Bebida Traditionale

I'm a rather curious person and I usually (and annoyingly) ask a lot of questions. So while in the Maya Riviera a couple of weeks ago, I happened upon Sangrita on a bar menu.

When I asked the bartender, Noe, what it was, his eyes lit up and he told me it was a traditional Mexican bebida and he promised it was very good. With that, I had my first of many Sangritas.

Similar to a Bloody Mary, Sangrita is a tequila chaser made of tomato and acidic juices and a healthy helping of muy picante chiles. Served in shot glasses with tequila, I was instructed to sip alternatively between the two drinks beginning with the tequila. Honestly, one of the tastiest, thickest drinks I've ever had!

If you're interested I found this recipe that I'm hoping to give a try (courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine):

Ingredients

1/2 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

• In a small skillet, toast the ancho chile over moderate heat until it begins to blister, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the ancho to a work surface to cool.
• In a blender, combine the orange, tomato and lime juices with the onion and Worcestershire sauce; crumble in the toasted ancho and puree.
• Strain through a coarse sieve. Season the sangrita with salt and pepper and chill for 20 minutes.

If you have a tried and tested another recipe for this delicious drink, please do share!

Tequila!

Water is undrinkable in Mexico - at least that's what all the taps warned wherever I went.

It's no surprise, then, many locals refer to tequila as the water of Mexico. If anything, I found tequila more readily available than water. But, hey, no complaining here!

Tequila - one of my favourite spirits - is made from the agave plant and was first produced in the 16th century by the Aztec people near the city of Tequila. For most of tequila's history it was an unrefined and harsh liquor that has played the protagonist role in many a drunken story. Do you remember yours?

In recent years, however, the tequila has been elevated to new heights as producers are using modern techniques to distill and age the spirit. Before heading home to the wintry weather of the Northeast, we enjoyed a wide-ranging tequila tasting. From the fruity, overly sweet to the smokily aged to the dangerously mild that sailed quickly and easily down the hatch.

After multiple samples - we had to make the right decision, dontchaknow? - we selected a mild, yet slightly fruity variation to add to our collection at home.

I'm off...

... to the land of tacos and tequila!

Will share any Mexican food finds when I return.