For many food enthusiasts, the name Carlos Gaytán brings to mind “the first Mexican to win a Michelin star.” Indeed, in 2013, the Guerrero-born chef received one of the highest honors a chef can aspire to. But for Gaytán, the greatest pride lies in representing Mexico in every dish and at every moment. At Tzuco, his Chicago restaurant, Carlos Gaytán is an ambassador of Mexican cuisine. At Ha’, in the Riviera Maya, he plays host in his own country. But wherever he is, he believes in Mexico’s flavors as memories, stories, and traditions that we all carry deep within.
For me, this is a very important topic. I carry Mexico within my heart. I was born and raised in Mexico, and I love my culture, my people, and my traditions. I need to take our gastronomy and ingredients around the world and let people discover the unknown side of Mexico; to bring the stories I grew up with and to transmit those flavors so that people can fall in love with Mexico.
It’s very important for me to teach people about my culture. Huitzuco, where I was born, is a very unknown place. It is a magical place, where I learned a lot about gastronomy. I grew up cooking wild ingredients with my parents; I learned to harvest the land and plant, to sacrifice an animal, and to make full use of it. Bringing my town to Chicago is like having a museum. Every time I enter Tzuco, it’s like arriving in my homeland; I see every box full of memories from my childhood, of thorns; because Huitzuco means ‘place abundant in thorns’ in Nahuatl.
Each state has a wonderful wealth of products. Each state could be like a country. In Mexico City, we have several types of cuisine, and it’s where everyone comes together. Oaxaca is incredible, and full of tradition. There’s mezcal and insects, and you can eat deliciously in the fields. Knowing its markets is magical; walking through its aisles full of smoke and aromas, of tortillas and tlayudas. Trying the state’s seven moles is delicious.
Baja California is magical because of its products and its cold seas. There, we find the freshest seafood. It’s a delight to eat these ingredients from the Pacific. The Riviera Maya has a very different cuisine. The cochinita, the hairless pig, achiote, or habanero tell many stories. This area is very original and has incredible flavors. Puebla is also a magical place to eat, and what can I say about places like Monterrey or Jalisco.
I think my state is very rich in ingredients, and it is still very much unexplored. We have a great variety of wild ingredients like deer, iguana, or rabbit, which I ate as a child, and they are fantastic. Rabbit in garlic mole is a marvel, it’s a dish you taste and want to eat over and over. I also love green pozole, which each town prepares in its own way.
They can add anything from chicharrón to fresh cheese or sardines. Fish tacos are delicious, as is pescado a la talla from the port of Acapulco. It’s a very traditional dish, as they leave the scales on to protect it from the fire, and it turns out very tender, very smoky.
If I were to choose three dishes, I would disrespect the others because Mexico has many incredible flavors, but I do have some favorites. One of the most iconic is the mole. A spicy and sweet dark mole is one of the most traditional and magical dishes you can try. It’s a very complex sauce that must be prepared flawlessly. You can serve it with chicken, turkey, lamb, or venison. Another favorite is barbacoa or birria from Jalisco or Querétaro. Lamb cooked in a charred maguey leaf is so incredible. You prepare it with cilantro, onion, and broth. It’s a wonder. I love green pozole. In Guerrero,
Thursdays are classic pozole days, and you’re eating history. I love walking the streets of Guerrero and enjoying this delicacy with a little mezcal, chicharrón, and fresh cheese. It’s the best.
Our cuisine has always been very spectacular. It’s full of magic and sets us apart for its complex flavors: moles are spicy; ceviches are very acidic. It is also a very balanced cuisine because you have the spiciness and smokiness of peppers; the freshness of seafood; and products from the land, like all types of corn to make dough, tortillas, sopes, huaraches, and tetelas... Mexico is a magical place for its gastronomy, its culture, and its people; it is a dream place with its magical towns, incredible cities, and beaches.
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