Mexico - Live It To Believe It!

MEXICO Live It To Believe It!!

At the beginning of November I attended the World Travel Market, held at the Excel in East London. This was the first year I attended this travel trade extravaganza and I was not really prepared for the enormity of it.  I shall be attending, worldlier and wiser, next year.

The Ministry of Tourism of Mexico and the Mexican Tourist Board in conjunction with Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants chose this same week, as they were already in the UK, to announce their new partnership with Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants and held it at The Natural History Museum.  It is years since I visited the Natural History Museum but to visit as a VIP guest at a private event was unforgettable!

The well stocked Margarita bar seemed dwarfed below the hanging skeleton of a dinosaur!

 

But that didn’t stop us drinking Margaritas!!

The event was highlighted by videos and speeches by Mexican dignitaries including the Secretary of Tourism, Claudia Ruiz Massieu who invited everyone to think about visiting Mexico and experiencing for themselves the diverse cuisine the country can boast.

UNESCO has declared the traditional cuisine of Mexico to be of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, encouraging the communities to hand down this valuable tradition from generation to generation.

The videos highlighted a roll call of the best Mexican chefs the country has to offer and four of them attended the evening along with their special creations showcasing that Mexican cuisine is not all tacos and tortillas! (Not that there is anything wrong with tacos and tortillas!)

The chefs that attended and presented us with their creations were:

Elena Reygadas– Restaurante Rosetta

Flores e insectos (flowers and insects)

Ostiones en escabeche (pickled oysters)
Persimos y hierbas (persimmons and herbs)
Algarrobo y hoja santa (algarrobo chilli and hoja santa is an aromatic herb)

Diego Hernández – Restaurante Corazón de Tierra

Tostadita de pescado ahumado (tostadas with smoked fish)
Hinojo, papa y carbon (fennel, potato and charcoal)
Papada de cerdo (pork jowl)
Cóctel de almeja tipo Ensenada (Ensenada clam cocktail)

Benito Molina – Restaurante Manzanilla

Ceviche verdeCrujiente de lechon pibil con caviar terrestre (suckling pig with caviar)
Tostada de abulon a nuestra manera (abalone tostada)

Luis Feria – Café Cobalto

Espresso and cappuccinos

Luis Robledo – Tout Chocolat

Tres leches

Obleas de cajeta (caramel wafers)
Café de Olla (traditional Mexican coffee)

As 2015 is a special year for collaboration between Mexico and the UK I plan to feature loads of Mexican cuisine on this blog. I hope that you will look forward to it and come back periodically to read.  A trip to Mexico would be an absolute dream and one that I will continue to dream about 2015 and beyond!

I was not paid to attend the event or to write about it afterwards.  As usual all opinions and photos are my own.