Guanajuato is a state of history. Locals often say that it is a place where the past, present and future of the country converge. Surrounded by legends and events that marked the direction of Mexico, this state can be read through its characters, its colonial streets, but also its cuisine.
The Endemic Festival “the culinary footprint” of Guanajuato is the perfect opportunity to live with all of the above, but at the marked pace of the dishes of its greatest culinary exponents: traditional cooks and contemporary chefs.
This festival began in November 2023 as the watershed to promote the necessary recognition of Guanajuato gastronomy. In its second edition, held on June 21 and 22, 2024, the idea continued as a ubiquitous celebration in three of the most critical points of the state’s cuisine: Guanajuato, capital; León and San Miguel de Allende.
A rotating party
Each day of the festival there were six dinners, two per destination, where host and guest chefs cooked together different menus prepared with local ingredients, from Guanajuato, in local restaurants in the capital of Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and León.
The host chefs in León were: Angélica García, from Casa Biznaga; Fernando Pérez, from Frascatti Aeropuerto; Juan Emilio Villaseñor, from La Cocinoteca; and Mauro de los Santos, from Sato.
The host chefs in Guanajuato, capital were: Mayela Cárdenas, from Casa Mercedes; Domingo Martínez, from Amatxi; Juan Melendez, from Trattoria Terraza; and Karen Valadez Burstein, from Virgen de la Cueva.
The host chefs in San Miguel de Allende were: Oscar Méndez, from Garufa; José Bazán Torres, from Bocaciega; Abel Hernández from Selina Rooftop; and Miguel Valenzuela, from Florios.
While the guest chefs who rotated through each state were: Carlos Gaytán, from Ha’; Jonatan Gómez Luna, from Le Chique; Gaby Ruiz, from Carmela y Sal; Gerardo Vázquez Lugo, from Nicos; Paco Ruano, from Alcalde; and Rodrigo Rivera Río, from Koli.
Among San Miguel menus
Specifically in San Miguel de Allende, known for being the most visited destination in the state, there were four dinners. The first, on June 21, were at the Garufa restaurant, led by chefs Óscar Méndez and Paco Ruano, from Alcalde, one of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America.
The highlights were the coconut and xoconostle milk ceviche with kaffir lime oil, the ceremonial escamoles taco, and the garambullo and meco chile mole with amaranth, cuerito, tlacoyo, and nopales, not to mention the xoconostle capon and the stuffed penca that concluded the dinner paired with labels from San José Lavista.
At the same time, the dinner took place at the Bocaciega restaurant, with chefs José Bazán Torres and Michelin-starred chef Rodrígo Rivera Río, from Koli in Nuevo León, and with a special pairing from the La Santísima Trinidad wineries.
The following dinners, on June 22, took place at Selina Rooftop, by chef Abel Hernández, and Jonatan Gómez Luna, Michelin-starred chef for Le Chique, in Cancún, Mexico; with Los Remedios as the guest winery to pair the dishes of the night.
As in Florios, by chef Miguel Valenzuela, with Carlos Gaytán as a guest, known for Tzuco and Ha’, two restaurants in Chicago and Xcaret, respectively, with one Michelin star each. Here the dinner began with a welcome cocktail of garambullo cordial with salmiana mezcal and lavender soda.
The highlights were the tetela stuffed with roasted cauliflower, avocado mousse and escamoles; the ravioli stuffed with quelites, purslane, ranch egg yolk, criollo corn sauce and jiote, with a few drops of chili oil and Naakary flowers; the ribeye with huitlacoche fondue and roasted asparagus; and to finish, a chocolate tamale with garambullo ice cream. Each dish was paired with some expressions from Viñedo San Miguel.
This is how, among escamoles, garambullos, xoconostle and huitlacoche, the second edition of the Endológico Guanajuato festival concluded, marked by the passion of each chef, cook and organizer who participated in it.
Source: eluniversal
