Chef René Redzepi's Guide to Falling in Love with Mexico in 2017
Notwithstanding his reputation as the godfather of contemporary Nordic cooking, the Danish chef René Redzepi has had a mad crush on Mexico for a decade or so. Restorative winter vacations in Tulum and Mérida-a welcome break from the pressures of the kitchen at Noma, his zeitgeist-shifting restaurant in Copenhagen-wound up blossoming into a full-on obsession: He has gone off on countless eating/drinking/foraging excursions all over the country. Redzepi, who is preparing for Noma's sold-out seven-week pop-up in Tulum this spring (with chef Rosio Sanchez), offers a few tips, in his own words, on traveling through the land that cured his Scandinavian blues.
1. First ... Tacos
Mexico City-"Los Cocuyos. Go late at night. It's basically a 100-square-foot kitchen open to the street, and about a third of the space is taken up by a giant cauldron with large chunks of meat and offal simmering in fat."
2. Ruin Yourself
Uxmal-"The ruins of Uxmal, in the Yucatán, have fewer tourists, and you can even climb the pyramid, which is not always the case. Once there, you can also drive to the food market in the little town of Ozkutzcab or visit the town of Muna, where there is another delicious taqueria called El Regalo de Dios-get the recado negro salbutes. Another wonderful Mayan village in the Yucatán is Yaxunah. There is a family who cooks traditional cochinita pibil; it might just be the best mouthful I've ever had in Mexico. Preorder it through Catherwood Travels."
3. No Spring-Breakers Here
Isla Holbox-"Head over to Isla Holbox for its beach. This is a supertranquil island that the hordes of tourists have yet to find, unlike the Mayan Riviera. Also, check out the inland-lagoon system at Bacalar, and obviously you need to visit the cenotes while you are in the Yucatán. Go to as many as you can, because they are amazing; you will want to have time and space to swim in these incredible sinkholes."
4. Up in the Air
Chiapas-"San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas was perhaps the most beautiful city that we saw on our journey. The high altitudes make for a very mild and pleasant climate. Plus, it had maybe the most picturesque market that I have ever seen in my life-straight out of a movie. You could easily spend a whole day just walking around and exploring the vast selection of unique foodstuffs."
5. Luxe Valley
Valle de Guadalupe-"To go into this desert landscape, to experience the sunrise and sunset-truly unforgettable. The valley itself is laden with great food. There's Laja, which is worth the journey just to eat the vegetable tostada. Do what we did and spend the night at La Villa del Valle, with dinner at Corazón de Tierra."
6. Secret Mexico
Tabasco-"Tabasco is a bit out of the way and very few people go there, but the market in Villahermosa is extraordinary because of its tropical feel. Tabasco is simply hotter, stickier, and more humid than any other place I've been to in Mexico, and this intense climate is reflected in its exotic ingredients-we discovered a lot of new produce there. At the market, there is a little stand called La Güera where they make these pies from masa dough. Order the plátano and the yuca."
This article originally appears in the May '17 issue.
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