Our Journey

into
Latin American Cuisine
CUL221
Mexico
South American
Caribbean
Mexico
 Mexico
• The Land
• The History that form the culture
• Regional cooking
– Northern Mexico
– Central Mexico
– Southern and the Gulf of Mexico
– The Yucatan Peninsula
– The Pacific Coast
– The Baja California Peninsula
 The Land
• Borders:
– North: United States
– South: Guatemala and Belize
– West: Pacific Ocean
– East: Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
• Mountains:
– Sierra Madre Occidental in the west
– Sierra Madre Oriental to the east
• The Plateau in the north is a dessert
• Yucatan Peninsula and Baja peninsula
 The Land of contrast
• Borders
• Scorching deserts
• Snow capped volcanoes
• Lush tropical rain forest
• One of the 20 riches nations, but many are
poor.
• Home to some of the greatest civilization
in history
 Mayan Indians
–Very advance civilizations
• Built large cities out of stone
• Writing and arithmetic
• Beautiful works of art
• Strong agriculture
–Corn, beans, squash, chili peppers,
papayas, lentils, kidney beans, fava
beans, many peppers, pumpkins,
potatoes, tomatoes, cacoa bean
(chocolate)
 Influences
• Aztec empire thriving in the 1300’s
– Honey, vanilla, salt, and chili peppers
• Domesticated turkeys and ducks
• Cortez invades in 1513
• Spain conquered mexico in 1521
– Livestock: cows, pigs and sheep
– Diary products
– Moors influences
– Spice trade
– Citrus, figs, cinnamon, cloves, melons, garlic,
eggplants, carrots, dessert form nuts
Mexican Regional Cooking
 Regional Mexican Cooking
• Northern Mexico
• Central Mexico
• Southern Mexico
• Gulf of Mexico
• Yucatan Peninsula
• The Pacific Coast
• Banja California
 Northern Mexico
• Ranching influences
– Cattle
– Sheep
– Pigs
– Goats
• Cheese
– Chihuhau
– Mennonites
• Flour Tortillas as a bread stable
 Central Mexico
• Distrito Federal or Mexico City (capitol)
• 20 million people, second most populated
city in the world, behind Tokyo
• Aztec city of Tenoctitlan was destroyed
converting the Indians to Christianity
• Michoacán
• “place of fisherman”
• “central breadbasket”
 Michoacán
• Largest producer of avocados
• Sugar cane, rice, coffee plantations, macadamia
tree.
• Corn, beans chickpeas and potatoes
• Fruit: Mangos, strawberries, papaya, bananas,
lemons, limes
• Agave: to produce syrups, vinegar, an pulque
(alcoholic beverage)
• Pulque: predecessor of mescal and tequila
• Maguey plant: Mezcal is the double distilled
spirit
 Southern Mexico and Gulf of
Mexico
• Between gulf of Mexico and the pacific
ocean
• Pamppantla- vanilla pods form orchids
• Veracruz- busy port in the country
– Red Snapper Veracruz, whole fish covered in
a sauce of tomatoes, onions, capers, spanish
olives and pickled jalepenos
• West African influences- peanuts,
plaintains, yucca, and sweet potatoes
 Coffee
and Chocolate

• Chiapas is the state of the largest

producers of cocao and coffee beans
• Xocoatl or Chocoatl
– When the aztecs conquered Central America
they demanded the cocao was seen as a
tribute.
 Yucatan Peninsula
• States of Campeche, Yacatan and
Quintana Rol
• Mountainous terrain surrounding it
• Mayan civilization began, 2500 B.C.
• Black beans, pit cooking, banana
leaves, wrapped meats, serville
oranges, chilimole (made of annato)
• Spainish introduced pork and frying
 The Pacific Coast

• The home to Hollywood stereotypes of

Mexico
• Mariachi music, Mexican Hot dance
• Broad-brimmed sombrero hats
• Mexican Rodeo and Tequila
• Crops: Peanuts, sugar, and agave
 The Land of the 7 MOLES
Oaxzca
• Mole Negro (black)- using chocolate,
complicated
• Mole Amarillo (Yellow)
• Mole Coloradiot (little red)
• Mole Almendrado (with Almonds)
• Mole Chichilo (local name without a translation)
• Mole Verde (green)
• Mole Colorado (red)
 Baja California Peninsula
• Two states: Baja California, Baja California
Sur
• Baja California Tijuana is the most visited
border cites in the world.
• Festivals Region: Paella Festival, Fish
Festival, Seafood Festival, Tequila
Festival, Wine Festival
• Caesar Salad Festival and the birthplace
of the famous Caesar Salad
 Mexico
• The Land
• The History that form the culture
• Regional cooking
– Northern Mexico
– Central Mexico
– Southern and the Gulf of Mexico
– The Yucatan Peninsula
– The Pacific Coast
– The Baja California Peninsula
 Our Journey
into
Latin American Cuisine
CUL221
Mexico
South American
Caribbean