A moonless night, a fog to cut with a knife: the International City of Gastronomy and Wine of Dijon could not dream of a better atmosphere to celebrate, in these first days of November, the day of the deadthe Mexican Day of the Dead, adorned with hilarious skeletons and a joyfully macabre altar. After Lyon and Paris, the Burgundian city was the third stop which hosted, this year, the Qué Gusto Festival, dedicated to Mexican flavors. And visitors were at least as surprised by the fake skulls with colorful makeup as by the culinary specialties.
On a stand, we could try Purokao chocolate, made in the Mayan style by a French couple: a thick puck made from unrefined, full-bodied cocoa, to melt in water or milk. Just opposite, we discovered another tricolor brand, Salsa, affixed to more or less hot artisanal Mexican sauces, cooked from peppers grown in Deux-Sèvres. While, in the Cité restaurant, we tasted dishes imagined by chef Lydia Gonzalez: chili stuffed with fresh cheese and pickles, or beef fillet in a sauce flavored with sotol, a spirit with herbaceous notes. A slap in the face, even for the most jaded gourmands.
“Mexican gastronomy remains little-known in France, regrette Ximena Velasco, the fondatrice of the Qué Gusto Festival. It is still confused with Tex-Mex cuisine, born in Texas, in the south of the United States, based on wheat tortillas – we use corn tortillas, except in the north of Mexico – and red beans – we we favor black ones – cheese similar to cheddar – whereas in our country fresh cheese dominates. In short, Tex-Mex is a distant variation, very fatty and salty, of what is really done in Mexico. Some specialties attributed to us, such as chili con carne, are pure inventions. »
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, Mexican gastronomy is just beginning to conquer the French. But it is, in general, associated with taqueriasestablishments specializing in tacos. However, these little corn pancakes are, Ximena Velasco recalls, only a “way of eating, like a sandwich, and not a dish in itself”. The country has much more to offer, as a new generation of chefs is proving. We could almost write “cheffes”, because it is the overwhelming majority of women who bring this cuisine to France, like Carla Kirsch Lopez, who offers a gourmet menu in Lyon, in a hacienda-style establishment, Alebrije , supported by a 100% female brigade.
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