the north of Mexico we can find cabrito which is goat meat and it is very popular in that part of Mexico, you can make some tacos with it together with guacamole or a salsa it is absolutely delicious. In the northwest in the Jalisco region pozole is found which is found all over Mexico but the one in this region is very popular and delicious. Pozole is basically big white corn grains and you can mix it with chicken, pork or if you feel adventurous beef or lamb, then you add lettuce, raddish, red chilli power, lettuce, onion, lime and oregano and you have a side order with it of tostadas, sour cream and fresh cheese, all of this is optional but missing one of these ingredients is not a very good idea since you miss part of the experience of trying this delicious dish. This dish is eaten especially in independence day’s eve .It is a tradition since you can do pozole verde, pozole blanco and pozole rojo which are the colours of the Mexican flag green, white and red pozole , but you can also eat whatever else you want in that Mexican holiday.
In the centre of Mexico mole poblano is just a delicacy. Mole is a mixture of chocolate with pasilla , ancho and mulato chillies with some nuts, sesame seeds, pepper, cinnamon and so forth, any way it is a complex blend and this blend is the best example of the fusion of traditional indigenous with the ingredients that the Spanish people brought to Mexico. This dish is eaten with turkey or chicken mainly and it is served with red rice, it could be a rather sophisticated dish nowadays and eaten in special occasions. Finally In the south of Mexico in the Yucatan Peninsula (near Cancun) you can find pollo pibil and other traditional Mayan dishes that are full flavours and eating them is a very pleasurable experience. Pollo pibil or Pibil style chicken is made by a paste called achiote , orange juice, orange zest, vinagre,cinnamon, black pepper and wrapped in banana leafs this dish make fantastic tacos and you can prepare it with pork as well along with an onion , orange and habanero peppers salad as a side order .
In Mexican diet tortillas, especially corn tortillas are really important and corn in general. Corn makes more than half of our dishes. I could tell you about so many other Mexican dishes but I would never finish. I absolutely love Mexican food and at the beginning when I arrived to Swansea I thought that I was going to have a really hard time with the food since I thought food here was tasteless and mild, but I had a great surprise going around the shops to find ingredients to prepare my Mexican meals and also going around the restaurants, since there is a very wide range of shops and restaurants where you can find whatever foods you like.
Shops like Exotica and other Asian shops sell very similar products to what I look for when I want to cook my Mexican meals. I love all the restaurants in Swansea and I am very adventurous talking about food, I enjoy trying new dishes and flavours. Asian restaurants, especially Indian restaurants are fantastic since their food is very similar in favours and textures plus we cook with sauces made from the combination of different spices and chillies. I love as well the Spanish restaurants in Swansea and I think they are great with great food. What I like as well is Swansea market, I enjoy to go shopping over there, their fish shops, butchers, fruit and veg shops are really good and fresh and when I cook I always look for fresh and organic ingredients.
Mexican food is absolutely amazing and full of history but it is very sad that hybrids such as Tex-Mex food have been mistaken with Mexican food especially in Europe. Chilli con carne is often associated with Mexican gastronomy but the truth is that it is mainly an American dish with Mexican influences not Mexican. I definitely think that with the food of a country you can learn about its history since it has been transmitted from generation to generation and it will always be.
I love food so much, it is definitely one of my weaknesses and I am always looking forward to try new flavours. Since I came to Swansea have had a great time tasting new foods plus my boyfriend has taught me so much about the Welsh culinary traditions and I think welsh food is fantastic, full of quality and flavour. I like very much Welsh cheese, lamb, conserve, honey, cookies and Welsh organic fresh milk.
Karina Gonzalez
Thanks Karina!
