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(Musical flourish swell)

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(Latin music)

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Mena:
Rolling through the plazas,

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taking in the architecture,
the sun, the people,

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of The Capital of The Americas.

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It's joy, man.

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Mexico City, one of my
favourite towns anywhere.

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♪

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Built on the ruins of an ancient
Aztec metropolis,

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this city's seen it all -
earthquakes, war, revolution -

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and has come out
the other side to become

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one of the hippest destinations
for young digital nomads

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and international travellers today.

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And the chefs are progressing
right along with it -

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spinning spectacular modern
turns on food

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with deep roots in Indigenous

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and Spanish cooking techniques
and ingredients.

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This is one of the most
vegan-and-vegetarian dense

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countries on the planet,
and the food is all-world.

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Regional, delectable, surprising,

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and like Mexico itself, complicated.

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And Mexico City's
where it all collides.

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From street eats to world-class
restos to shockingly gorgeous

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turns on the humble taco,
to the abuelas making mole

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in the burroughs,
Mexico City is alive,

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electric
and constantly evolving.

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♪

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I'm Mena Massoud.

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I'm travelling across
North America and eating my way

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through some of the coolest
cities to show you how

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beautiful meals, talented chefs
and restaurant tours

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are making plant-based living
delicious and attainable.

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So join me as I show you
how the world is evolving vegan.

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♪

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Mexico City's renowned
for its killer street food,

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particularly in the heart
of the City: La Roma.

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This hip,
legendary neighbourhood lined

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with neo-Colonial buildings,
canopied streets,

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and the most spectacular
food carts ever.

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{\an8}I'm checking it out
with Chris von Uckermann:

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{\an8}Telenovela star, Latin-Grammy
nominee, and fellow vegan.

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{\an8}We're meeting Lydia Carey,
the literal author

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{\an8}of the Mexico City Streets
La Roma guide,

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{\an8}for a tour
of these famous food stands.

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What's going on?
How you doing? I'm Mena.

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Hi.
Nice to meet you, Mena.

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Nice to meet you.

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I'm Chris.
Nice to meet you.

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Nice to meet you, Chris.
Well, welcome to La Roma.

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Thank you very much.

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It's nice to have you guys.

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Yeah, so this is
kind of where a lot

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of the vegan restaurants
are or...?

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Yes, this is one
of the more sort of popular

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and touristy neighbourhoods,
but it's also, like,

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very beautiful,
very centrally located.

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The neighbourhood has definitely
been changing a lot.

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Mena:
La Roma was built

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as a prestige suburb
in the 1900s,

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eventually swallowed
by the city.

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It was devastated
in the 1985 earthquake

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and the place
was nearly abandoned.

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Lydia:
And then in the early 2000s,

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a lot of people
started moving back:

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young people,
people who are investing.

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So you have a lot
of foreigners who live here,

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but we also have tons
of young Mexicans that also came

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and gentrified this
neighbourhood to begin with.

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It has beautiful architecture,
there's a million reasons why

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you'd wanna live here,
you know?

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Like, look at this beautiful
green space that we're in.

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Yeah, I used to live in Condesa,

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like five minutes away
from La Roma.

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So I love to walk, so
everything's walking distance.

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And Chris here.

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You have bars,
good restaurants.

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And at one point, Lydia,
you tried every restaurant

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in La Roma at one point.

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Yes.

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Where are we gonna go?

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So today I'm gonna take you guys
to two different places.

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First we're gonna go to Paxil
and they make vegan seafood.

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Mena:
Yeah, that's right,

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vegan seafood.

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Melt-in-your-mouth
vegan seafood.

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Fish tacos,
aguachile and tostados.

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It's run by sisters
Mafer and Sol.

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Lydia:
Here we are.

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Oh, wow!

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{\an8}Ooh,
this is amazing, Sol.

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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♪

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Wow, wow.

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Yeah, it's really good.

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Yeah.

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The tomatoes kind of kept
its texture even though

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it's diced really small.

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Mexican tomatoes are something
else, I'll tell you that.

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And it's got just the perfect
amount of kick, you know.

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It's just, like, perfect.
Come on, get in here, Chris.

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Okay, bro.

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Oh, man, this is so good. Cheers.

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Cheers, bro.

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(Lydia laughs)

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Lydia:
What do you think about that?

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Mena:
Mm.

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It's really good,
mm-hmm.

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Pretty nice, yeah?

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The fact that this is tomatoes
is mind boggling.

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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It's delicious,
thank you.

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{\an8}Sol blesses us with portobello
mushroom fish tacos,

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{\an8}arrayed in bright cabbage
and the Taco Gobernador

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{\an8}before Mafer,
the big gastronomic brain

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{\an8}behind the operation,
comes over the top rope

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{\an8}with one
of their all-time faves.

