Mexican cuisine entices in its time-honored diversity

By Maria Endah Hulupi

JAKARTA (JP): Mexican cuisine not only represents the country's long and diverse culinary tradition but also expresses each family's preferences in how they like their food cooked.

"The cooking tradition is deeply rooted in our country. Most Mexican families are still using similar ingredients and cooking techniques (from their ancestors)," said a Mexican chef from the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Edgar Cano, on the first day of the two-week Fiesta Mexicana at The Regent Jakarta. The hotel's annual food festival will end on Sept. 16.

Based on tradition, Edgar added, Mexican families uses the same ingredients but in different quantities when preparing a particular dish, leaving the end result with varied flavors and presentations. Many Mexican dishes are simple, but some sauces use more than 20 ingredients.

"We have to maintain the original flavor. The food must be good and real so you eat it with you eyes and then your tongue," he said.

Family ties in Mexican society are strong, and members love to gather for informal feasts.

Special gatherings are held to celebrate Halloween and Christmas.

"But other than the holiday season, we always have reasons to celebrate," Edgar explained.

Families also celebrate the country's independence day on Sept. 16 by serving the traditional main course Chiles En Nogada, consisting of such ingredients as poblano pepper, meat, walnut sauce, chopped parsley, whose colors represent the colors of Mexican flag: red, white and green. The dish is also widely sold in various markets throughout the month.

Mexico borders the United States in the north and Belize and Guatemala in the east. It lies between the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Gulf of Mexico in the east. Each state has at least one typical dish; geography and climate have influenced the culinary makeup of each region.

In the northern and central part of the country, where the weather is colder, people eat beef and heavy stews with thicker sauces. While in the coastal areas, seafood is served with lighter but spicier sauce.

The cuisine received influences from Spain during its three centuries of colonization.

"We use olives, capers and spices like saffron, first bought by the Spaniards. But we also gave them local ingredients like tomatoes and chocolate," Edgar said.

Among its pre-Hispanic food are tortillas and ancient meals with insects, like grasshoppers, a type of worm and eggs of ants, as the main ingredients, none of which are on the menu for the promotion.

"The ants' eggs are lightly fried in butter and spiced up with chili, olive, onion and garlic. But these ingredients are hard to find and expensive. Some of the ancient foods are seasonal but still served in fine dining restaurants," Edgar said.

Native ingredients include potatoes, beans, corn, different kinds of chilies (which can be used fresh, dried or canned), some spices and the famed Mexican beverage tequila, whose flavors also contribute to creating the unique character of Mexican cuisine.

Edgar said tequila was considered like a brandy in his homeland, a drink to be savored.

Chilies, especially dried ones are popularly used in cooking, because of their intense flavors. Dried ripe chilies are reddish in color, slightly acid but with an intense hot flavor, while the dried green chilies are milder. "Just be careful with red-colored dishes," he laughed.

Aside from dried chilies, most ingredients are used fresh, except for the ones that are difficult to obtain fresh, like oregano.

"Most Mexicans prefer to shop in traditional markets, because the atmosphere is different, with ample fresh produce displayed and people can chat or bargain with the vendors," he added.

Corn is the main starch and is used to make tamales (steamed dumplings), tortillas, sopes (thicker tortillas) and from the same dough, fried empanadas.

The festival is not only a culinary experience but also a cultural one, with nightly performances by a mariachi band and cultural troupe. And if you really want to learn more about cooking the Mexican way, take a cooking class with Edgar and his colleague Joze Alfredo Jimenez from 9 a.m. to noon at the hotel on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13. The price is Rp 135,000 ++, inclusive lunch. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Virginia at 252-3456, ex. 7101.