“Hay salsa picante?”
Do you have hot sauce?
Not a single meal went by where this question was not raised, either by myself or by Bernie, Cantimplora Travel‘s professional photographer.
Cantimplora’s travel designer, Sam (and Bernie’s wife), sat across the table shaking her head. “Are you sure you’re not Mexican?”
The more time I spent with Sam and Bernie, the more my affection for them grew. They started their company, Cantimplora Travel, with the intention of showing people their home country.
Mexico, the land they know inside and out—and yet still know so little about—is their passion, their great love affair, and they want others to be consumed by it, just as they are.
We were kindred spirits—dreamers by nature—and where their energy had been focused on knowing Mexico, mine had been focused more broadly on the whole globe.
Just as their quest to know Mexico revealed to them how little they really knew and the fact that they might never know every part of it, mine had revealed the same about the world.
The more you see, the more you want to see–until the day you are crushed with the realization that you never will see it all.
It’s a vicious cycle, really, but the revelation has a way of breeding instant bonds between travelers.
Who better to guide me through Mexico City, then, than two people who knew the struggle all too well; two people whose passion for life and experience and human connection burned as fiercely as the Mexican sun?
To my pleasant surprise, we had yet another shared passion which played an important role in our bonding experience that week—a passion for food and drink.
It was also through the act of eating and drinking and observing others eating and drinking that I came to my deepest understanding of Mexican culture.
As we weaved through the streets of the Mexican capital on Cantimplora’s newest route, Mexico City Unveiled, we followed our noses and taste buds from one restaurant to the next.
We sampled every traditional dish under the sun (well, half, at the very least) eating ourselves into a near comatose state every time.
When the first round had been consumed, a chorus of “Have some more!” filled our ears; more often than not, we obliged.
There were no missed opportunities to sample treats from nearby street carts; chocolate-filled churros, guanabana-flavored ice cream bars, cold and creamy horchata.
We sipped smokey mezcal, the sophisticated relative of tequila made from all varieties of agave plants and with all manner of flavorings, distilled for varying amounts of time and with varying degrees of smoothness.
We consumed corn in a higher volume and more forms than I ever imagined possible. Cornmeal serves as the base for a dizzying number of Mexican dishes; they vary primarily in presentation rather than composition, as the toppings can be the same across the board.
Some of the most memorable ones we sampled were tacos (naturally), quesadillas, sopes, gorditas, tamales and tostadas. Some were grilled, others were fried. Almost all were topped with cheese and onion. There are even soups packed corn, such as pozole and tortilla soup.
The eating environment in Mexico is designed for socializing; rather than isolate yourself at a table for one, strangers belly up to a counter at the local market and eat side-by-side, facing the hand that feeds them.
Restaurants often offer communal seating in addition to private tables; the music and the conversation are loud and spirits are always high.
Just sitting in a lively local restaurant, you begin to feel a part of the community, even if only temporarily.
Food is the cornerstone of Mexican hospitality, and the purpose of hospitality, as we know, is to make one feel at home.
So be forewarned, friends—if you travel to Mexico and food so happens to be the way to your heart, like it is mine, you likely will never want to leave.
And, in fact, a small part of you never will.
Read more about traveling with Cantimplora Travel:
- A Love Letter to Mexico City
- 4 Classic Mexico City Activities You Can’t Miss
- 4 Unexpected Things to Do in Mexico City
All photos courtesy of Cantimplora Travel
