Think Mexico offers nothing more than tequila shots and wild spring breaks? If so, you're in for a real surprise as Andrew Zimmern shows you a Mexico that is a true culinary paradise for the adventurous set.
No trip to Mexico is complete without a trip to the beach. Andrew's journey begins along the coastline of Huatulco, in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Diving beneath the warm blue waters, Andrew finds his first feast: fresh octopus, caught by hand and hook.
Things heat up quickly when Andrew heads inland to Oaxaca City, one of Mexico's best-preserved colonial cities. He kicks off the morning the Oaxacan way - with a few tacos. But here, the fillings aren't your typical cheese and ground beef; instead, they're pig skin, beef snout and even a few eyeballs, washed down with a cup of beef-head consommé, with chopped tongue. Mmm! For lunch, Andrew samples a Mexican treat of tortillas with grasshoppers. Somehow, he finds room for dinner. The main course, fresh armadillo, is tough to beat.
Next, Andrew heads to one of the largest metropolises in the world - Mexico City - where street food is the name of the game. He gets things going with a quick stomach taco, followed by a heaping serving of live bugs, which apparently taste like tutti-frutti gum. Delicious!
Finally, Andrew embarks on a personal tour of a prominent Mexico City market with one of his culinary idols, the great Patricia Quintana. Considered the first lady of Mexican cuisine, Patricia treats Andrew to an afternoon at her five-star restaurant, Izote, for a bizarre turn on pre-Hispanic cuisine. Andrew tries the 'huitlacoche' (corn smut), among other delicacies.
La Crucecita
El Grillo Marinero: Andrew ate 'pulpo' (octopus) stewed in its own ink and octopus cocktail.
Oaxaca City
Mercado de Abastos (the Market of Supplies): Andrew ate 'chapulines' (grasshoppers).
Seasons of My Heart: At Susana's cooking school, located in Rancho Aurora, Andrew ate guacamole, 'guasintos' (small grubs), 'tlalluda' (a crispy tortilla with beans, guacamole, worms and grasshoppers).
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Mexico City
Streets of Mexico City: Andrew ate pig-stomach taco and live bugs.
Izote Restaurant: Andrew dined on white-fish tacos, red snapper with huitlacoche (corn smut), duck enchiladas with black mole, and venison and mole.
Address: Av. Presidente Masaryk 513, at Socrates, Mexico City, Mexico
Phone: +55 5280 1671
Restaurant Chon: Andrew sampled 'escamoles' (ant eggs) with chrysanthemum flower, pan-fried worms, wild boar, mosquito eggs with chicken [insert comma? or are the fish eggs part of the same dish?] and fish eggs.
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