A unique gastronomic experience on the Riviera Maya.
 

We had the opportunity to attend the Xcaret Gastronomic Festival, which consisted of 5 days with a series of 20 presentations of specialists in gastronomy, culture, and art per day, seven special dinners with celebrity chefs, and the creation of an edible room-size art exhibition made of chocolate and marshmallow.

In this article, I'll share what we lived through daily:

DAY 1.

1.- Artistic Chocolate with design and architecture applications.

Chocolate Master: Mao Montiel.

It was a very inspiring talk in which we delved into the creative design processes and practical tips for handling chocolate when cooking.

Mao Montiel told us about the importance of taking that extra step to make a difference and make your work stand out, in this case, in the chocolate world.

In his case, it was through the art of Dalí, Miró, the Bauhaus, and the architecture of Frank Gehry and Guggenheim that he found the inspiration for his most iconic pieces of Dolcenero: the Egg. 

If you stay in La Casa de la Playa hotel, you can taste Mao Montiel's delicious chocolate in the Chocolatería.

2.- How to know if a fish is high quality?

Ezequiel Hugo Hernández Zúñiga and Chef Luis Arzapalo.

With the teachings of Ezequiel Hernández and the fine demonstration of Chef Arzapalo, we learned how to check the quality of a fish. It's more than just the "freshness" that determines the flavor and the value of a fish, and it's essential to have awareness about the process of fishing, sacrificing, and managing before reaching our plate.

This presentation included a demonstration of three fishes that passed through different methods, and we had the opportunity to appreciate in our palate what we learned in theory.

3.- The Talavera Poblana under a new vision. 

Artisan Pedro Tecayehuatl of Talateca.

In the first part of this session, Pedro Tecayehuatl time-traveled with us to learn about the history of the traditional Talavera in Mexico, specifically in Puebla, and even more specifically, the story of his family, who have more than 100 years in the pottery industry.

Now we know that these Mexican craft pieces have different styles and processes recognized globally for their colors and handmade designs.

In the second part of the presentation, we had the opportunity to learn how Talateca, the potter workshop of Pedro's family, was consolidated as one of the most important worldwide.

Through the reinvention and reinterpretation of Mexican iconography, Pedro produces Talavera items that are originals characterized by their simplicity, timeless design, and cosmopolitan appearance.

4.- Into the Wood 

Tequilera Master Bertha González Nieves and Chef Martha Ortiz.

This forum, run by the co-founder and CEO of Tequila Casa Dragones, Bertha Gonzalez Nieves, and Chef Martha Ortiz, a gastronomic leader in Mexico and the world, was inspiring, especially for women. 

Besides learning the entrepreneurship story behind Casa Dragones, we also listened to valuable advice about women's empowerment to achieve standing out in a world dominated by the masculine gender.

Bertha told us about how she found her passion in the tequila industry, and she decided to undertake with the premise of having the opportunity to expand the repertory of tequila and to continue conquering and enchanting palates around the world with the depth, richness, and quality that the tequila she offers.

She inspired us with her life mission: to tell new flavor stories through new processes, new nuances, and new pairings and thus expand the pleasure of tequila and their agave distillates, not only in Mexico but in the world.

Dinner at Encanta Restaurant. 

To finish our day, we enjoyed a special dinner eight times in the Encanta Restaurant in Hotel Xcaret Arte, hosted by:

Chef Paco Méndez 

Guest Chef Gianni Tarabini

Sommelier Sandra Hernández 

The dishes we enjoyed were some of the favorites of Encanta, like the Tostada de Mar and the Taco de Cachete by Chef Paco Mendez, complemented with the unique flavors of Chef Gianni Tiabbini, like the Lubina in corn leaf, celery, and sprouts, and the Piedra of white chocolate, among others. 

DAY 2.

1.- The traceability of Xcaret coffee 

Julián Martínez Morales

We started exploring the long journey behind a coffee cup. The coffee specialist Julian Martinez, who, since the age of 12, has lived closely with the different parts of the Mexican coffee processes, explained to us the importance of each step to achieve high-quality coffee.

