Mexico - Live It To Believe It - Masterclasses at The Savoy

Mexico calls to me every year when we think where we will go for our holiday.  In 2005 I was visiting my cousin with my children who lives near San Diego California. We drove down into Mexico, through Tijuana and further down the Baja for about half an hour to Rosarita Beach.  That was my first introduction to Mexico and although short but sweet I hanker after a longer, more in depth visit one day.

The Mexican food most people think of is really tex-mex inventions to feed the hungry around the Texas-Mexico boarders.  The reality of Mexican cuisine is a fascinating, diverse and evolving culinary excitement and 2015 being the Year of Mexico in the UK means there will be a lot of educating the public on just what Mexican cuisine means.

I was invited to spend the day at The Savoy in London, attending a series of Masterclasses on Mexican food and drink.

Luis Feria, Head Barista at Cafe Cobalto in Mexico City showed us how to make the perfect cup of coffee whilst Pedro Guzman, Coffee Director at Cafe Cobalto in Mexico City took us on a coffee journey, the importance of the history of coffee in Mexico, it's not just the landscape and the coffee bean but keeping the families together with a coffee culture which started in 1740 in Mexico.

Casa Cuervo sent us this lovely and passionate lady to introduce us to tequila. Her knowledge and passion for this drink was inspirational.  She told us about the blue agave cactus used to make tequila and that it is protected with a DOC (designation of origin). But the biggest thing for me was learning how to drink tequila! I will go more into detail in a future post on tequila to come.

I really enjoyed the masterclass given by Benito Molina whose restaurant, Restaurante Manzanilla is in Ensenada on the Baja Peninsula and whose menu is full of fresh and innovative sea foods.  I was able to interview Benito during a break and will be posting about this later as well!

Pablo Salas told us how he makes his own flavoured vinegars to use in his restaurant Amaranta in Toluca de Lerda and how he is committed to showcasing local and cultural recipes of Mexico including his Carpaccio de manitas de cerdo - Pigs' trotters to you and me!!  We got to taste his creation and it was certainly delicious and unusual.

There were further workshops talking about Mexican wine, cooking with herbs, introduction to Mezcal and more.  The day was informative and educating and very interesting.

My favourite moment was learning how to drink tequila - who knew it was such a nice drink with interesting background flavours and tastes!!

2015 is the Year of mexico in the UK - keep your eyes open for loads of fun and education going on in London over the coming months.

I was an invited guest at the Mexican Masterclass and was not paid to write a review.  As usual all opinions and photos are my own.