As Paul Hollywood’s culinary journey around Mexico concludes, get the lowdown on the country’s tastiest offerings
Paul Hollywood Eats... Mexico Sunday 9.00pm C4
Ed Grenby - 12 July 2022
So it’s the scorpion for starter, the snake for main course, and the tarantula for dessert.” If you took the host’s adventures in Paul Hollywood Eats… Mexico at face value, you’d think that was a pretty standard meal south of the border. The Bake Off judge has eaten all three at some stage of his three-part foodie travelogue, which concludes this week – and it’s true that such dishes do occasionally crop up on menus in Mexico. But there’s much more to the cuisine of this huge Central American country than creepy-crawly munchies…
WHAT SHOULD I EAT?
Never mind the nachos – most of the “Mexican” food that’s served up by supermarkets and restaurants in the UK is actually based on Americanised Tex-Mex dishes. The real thing has the unmistakeable zing of fresh limes, chillies, avocados and an armful of local herbs and spices that just don’t travel well, but it differs markedly from region to region. Order fried-fish tacos in Baja California, beef-and-cheeseand-jalapeño-stuffed cemita baps in Puebla, and cochinita pibil on the Yucatán Peninsula (pork marinated in achiote seeds and bitter orange juice, wrapped in banana leaves and left to smoulder in a pit lined with hot stones).
HOW ABOUT A DRINK?
Tequila is the country’s most famous spirit – it’s sipped and appreciated like a fine wine here (if it’s down-the-hatch firewater shots you want, stick to mezcal: it’s cheaper, smokier but preferred by some). The state of Jalisco specialises in the former, Oaxaca in the latter; and while you can spend a fun day or two around the distilleries of Tequila itself, just north of Guadalajara, the good stuff is available all over the country. To track it down, simply stroll into a bar or mezcalería anywhere and ask the bar staff what they would recommend…
I HEAR THE STREET FOOD IS GOOD…
Just try not snacking on the go. Once the warm, doughy aroma of tamales, the vibrant colours of habanero chilies and guacamole and the sound of sizzling burritos hit your senses, you’ll be powerless to resist. No need to try, though: eating from stalls where you can see the food being cooked fresh in front of you is the best way to avoid “Montezuma’s Revenge” (feared more than its actual prevalence merits, though you may want to steer clear of fruit and salad to be safe).
WHAT IS THERE TO DO WHEN I’M NOT STUFFING MY FACE?
Plenty. On the Yucatán Peninsula – that’s the bit that sticks out into the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, and is the main tourist destination – are exquisite beaches; the atmospheric, well-preserved Mayan temples of Chichén Itzá, Tulum and Coba; bus-sized (but benign) whale sharks to swim with; cenote swimholes and caves to explore; and, in sprawling Cancún, a veritable Las Vegas of bars, shows and theme parks. In Baja California (the peninsula that dangles down into the Pacific, on the country’s west coast) are two more big resorts, known together as Los Cabos. Outside of these it’s a much quieter vibe, popular with surfers, arty types and those seeking “Old West” wilderness and sleepy pueblos. The metropolises of Mexico City and Oaxaca are, as you’d expect, a little edgier – but they have a truly exciting buzz. And (oops, back to food!) the churros (long, fried dough sticks dipped in rich, melted local chocolate) from Mexico City’s Mercado de San Juan, or Mercado 20 de Noviembre in Oaxaca, are worth the transatlantic flight on their own. Not even Paul Hollywood could match them in a month of Bake Offs…
So it’s the scorpion for starter, the snake for main course, and the tarantula for dessert.” If you took the host’s adventures in Paul Hollywood Eats… Mexico at face value, you’d think that was a pretty standard meal south of the border. The Bake Off judge has eaten all three at some stage of his three-part foodie travelogue, which concludes this week – and it’s true that such dishes do occasionally crop up on menus in Mexico. But there’s much more to the cuisine of this huge Central American country than creepy-crawly munchies…