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{\an8}This is the aguachile negro.

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I can tell why
this is your favourite

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'cause it's got
everything on it.

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Yeah,
it's super amazing.

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It's like it's got
the fish from the last one.

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It's got avocado, mushrooms,
lots of vegetables.

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Aguachile is the Mexican version
of ceviche.

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Paxil's version
is mushrooms cooked

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with chili and cured with lime.

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And what's the sauce
that's oozing here?

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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This one is good
for the hangover.

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In Mexico City,
seafood is hangover food.

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Yeah,
it's very common.

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Really?

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Uh-huh.

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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Well, you did a fantastic job.

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The food is amazing.
So congratulations.

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It was really good.
Muchas gracias.

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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Lydia:
So this place is Por Siempre.

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They were the first vegan
tacoria in the city.

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They opened up in 2014.

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Mena:
This is the OG.

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Lydia:
This is the OG.

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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Gracias .

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Luis.

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(Talking over each other)

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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Mena:
Luis Rodriquez, the owner

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and head chef at Por Siempre,
is a true vegan pioneer.

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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Mena:
The torta's a Mexican sandwich,

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with all the different meats.

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The Taco de Suadero is an OG
Mexico City invention.

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Typically beef fried in its own
juices, the plant based version

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was re-invented
by Chef Luis on this very spot.

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So this is the Taco de Suadero.

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It's made with soy

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and these are all of the amazing
toppings with it

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that I actually put on it.

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Mena:
Wow.

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Lydia:
There's whole black beans,

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french fries, nopal cactus.

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Wait, wait, wait, wait.

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So when you said french fries,
you actually meant,

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like, as a topping?

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Yeah, no,
it's the best.

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It's the best.

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Really, like,
a taco with french fries,

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it's like the combination of two
of the most magical things ever.

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That's crazy.
Egypt does that too.

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Like what-- My mom used to make
me French fries sandwiches.

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That sounds amazing.

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Yeah.

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Now I want your mom's
french fries sandwiches.

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This is taking me back.
Is that overkill?

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It's 'cause I wanna taste one.

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Lydia:
I mean, it's not overkill.

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You're gonna eat it.

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That one's really spicy.

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Mena:
Really spicy?

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Chris:
Yeah.

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Can you handle it, bro?

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Mena:
I can handle it.

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Can you handle it, Chris?

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Of course, bro.
Come on.

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Come on, bro,
I'm Mexican.

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Is there a strategy to this?

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Like, what are we--
How are we going?

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Just like this.
Whatever you feel.

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Just like that?

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Just like that.

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No, that was a great tutoring.

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Just feel it,
you know.

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That's perfect.

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♪

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That's phenomenal.

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Lydia:
Yeah, delicious.

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Mena:
It's so good, I gotta find out

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more about the operation
from Chef Luis.

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I'm seeing a lot of people here
come and grab tacos.

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Do you get a lot of non-vegans
coming here

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just to eat delicious tacos?

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Yeah, of course.

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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{\an8}(Speaking other language)

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Yeah, it's a great way
to transition people to vegan.

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{\an8}Do you guys want to try this?

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{\an8}Yeah, let's try. Let's try.

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{\an8}Of course I want
to try Chef's torta.

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{\an8}Look at this behemoth.

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{\an8}♪

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{\an8}Mm.

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{\an8}That is so good.

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{\an8}It's a monster, it is and it's
got a good mix of protein

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{\an8}obviously, but the egg in the
cheese add that creaminess

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{\an8}to it as well.

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{\an8}You got a salsa in there, the
fries for the carbs.

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{\an8}Really, really good.

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00:08:31,754 --> 00:08:32,655
{\an8}Mm.

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{\an8}What do you think, Chris?

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{\an8}I really like it, more
than the tacos actually.

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{\an8}Man, this is crazy, like,

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{\an8}people think vegan sometimes
they don't realize like

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{\an8}what it could be.

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{\an8}This is insane.

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{\an8}That's what it's all about.

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{\an8}I think the world is evolving
to that point where everybody's

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{\an8}just going to eat a little bit
more vegan as time goes on

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{\an8}even though they are not 100%.

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{\an8}Yeah, of course.

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{\an8}All the climate change stuff.

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{\an8}I mean, it's important.

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{\an8}Even if he did it just a couple
of days a week it would

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{\an8}make an impact.

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00:09:02,585 --> 00:09:03,485
{\an8}Well, thank you, Luis.

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{\an8}You're welcome.

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{\an8}Mena: Honestly,
the food in La Roma

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{\an8}was so good I came back on

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00:09:07,523 --> 00:09:08,924
{\an8}my days off to get my fill.