We learned about four waves of Mexican coffee that exist and how they have marked a before and an after in the history of this drink in our country. 

We tasted a delicious coffee mocktail, which confirmed that there are many ways to explore the high end of flavors that we could find in this drink.

2.- Plant-based gastronomy.

Chef Miguel Bautista

In this presentation, Chef Miguel Bautista, responsible for the vegan vision of Xcaret hotels, talked about health and how plant-based alimentation favors it.

It's clear to us that "to eat plant-based" isn't a synonym for just consuming lettuce and raw carrots, as he presented us with a long list of vegan ingredients and Mexican superfoods and their techniques for cooking to take advantage of them in all types of dishes.

The main difference between plant-based alimentation and veganism is that first, it focuses on health, prioritizing the quality of the ingredients and cooking methods healthier, like dehydration, fermentation, germination, and baking, while veganism allows processed products.

3.- Talking about Moles and Adobos. 

Chef Alex Ruiz.

In this presentation, Chef Alejandro Ruiz, from La Raya, Zimatlán, Oaxaca, presented us with the mole from a different perspective which we achieved to understand its cultural relevance in Mexico.

It's a mistake to say that the mole is a simple chocolate sauce because it is delicate, complex, elegant, and tasty and defines our Mexican identity.

Nor is it a chef's recipe; it is a recipe that we prepare like a gift to our loved ones; this is why it is an excellent dish in Mexico for celebrations like weddings, parties, etc. 

The creative process is something alive; it doesn't keep static and is always in constant change.

This dish originates from prehispanic years but has evolved with Mexico, crossbreeding, and modernity. We degust a traditional red mole from Oaxaca to close the session.

4.- Mexican cuisine, World Heritage.

Chef Martha Ortiz and Doctor José Iturriaga

In this forum, we had the chance to listen to why Mexican traditional cuisine is a World Heritage, explained by the historian José N. Iturriaga and the Mexican Chef Martha Ortiz.

They explained the strong relationship between the cuisine and the Mexican culture in our present and how it was the factor to make a difference in achieving this vital distinction that UNESCO rewards.

The gastronomy with this recognition is the traditional Mexican, which means the meals you can enjoy ordinarily within households in little restaurants. One can find this food everywhere in the Mexican territory.

They also delved into miscegenation and how it gives us our true identity as Mexicans: we're the result of the mixing between indigenous peoples and the foreign cultures that arrived during the conquest, which enriches us.

Dinner at Ha' Restaurant

On the second night of the Xcaret Gastronomic Festival, the Há Restaurant dressed up for a gala dinner hosted by Chef Carlos Gaytán and the guest's chefs Enrico Derflingher, Flavio Silva, Gianni Tarabinni with a wine pairing by sommelier Sandra Fernández.

The menu was an immersion into Italy flavors through the dishes by Chef Enrico and the joy and freshness of Chef Fabio Silva and Chef Gianni Tarabinni, who left fascinated the assistants after each word. 

This dinner also highlighted the Callo Fresa by Chef Carlos Gaytán and the Italian rice by Enrico Derflingher, previously awarded. All the dishes, desserts, and drinks gave the night an exquisite way to close the second day of this Festival in the beautiful Há Restaurant.  

Dinner at Dual Restaurant. 

To finish this day, we enjoyed an 8-course special dinner in the Dual Restaurant on La Casa de la Playa, in collaboration with Koli and Clase Azul, hosted by:

Brother Chefs Rivera-Río

Chef Gilberto Covarrubia

Chef Iván Arias 

The corn inspired this dinner, and the presented dishes honored it, like the Garnacha Enchilada, Tributo a la Milpa, Bao Campechano, and roasted broccoli with pipian of pistachio, among others. As a dessert, we had a Tamal Colado. 

DAY 3. 

1.- One dish, one life.

