Tales of Flavor in Apapaxoa: a journey of roots, memories, and traditions

Corn as a root and meeting point

APAPAXOA day began with a breakfast that honored corn, an essential ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Atole, quesadillas, tostadas, and breads made with this grain filled the tables at a buffet accompanied by the warmth of Teresa Solís, a traditional cook from Ixtenco Tlaxcala, who shared not only flavors but also stories and traditions that make corn a living symbol of identity.

Mexican cuisine without borders

The first presentation of the day brought together Paco Méndez, Santiago Lastra, Karime López, and Carlos Gaytán, four voices that have taken Mexican cuisine to an international level, as each of them has Michelin stars. Between anecdotes and reflections, they shared the challenges of representing Mexico in countries where ingredients are limited. But beyond the difficulties, what they seek is to show what Mexican food really is and showcase its unique flavors.

Carlos Gaytán recounted his arrival in the United States and the challenges of opening a quality Mexican restaurant at a time when there were prejudices about our cuisine. Today, with his restaurants Tzuco in Chicago and HA at the Hotel Xcaret Mexico, he demonstrates how the flavors of his childhood and discipline led him to conquer international palates.

For his part, Paco Méndez, owner of the restaurants XINEMA and ENCANTA, shared his experience in Barcelona with his restaurant COME and the importance of educating the European public about the true value of Mexican cuisine. Meanwhile, Karime López, owner of the GUCCI OSTERIA restaurant, spoke about the double challenge of being a woman and a young person in the world's kitchens, demonstrating that perseverance and discipline are key to success.

Santiago Lastra, creator of KOL in London, highlighted how Mexican cuisine is capable of dialoguing with local ingredients without losing its essence. His words inspired the young people present to find their own culinary voice.

Parallel roots: Brazil and Mexico on the same plate

The meeting between Jonatan Gómez Luna, owner of Le Chique in Cancún and Chino Poblano at the Xcaret Arte Hotel, and Luiz Filipe Souza took attendees on a journey through the richness of Brazil and Mexico.

Chef Luiz Filipe Souza, owner of EVVAI, opened the conversation by highlighting the variety of microclimates in his country and how, like Mexico, each region has a unique history that is reflected in its cuisine.

The Brazilian chef reflected on how, for a long time, the aspiration in his country was to eat in Japanese, Italian, or French restaurants. However, thanks to the work of pioneering chefs, Brazil began to reclaim its own cuisine, elevating ingredients such as tucupí to the haute cuisine scene. As an example, he shared a dish prepared especially for the event: a broth that combined this Amazonian juice with Italian techniques, symbolizing the bridge between two cultures.

Chef Jonatan Gómez Luna, owner of Intervened to talk about the importance of bold flavors, those that surprise from the first bite. He recalled a playful example from his kitchen: a breaded quail egg accompanied by ant mole, served under a smoke dome. For him, cooking should excite and avoid getting lost in scattered stories; each dish needs to tell a clear and powerful story.

Finally, Gómez Luna paid tribute to Oaxaca, a place that, he said, always returns with new ideas to the minds of those who visit it.

Both agreed that local cuisine is invaluable and that rediscovering one's own heritage is the true gastronomic revolution.

The blessed bubbling of broths

Writer Laura Esquivel, author of Like Water for Chocolate, shared her vision of cooking as a space for love, memory, and revolution. The talk was led by Marta Ortiz, owner of Tuch de Luna at the Hotel La Casa De La Playa, who introduced her with words full of affection, recalling the famous phrase: “You can make a revolution from the kitchen.”

Esquivel recounted how her first novel was born from a desire to give cooking a leading role in literature. Inspired by recipes inherited from her family, she combined personal memories, research in old cookbooks, and a theatrical sensibility that turned cooking into a living character. The success was immediate: the book was translated into several languages, made it to the big screen, and later even became a ballet on international stages.

In conversation with students, Esquivel shared tips on how to transform cooking into a conscious ritual, connecting with the elements and emotions involved in preparing each dish. Speaking of Tita, the protagonist of her best-known work, she revealed that she was inspired by a great-aunt whose life was marked by family restrictions, and whom she decided to honor by giving her, through fiction, a voice and a destiny of her own.