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00:09:09,024 --> 00:09:12,261
{\an8}Vegan street food in Mexico
City an absolute showstopper.

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00:09:12,361 --> 00:09:16,999
{\an8}♪

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00:09:17,099 --> 00:09:18,968
{\an8}I'm visiting San Pedro Atocpan,

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00:09:19,068 --> 00:09:21,337
{\an8}part of an agricultural
borough in

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00:09:21,437 --> 00:09:25,274
{\an8}the outskirts of Mexico City
with Natalia De La Rosa,

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00:09:25,374 --> 00:09:28,410
{\an8}one of the leading culinary
journalists in Mexico.

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00:09:28,510 --> 00:09:33,282
{\an8}Known as the mole capital of the
world, the community is holding

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{\an8}their annual mole Festival.

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00:09:35,017 --> 00:09:37,319
{\an8}You can't talk about Mexican
cuisine without

249
00:09:37,419 --> 00:09:38,988
{\an8}talking about mole.

250
00:09:39,088 --> 00:09:42,925
{\an8}It's derived from an ancient
Aztec word that simply means

251
00:09:43,025 --> 00:09:46,462
{\an8}sauce, but it's so much
more complicated than that.

252
00:09:46,562 --> 00:09:50,399
{\an8}Dark moles are typically melding
of chilies, nuts, spices and

253
00:09:50,499 --> 00:09:54,503
{\an8}chocolate, while others like a
mole verde contain tomatillos.

254
00:09:54,603 --> 00:09:58,974
{\an8}There's over 40 types of mole
often vegan which can

255
00:09:59,074 --> 00:10:00,743
{\an8}take days to prepare.

256
00:10:00,843 --> 00:10:03,746
{\an8}If you think French or Nordic
dining is complex, you

257
00:10:03,846 --> 00:10:05,247
{\an8}have to try authentic mole.

258
00:10:05,347 --> 00:10:08,217
{\an8}It will blow your food
paradigm off its axis.

259
00:10:08,317 --> 00:10:12,087
{\an8}We're dropping in on Natalia's
friends at Mole Don Luis, a

260
00:10:12,187 --> 00:10:14,089
{\an8}third generation mole producer.

261
00:10:14,189 --> 00:10:15,724
{\an8}Hola!

262
00:10:15,824 --> 00:10:16,792
{\an8}Hola.

263
00:10:16,892 --> 00:10:20,963
{\an8}(Speaking Spanish)

264
00:10:21,063 --> 00:10:22,564
{\an8}Nice to meet you.

265
00:10:22,665 --> 00:10:26,502
{\an8}Don Luis is one of the
founders of the mole.

266
00:10:35,144 --> 00:10:38,514
{\an8}Mena: Don Luis and other San
Pedro Atocpan families started

267
00:10:38,614 --> 00:10:42,317
{\an8}large-scale production of mole
here in the 1950s

268
00:10:42,418 --> 00:10:44,953
{\an8}but the history of mole
is centuries old.

269
00:11:10,446 --> 00:11:13,849
{\an8}Mole, when it first started, the
mole could be made of with

270
00:11:13,949 --> 00:11:14,850
{\an8}five, six ingredients only.

271
00:11:14,950 --> 00:11:16,051
{\an8}Right.

272
00:11:16,151 --> 00:11:18,754
{\an8}But it was with the colonial
times that it all

273
00:11:18,854 --> 00:11:20,022
{\an8}kind of evolved.

274
00:11:20,122 --> 00:11:22,357
{\an8}Because a lot of moles are
made from over

275
00:11:22,458 --> 00:11:23,726
{\an8}20 ingredients, right?

276
00:11:23,826 --> 00:11:26,261
{\an8}So there's a lot of evolution
that goes into mole.

277
00:11:26,361 --> 00:11:27,396
{\an8}Yes.

278
00:11:27,496 --> 00:11:29,565
{\an8}And all different kinds
of moles as well.

279
00:11:29,665 --> 00:11:32,935
{\an8}Moles can be sweet or savoury,
used in mains or desserts.

280
00:11:33,035 --> 00:11:35,537
{\an8}Just take the paste or
powder and add water.

281
00:11:35,637 --> 00:11:39,508
{\an8}The resulting sauce is dense and
flavorful, and the recipes

282
00:11:39,608 --> 00:11:42,277
{\an8}are often handed down
generation to generation.

283
00:11:42,377 --> 00:11:45,714
{\an8}What I love about mole is
it's very complex, right?

284
00:11:45,814 --> 00:11:47,382
{\an8}Natalia: Yeah, yes.