Chef Albert Adriá

We heard about the life story of Chef Albert Adriá from Barcelona, who began his road as a young boy with his brother Ferrán Adriá in the famous Restaurant El Bulli. Nowadays, he has been participating in multiple restaurant projects of different categories, and he consolidated as one of the most recognized chefs in the world. Currently, we can taste his dishes in Enigma Restaurant in Barcelona.

It was a very inspiring talk, in which he told us that not all in life is beautiful; we also learn many lessons from failure. Albert emphasized that the most important thing is never to stop believing in ourselves and our ability to create.

We also learned that the gastronomy world had changed a lot over the last few generations; he told us that it used to be more complicated to build a career as a cook several decades ago. Without the technology we use nowadays to make reservations and social media to promote ourselves, they depended on direct recommendations only.

2.- Mexican Cacao: Tasting, fabrication, and culture. 

Chef Olivier Fernández

During this presentation, Chef Olivier Fernández told us about the Mexican cacao transcendence in the elaboration of chocolate worldwide. He emphasized our cacao's contributions to discovering new dishes in other countries. He also detailed the stage's trough cacao passes from the field until you get into chocolate.

In addition, he included the taste of 6 different chocolates while sharing a bit of the long elaboration process; we enjoyed all the unique and delicious flavors on our palate. 

3.- Mundo al desnivel (Uneven World).

Chef Virgilio Martínez

This session was one of the most expected of the Gastronomy Festival because Virgilio Martinez is the Chef of Central Restaurant. This place connects with its people, territory, and Peruvian culture, awarded as number 1 in 2023 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

His presentation was calledUneven World because this is how he connected with the narrative of his territory in Latin America. This region experienced a lot of years of disadvantages in high gastronomy compared with Europe and Asia, for example.

Virgilio has a unique way of working because he created the Máter Iniciativa group. His projects come from a multidisciplinary team that includes anthropologists, philosophies, biologists, and geographers, who integrate, develop and expand a network based on a deep understanding of food, nature, cultures, and the environment.

He also inspired us with his life philosophy: "Outside there is more," believing that the more you explore, the more you learn.

In the second part of his session, he performed a cooking demonstration accompanied by Han, one of his team's top chefs and creatives. They prepared some of their iconic dishes at Central Restaurant.

4.- Mexico is painted with wine. 

Sommelier Sandra Fernández.

This Xcaret Gastronomic Festival wouldn't be complete without a wine talk, and it had to be hosted by the Mexican pioneer woman with more experience in Mexico's wine in the World and the foremost advisor sommelier of Xcaret Hotels: Sandra Fernández.

She started her presentation by making a fascinating reflection on the wine history in Mexico, its background, and, therefore, all the cultural obstacles it has had to overcome to grow and integrate as a Mexican product.

In the second part of her talk, we shared a very different and funny wine tasting in which we degust the Mexican wines:

- Jamädi Colombard-Verdejo from El Mezcuital, Hidalgo

- Anónimo Riesling from Cosío, Aguascalientes

- Parvada Rosado Tempranillo from Syrah Parras, Coahuila

- Blend Reserve from Cava Quintanilla Moctezuma, San Luis Potosí

- La Casona from Hacienda Encinillas, Chihuahua

- Copernicus from Ensenada, Baja California

Dinner at Chino Poblano Restaurant.

We closed the third night of the Xcaret Gastronomic Festival with a special dinner in Chino Poblano Restaurant in Hotel Xcaret Arte, in charge of:

Chef Jonatan Gómez Luna

Chef Chudaree Debhakam 

Pastry Chef Jesús Escalera

Our palate delighted with a flavor mix of Mexican and Thai cuisine with a 10-course dinner of dishes like Clams with coconut and caviar, Tuna with citric Nam Yum and soursop by Chef Chudarre, Lobster with consommé Tom Yum, Tetela of Escamoles by Chef Jonathan, among others. On the other hand, Chef Jesús Escalera sweetened the night with an Ispahan of raspberry, roses, lychee, and grapefruit.

