Tabascan cookery has a long-standing tradition of pre-Hispanic ingredients and recipes at its foundation, drawing on both Olmec and Maya influences, plus the added spice of African gastronomy
Read more
By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS When it comes to chocolate, Belgium knows a thing or two. Considered by most chocolatiers and connoisseurs as the premiere source of quality cacao-based candies in the world, the European country’s close affiliation with chocolate dates back to the 17th century. Today, Belgium’s exclusive chocolates — internationally renowned for the stringent quality controls and exquisite flavor blends
Read more
By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS For some, they are the very essence of feminine sensuality, their delicate petals unfolding like a vibrant display of female genitalia (think Georgia O’Keeffe’s famous flower paintings that resemble a vagina). For others, they symbolize death and the morose beauty of unobtainable passion. In 1894, H.G. Wells wrote a short story about them, describing their bulbs as
Read more
OPINION By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS Well, whatever you might say about the children of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), you cannot say that they are not resourceful. AMLO’s eldest son, José Ramón López Beltrán, made international headlines in January when it was revealed that he had been living in multimillion-dollar home in Houston that just happen to belong to
Read more
By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS Everybody loves chocolate, and while the world may still be reeling form the double whammy of the covid-19 pandemic and the growing economic crisis, here in Mexico candy lovers and sweet tooth aficionados are taking a day off to commemorate the dark, delicious confection and its natural source, cacao. Yes, Wednesday, Sept. 2, is National Chocolate and
Read more
By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS The cacao tree may be native to Mexico, but most culinary experts agree that the best chocolate in the world is produced in Europe, primarily in Switzerland, France and Belgium. And while Mexico still produces cacao beans for national and export consumption, the best producers worldwide are generally considered to be Venezuela, Brazil, the Ivory Coast, Madagascar,
Read more
By RICARDO CASTILLO First, let me explain some Mexican meanings for the word “chocolate.” Chocolate is Mexico’s sweetest gift to humanity. That, however, does not mean that Mexicans use the word chocolate just to refer to confectionaries. In Mexican slang, chocolate can mean the contrary of sweet – bitterness or outright anger. Take, for instance, the phrase used in the title of
Read more