Vibrant colours, heady scents, strong and different flavours. Mexican cuisine is an extraordinary journey through the senses, and above all through a history that is thousands of years old, made up of battles and conquests, of peoples who have met and merged while keeping their identity intact, of legends that verge on magical atmospheres.
A growing trend in Italy among others where, in addition to the numerous ted mex proposalsrestaurants in which to eat real traditional Mexican cuisine are on the rise.
These include the mole poblanoa recipe originating in the city of Puebla, where it is said to have originated in 1600.
The story goes that the nuns of the convent of Santa Rosa received an unexpected visit from the bishop and, in order to prepare a dish worthy of his excellency's palate, they used all the provisions in the larder: chilli peppers, almonds, peanuts, tomatoes, garlic and onions, bananas, sesame, sugar, sultanas, lard, avocado leaves, as many spices as they could and the elegant touch of cocoa. They made a sauce with which they seasoned the only turkey that roamed the farmyard and a dish was born that later became the symbol of the flag.
Among the chefs who best represent this cuisine is certainly Diana Beltranwith the La Cucaracha Restaurant in Rome and, well-known face of Gambero Rosso Channel with the programme Flavours from Mexico, as well as creator, with her son Gianluca Marinelliof the new format Maybuone of Turin's most popular venues, where you can eat ted mex cuisine in an informal, fresh and light way, but with quality ingredients.
A gastronomic experience which starts from the location, which in its colours and lights, in its refined and cheerful design, recalls Mexican civilisation: two Calavera Catrina (an iconic figure between folklore and cult) guard the counter, while small display cases with alebrijes, colourful papier-mâché zoomorphic figures, protect diners.
But the activity of Diana Beltran does not end there. As a Mexican doc, she brings with her all the energy and colours of her country, above all encapsulating that spirit of sociability and encounter that is typical of her people. Besides having served her culinary creations to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, every year in December she cooks the traditional Nativity scene for hundreds of people visiting the Vatican.
How did your passion for cooking come about?
My passion for cooking started when I was very young. I used to watch my grandmother cook and I was enchanted. She, unlike my mother, was an excellent cook, and on special occasions she would prepare for the whole family. I remember the smells coming from the kitchen when she was at the cooker and my mouth watering waiting to taste her delicacies.
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