Dinner at Estero Restaurant.

Chef Virgilio Martínez created a unique experience that talks about Peru, its roots, and cooking techniques through their ingredients and the history that count as one of the dishes on the menu.

The flavor fusion of Peru, the esthetic of every dish, and the narrative he gave us this trip make a unique experience; words like the Viera Zargazo are already telling a story by themselves.

The cocktail reception and the pairing complemented the night to give each diner an unforgettable experience.

DAY 4

1.- The aroma as a flavor base.

Chef Jesús Escalera

When we talk about food, we all agree that flavor is the most crucial part; if the taste isn't good, it's not a good dish, even when the plating is beautiful or you applied the most elaborate technique.  In this presentation, Chef Jesús Escalera, known for being the best pastry chef in Latin America, explained a process that has taken him more than 20 years to understand: how to create new flavors and combinations of flavors to apply them in every type of cuisine.

We experienced this through our senses and learned to identify and name flavors as a base before trying to create a new flavor from scratch. Each ingredient can have one or various tastings, and it can be very different in its smell and texture; when we select it, it is essential to know what each ingredient brings to the recipe as a whole.

2.- Tradition and forefront: edible insects in Mexican Gastronomy. 

Biologists Isaac de la Rosa, Ángel García and Brian González

These three young entrepreneurs talked about edible insects from several interesting angles, such as their centuries-old history in Mexican culture, their wide range of flavors, and their great nutritional potential.

They are the founders of Sustainsect, who started raising insects during the pandemic and focusing on environmental conservation. 

During this talk, we explored the flavors and textures of the three insects they produce:

-Crickets

- Tenebrio molitor worms, known as mealworms. 

- Zophobas morio worm, known as king worm.

In addition to consuming them directly, as we tasted them, they gave us alternatives to taste them that generated less visual impact but also provided their nutrients, such as bread flour, mazapanes, and more.

3.-Cuisine in the English Royal Household.

Chef Enrico Derflingher

Besides being very entertaining, this talk had the delicious aroma and flavor of Italian cuisine. Chef Enrico Derflingher told us through anecdotes and dishes how he became the personal chef of the English Royal Household at a young age, being the first Italian chef to acquire this great responsibility.

While we heard these exciting life stories, he prepared the Queen Victoria Risotto, which he said was the preparation that earned him the congratulations of Queen Elizabeth II in an official event in front of influential world leaders.

This risotto is his signature dish; he said wherever he goes, everyone asks for it, and he always enjoys preparing it with great pleasure. Chef Enrico Derflingher's Queen Victoria risotto comprises Sicilian red shrimp, carnaroli rice, extra virgin olive oil, celery, parmesan cheese, and the best quality Italian sparkling wine, among other ingredients.

4.- Traditional Mayan Milpa

Marina Poo Mayo

The purpose of this forum in which Marina Poo, representative of the Haciendas del Mundo Maya Foundation and Traspatio Maya, and Raúl Antonio Vitorin, a corn farmer from Peto, Yucatán, was to explain and raise awareness about the complexity and biocultural relevance of the Mayan Milpa. 

We also learned about projects that are changing the way the products are consumed and traded in these milpas in a way that takes care of the food system of many families, preserves criollo corn, promotes environmentally friendly practices, and provides security and financial stability for the millers.

Dinner at Xaak Restaurant

The special dinner of the fourth night of the Xcaret Gastronomic Festival took place at Xaak Restaurant. This place has a unique architectural design, and we tasted a menu in charge of the house Chefs: Paco Méndez, Alex Ruiz, Roberto Solís, and guest Chef Albert Adriá.

The culinary experience began with Heirloom Tomatoes, a dish by Chef Roberto Solis, followed by a Quesadilla of huitlacoche in dad by guest Chef Albert Adria; as a fourth entry, Chef Alex Ruiz delighted the palate and the eyes of diners with Sopa de coyotes, the sweet moment was in charge of Paco Mendez, with Michelado and chocolate coulant.

