Mexico's cuisine, a heritage that has become universal

Derived from ancestral traditions, Mexican cuisine boasts avocado as one of its most widely used culinary jewels since time immemorial, when the Mayan and Aztec peoples offered this fruit as a delicacy to the gods, to whom they also served vanilla and cocoa to pay tribute and attract blessings.

And in addition to being combined with great versatility in different dishes, the cultivation of avocado, since then, has also been a source of sustenance for countless Mexican families, even as an export product, because of the 12 months of the year, nine are favorable for harvesting in Mexican soil.

The avocado has existed for a long time in Mexican cuisine and occurs in two regions, in particular, Michoacan and Jalisco, although the most famous in Mexico is Michoacan. More than 80 percent of its production goes abroad; it is exported for its quality and texture.

In the past avocados were sold to other populations and today with a much more advanced technology, the Mexican avocado is exported to Japan, and around the world. But in those ancestral times, it was the fruit that not only fed all the people but also served as a trade. So it was a blessing to have a good avocado harvest. Today it is a source of income in the city of Uruapan, in Michoacán, where the avocado cooperatives meet to distribute their products in the world's food chains; the people live on avocado.

There is a variety of at least eight types of this fruit, but only two are used in gastronomy. The beauty of avocado is that, in addition to being delicate, it is very easy to work with and present. In Yucatan, there is an enormous one, with a smooth and greasier texture and a different flavor.

But in addition to being tasty and varied, Mexican cuisine stands out for its pre-Hispanic history and the usefulness that ancestors gave to food. Mexico is an ancestral country. The many indigenous communities took their favorite fruits like vanilla, cacao, avocado and used them as rituals. Chocolate is used to bless Mayan weddings, and avocado is also used in religious festivals.

Mexican cuisine has a culture and history. It has many ingredients, an infinite number of recipes, and seasonings depending on which state you are in and which house you eat at. Like the French, it is homemade. It is the kitchen of the grandmother, of the great-grandmother who has an ancestral tradition.

Mexican cuisine has many secrets, but it also has a lot to offer. Mexican cuisine will soon, if not already, be the main one in the world. The great chefs at their one-, two- and three-star Michelin restaurants already add a Mexican touch to their menus.