11:43
Mexico City
While I was in Guadalajara I got the chance to try the local fare. For the first couple of nights we kept it pretty simple: cerveza y papas con salsa picante (beer and chips with salsa). If you've ever hung around real Mexicans you'll find that eating dry chips borders on blasphemy. The proper technique is to slice open the bag all the way. ...I mean - all the way. Like, open it, and then pull the seams apart until you get to the bottom. Don't worry, you're not going to save any of these for later; there are eight people here. Next, pop the top on your sasla picante and apply liberally. Your fingers will get wet. Welcome to the communal meal! =D
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| Observe: Veterans. |
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I learned that Mexicans have a very different meal schedule than Americans. We have three, they have four: Desayuno, Almuerzo, Comida, and Cena (SAY-nuh).
Desayuno = A light breakfast eaten first thing in the morning. Maybe fruit and yogurt or some pan (bread) with some coffee or juice.
Almuerzo = A heavier breakfast or lunch. Might consist of a protein source like eggs, or meat. So far I've eaten a lot of chilaquiles. This is a dish made with chopped up and fried tortillas with homemade spicy sauce. It's really, really good.
Comida = The biggest meal of the day. Tacos, enchiladas, ensalada, sopa, you name it. It's fair game. If you're shooting for a taco stand make sure to hit them up early on in the afternoon. They might run out.
Cena = This meal happens late. Much later than most Americans eat dinner. Usually around nine or ten and isn't too heavy. Maybe a couple of tacos y arroz o frijoles.
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The nighttime chip diet was okay but I still had to fend for myself during the day. I mostly ate street taco stands. These things are everywhere. They pop up during that "Comida" dime of the day. Like a fruiting mushrooms after an Autumn rain, they bloom at eleven and wilt by two. We tried to get some Tortas Ahogadas (a specialty of Guadalajara) but we were too late. They were already sweeping up. I had to wait a couple of days to get my paws in one. But once I did, I maod that bad boy.
Here's a picture of what it looks like. It's kind of a Mexican version of a Roast Beef Sandwich Au Jus. I would have taken a picture of mine but I was so hungry I totally forgot.
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| Torta Ahogada (I did not take this picture) |
What amazes me the most about these food stands is how little they need to operate. I've seen some elaborate set-ups. But the majority of them are simple. Extremely simple. Some people bring their food precooked in insulated buckets or coolers. Add a few smaller containers for toppings and you've got a food stand. They bring it all set and ready to go. The ones who were cooking though, guess what they were using. That's right. Wood. Like, charcoal made from charred wood. Have you ever had wood-fired street food? Oh. My. God. That's worth a day or two of penitence on the Sir Herrington.
The other choice was hole-in-the-wall restaurants. And I truly mean hole-in-the-wall. I ate at one place that couldn't have been more than eight feet square. The woman running it pulls a stove on wheels out to make room for three or four people to squeeze in around a small table. Five tacos and a drink for about $40. All served on a plate wrapped in a plastic bag. Slightly wasteful but clean and fast. And that's pesos, folks, not dollars. They use the same sign here. All in all about three U.S. dollars. Not bad for a full, fresh, authentic meal.
Coming to Mexico, I really thought I was going to get sick. Every once in a while I'd get the McGrumblies and think, "Oh boy. Clear your schedule. Here comes Montezuma's Revenge. REPENT! REPENT!" But it was usually just gas from all the frijoles.
Before setting out on this trip, I had to get comfortable with three things:
- I would get sick.
- I would get robbed
And
- I would have an awesome time regardless.
So far, none of those have happened. Actually, I did kind of have the snivels yesterday. But as far as gastrointestinal stuff goes, the opposite has happened. Things have not been moving quickly, so to speak. I usually drink several liters of water a day and I haven't maintained that practice here. I think that's the main culprit. But I'm still honestly surprised I haven't gotten sick. Maybe it's still coming. Maybe I just have a pretty good immune system from shoveling all sorts of caca over the past couple of years.
The other thing that I've learned to love here are the Panaderias (bakeries). Oh my god. So good. And so cheap. You can get a fresh loaf of kickass artisan bread for about eight pesos. Let's see... Carry the two... That's sixty cents). That's ridiculous. And their dessert bread is off the chain.
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| It's like a giant doughnut... Yum. |
One thing I definitely miss so far... I'm really trying not to jump on the homesick train just yet. That's a lonesome journey. BUT. The thing I miss the most right now - other than my friends - is dark beer! WTF, Mexico?! A little IPA won't kill you. How 'bout a Sierra Nevada or a Guinness, huh? It's delicious. Send a case my way, yeah?
One the other hand, they do have THIS:
Alright, Ladies and Germs. Here it is. Introducing: the most amazing carbonated beverage of all time. Mundet Sidral de la Manzana. Oh yeah. It's apple soda and it's amazing. I don't know why they don't have this in the States. Especially since it's owned by... Guess who. Coca-Cola. Yeah. I'm going to miss this when I leave.
Now that I'm in DF, my couch host Toño cooks all the time. Chef Toño!! It's awesome. I contribute by buying his culinary ammunition, washing dishes and constant delivery of compliments. It's a wonderful relationship. Although, maybe I should go a little easy on the spice. It's gonna burn me eventually. 'Cause if it burns going in...
I haven't eaten at a lot of restaurants. Mostly because it's more expensive, you have to wait longer to get your food AND you have to speak more Spanish. I'm rather proud of myself for stepping foot in one the other day solo and everything went fine. Except they kept offering me bread and I didn't want any. Plus, it was a trick. They wanted me to think it was free and then have to pay for it later. LIARS!
Anyway, I ordered Milanesa which, if you've ever had chicken fried steak... Well. That's what it is. Except here it's served with tortillas and salsa picante. It's really quite good with some avocados and fresh tomatoes. In Mexico DF red tomatoes are called jitomates (HEE-toe-mah-tays). Saying just tomate refers to green tomatoes.
I'd have to say that my favorite part of the dining experience was watching a few clips of epic fail videos on the mounted TV in the restaurant. Myself and the rest of the all-male kitchen staff busted up over watching stupid teenagers rack their balls attempting skateboarding tricks. Ah... Humanity. Such a beautiful thing.
One last side note. Apparently chickens down here have been getting sick and they've either been dying or refusing to lay. Applying the well understood notion of supply and demand we can understand that the price of eggs have skyrocketed. They now cost over three times their usual price. Consequently, a recent running joke has been that if something is expensive or overpriced that it "costs you an egg". Add the cultural reference that un huevo (an egg) is the Mexican equivalent of testicle to bring this joke full circle to impress your friends.
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Well, Bloggy Bloggers. I hope you enjoyed this. I'm really trying to get more photos up. It's really a pain since I'm so goddammed lazy. But you know. We work with what we have... :-)
P.S. Burger King delivers here. The motorbikes they have outfitted are kinda pimp.
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