DAY 5

1.- México Quesero: The history and flavor of Mexican artisan cheese through five centuries of history. 

Lic. Georgina Yescas Ángeles Trujano

If anything was clear to us in this presentation by the creator of Lactography, Georgina Yescas, it is that there are good cheeses in Mexico. 

She told us how dairy products arrived in America through the conquest until the story when farmers created the first Manchego-style sheep cheese in Monterrey in Nuevo Leon.

Georgina explained the central regions and types of artisanal cheese produced in Mexico and the challenges faced by cheesemakers.

In the end, we shared a guided sensory tasting in which we explored the aromas, flavors, and textures of the cheeses:

- Ovni cheese

- Goat cheese with wine

- Kato cheese

- Bola de Ocosingo cheese

- Cotija cheese

2.- Vanilla Passion. 

Dr. Araceli Pérez Silva and Lic. Norma Gaya

Although we all enjoy the taste and aroma of vanilla, few people are genuinely passionate about it, and the two speakers in this session are one of them.

Norma is the creator of the Mexican vanilla research center for the protection and micropropagation of vanilla plants endemic to Mexico and CEO of Gaya Vainilla y Especies, and Araceli is a specialist in Food Science with a project of more than 20 years on the evaluation of the potential and aromatic quality of vanilla.

Through these two specialists, we learned the biocultural, economic, social, and environmental value of vanilla in Mexico, making it clear that it is a species that needs more importance than it currently has. 

Although a study conducted in 8 different cultures showed that vanilla is the preferred aroma in the World, less than 2% of vanilla-scented products come from the fruit of an orchid.  These two women invited us to raise awareness and join in the rescue and promotion of vanilla cultivation in Mexico to prevent the loss of a genetic resource that is a unique and threatened national and World heritage.

3.- Exquisite Mexico. 

Chef Iván Arias

This talk was the favorite for Mexican distilled lovers because we got to taste and understand the differences between the two beverages that have put Mexico on the world map: tequila and mezcal. 

After an interesting explanation about the agaves, production processes, and the regions in Mexico that produce these drinks, we shared a guided tasting and pairing of three of Clase Azul's drinks with fine chocolates:

- Clase Azul Tequila Plata

- Clase Azul Mezcal Durango 

- Clase Azul Tequila Ultra

4.- Living the dream 

Chef Carlos Gaytán

The last talk was probably the most emotional and inspiring, as one of the most recognized and beloved Chefs in Mexico shared his life story with us: Chef Carlos Gaytán, the first Mexican to obtain a Michelin star.

Everyone here admired Chef Gaytán, in addition to his culinary creations that exalt the flavors of Mexico, for his humility and transparency when talking about his journey in the World of gastronomy. His words inspired many chefs, culinary students, entrepreneurs, etc., to follow their path and to always believe in themselves.

Chef Carlos Gaytán is part of the Xcaret Gastronomic Group and has his Ha' Restaurant inside Hotel Xcaret Mexico, which is open to the public; that is, it is not necessary to be a guest to enjoy his unique menu.

5.- Pure Imagination

Chef Janice Wong

In collaboration with chocolate master Mao Montiel

A white canvas is always an invitation for imagination and inspiration to awaken.   The first step into the Pure Imagination experience was a delight for all the senses. The entire space had a playful air, from the taste buds delighting with the aroma of chocolate, the colors, elements such as cherry blossoms, and shapes invited you to interact with the pieces. 

One of the most iconic moments was seeing the artist paint live, in the company of the visitors, and even watching her paint one of them.

"CINEMAZTLÁN" THEME DINNER

Xcaret Hotels Gastronomic Group

We closed this event with a walk through the golden age of Mexican Cinema and its iconic pieces, accompanied by traditional and delicious dishes—each with the touch of the Xcaret Gastronomic Group.