Finally, she reflected on feminism and the impact of her novel in the 1990s. While some critics at the time questioned the kitchen as a symbol of confinement, Esquivel argued that it is quite the opposite: a place of transformation, knowledge, and power. The real revolution, she said, begins in everyday life, in the small acts that change lives.

Mexico's culinary heritage

The conversation between Lula Martín del Campo, owner of the Azul Nogada restaurant at Hotel XCARET Mexico and CASCABEL in Mexico City, and Erick Bautista, owner of the NOL restaurant in Mérida, Yucatán, showed how tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.

This presentation gave us a little more insight into how this mentor-apprentice relationship forged different paths while maintaining a strong bond.

From the outset, Bautista recognized Lula as a guide in his career, someone who generously accompanied him both professionally and personally.

Bautista shared his journey, marked by discipline and resilience. During the pandemic, he decided to participate in the San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy 2022 competition, where he became the regional winner for Latin America. That victory was a turning point: it opened doors for him in the industry and put him on the international radar. This year, he was also named one of Food & Wine Mexico's Best New Chefs, establishing himself as one of the most promising young voices in the country's gastronomy scene.

For his part, Lula emphasized the importance of transmitting values to new generations and spoke of the three pillars of sustainable gastronomy: respect for the environment, social responsibility, and fair trade. He gave examples of projects such as Pesca con Futuro (Fishing with a Future) and responsible techniques such as the Ike-jime method, reminding us that cooking is also an act of conscience and commitment.

The legacy of tequila

Erick Padilla presented the history and philosophy of Tequila Patrón, recalling how, since 1989, the brand has elevated tequila to the premium category through artisanal processes and a strong commitment to sustainability.

Padilla emphasized that this duality in the process is key to achieving Patrón's complexity: the tahona provides herbaceous and earthy notes, while the mill generates fruity nuances. After fermentation in pine barrels and double distillation, each tequila is refined or aged according to the desired profile, always maintaining the artisanal essence that distinguishes the house.

His talk highlighted the value of tradition and the positive impact that the industry can have on local communities.

Echoes of the Land: Portugal and its wine

The day ended with Vivian Bibliovicz and Sandra Fernández Somelie from Grupo XCARET, who spoke about the book Echoes Of The Land Winemakers Of Portugal.

Photographer and writer Vivian Bibliovicz explained how her fascination with Portugal began. After living in Mexico for several years and working closely with winemakers and sommeliers, a trip to Portugal led her to feel an immediate connection with its culture, language, and, above all, wine. What began as a personal decision to move became a life project: writing Echoes Of The Land Winemakers Of Portugal.

For her, Portugal is a land brimming with authenticity, where cuisine and wine are experienced with a strong identity that is little known outside its borders. When comparing it to Mexico, she finds a cultural mirror: both countries have deep roots, agricultural traditions, and a range of flavors that tell stories of resilience and creativity.

Portugal is a country with more than 14 wine-producing regions, many of which have inherited techniques passed down through the centuries. Among the most fascinating is the concept of field blends, vineyards where multiple grape varieties coexist and are mixed on the same land. Unlike modern crops that seek precision and control, this ancestral system reflects a philosophy of trust in the land and in diversity as a source of wealth.

Portuguese wineries not only produce wines with Designation of Origin, but they also tell stories of resilience. Some of the winemakers featured in Bibliovicz's book lost their vineyards in fires, but found the strength to start again. This ability to rebuild is part of what makes Portuguese wine unique: it is not just a drink, it is liquid memory, the fruit of patience and tradition that are reinvented with each harvest.

A flavor that transcends time

Apapaxoa not only brings together great divs in gastronomy, it also weaves stories that connect tradition, innovation, and passion for cooking. Each speaker made it clear that food goes beyond techniques and recognition: it is memory, identity, and a bridge between cultures.

From corn that reminds us of where we come from to Portuguese wines that show how resilience is transformed into legacy, this day of the festival reaffirmed that cooking is an act of love and community.

If you still don't know what happened on our Day 2 at Apapaxoa: Where Tradition Meets Inspiration

Don´t miss it for the world! Check out:

• Apapaxoa Inauguration – The GastroCultural Festival Elevating the Culinary Experience in the Riviera Maya
• Apapaxoa Day 4: stories of Art and Cuisine
• And the golden final: Day 5 at Apapaxoa: flavors that become memories in Apapaxoa