285
00:11:47,483 --> 00:11:50,886
{\an8}Mena: It hits your palate and
for a few seconds after your

286
00:11:50,986 --> 00:11:52,955
{\an8}still discovering all
the different flavours.

287
00:11:53,055 --> 00:11:57,092
{\an8}First of all, you have to feel
the sweet flavours and then

288
00:11:57,192 --> 00:12:00,896
{\an8}a little bit of spicy in
the throat and that's all.

289
00:12:00,996 --> 00:12:01,897
{\an8}Mena: Mm.

290
00:12:01,997 --> 00:12:03,198
{\an8}It's not too heavy
for the stomach.

291
00:12:03,298 --> 00:12:04,800
{\an8}Thank you very much.

292
00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:05,801
{\an8}Thank you.

293
00:12:05,901 --> 00:12:07,469
{\an8}Nice to meet you.

294
00:12:07,569 --> 00:12:08,937
{\an8}I appreciate that.

295
00:12:09,037 --> 00:12:11,974
{\an8}After my mole crash course it's
time to see how it's made by

296
00:12:12,074 --> 00:12:14,443
{\an8}someone who's been making
it for over 70 years.

297
00:12:14,543 --> 00:12:17,646
{\an8}Oh, wow.

298
00:12:17,746 --> 00:12:19,214
{\an8}Okay.

299
00:12:19,314 --> 00:12:22,417
{\an8}Natalia: Yes.

300
00:12:22,518 --> 00:12:25,921
{\an8}(Speaking Spanish)

301
00:12:26,021 --> 00:12:27,055
{\an8}Nice to meet you.

302
00:12:27,156 --> 00:12:28,223
{\an8}(Speaking Spanish)

303
00:12:28,323 --> 00:12:29,658
{\an8}Herlinda, nice to meet you.

304
00:12:29,758 --> 00:12:31,093
{\an8}Very nice to meet you.

305
00:12:34,062 --> 00:12:36,832
{\an8}Natalia: She's going to teach
us how to make mole

306
00:12:36,932 --> 00:12:38,767
{\an8}in the traditional way.

307
00:12:38,867 --> 00:12:40,736
{\an8}Look at all these ingredients.

308
00:12:40,836 --> 00:12:42,671
{\an8}I mean, this is incredible.

309
00:12:42,771 --> 00:12:47,209
{\an8}We've got fava beans, avocados,
all kinds of nuts,

310
00:12:47,309 --> 00:12:48,210
{\an8}cinnamon, onions.

311
00:12:48,310 --> 00:12:50,212
{\an8}We've got everything here at.

312
00:12:50,312 --> 00:12:51,947
{\an8}Abuela , this is amazing!

313
00:12:58,654 --> 00:13:00,789
{\an8}Step one is the chili prep.

314
00:13:06,094 --> 00:13:07,963
{\an8}How on earth do you
know the difference?

315
00:13:08,063 --> 00:13:09,998
{\an8}Because they all
look the same to me.

316
00:13:13,435 --> 00:13:14,570
{\an8}Texture is different.

317
00:13:14,670 --> 00:13:15,804
{\an8}The texture is different.

318
00:13:15,904 --> 00:13:16,972
{\an8}This is thicker.

319
00:13:17,072 --> 00:13:18,674
{\an8}Wow. Amazing. Amazing.

320
00:13:18,774 --> 00:13:20,442
{\an8}So, this is our base.

321
00:13:20,542 --> 00:13:22,311
{\an8}Yeah. This is our base.

322
00:13:26,114 --> 00:13:27,783
{\an8}Can I help you?

323
00:13:27,883 --> 00:13:29,051
{\an8}Is that okay?

324
00:13:33,589 --> 00:13:35,757
{\an8}That means a lot
coming from you.

325
00:13:35,858 --> 00:13:37,392
{\an8}Oh, there we go.

326
00:13:37,492 --> 00:13:39,194
{\an8}Natalia: Yes.
That is the chili base.

327
00:13:45,968 --> 00:13:47,970
{\an8}And this is a classic metate?

328
00:13:48,070 --> 00:13:50,105
{\an8}Is that how you say it?

329
00:13:50,205 --> 00:13:51,373
{\an8}Meta-- metate?

330
00:13:51,473 --> 00:13:53,642
{\an8}Metate.

331
00:13:53,742 --> 00:13:56,645
{\an8}Metate is a culinary tool
pre-Hispanic, it's made out of

332
00:13:56,745 --> 00:13:58,247
{\an8}volcanic stone.

333
00:13:58,347 --> 00:13:59,982
{\an8}Wow.

334
00:14:00,082 --> 00:14:02,784
{\an8}And this metate is ancient.

335
00:14:02,885 --> 00:14:06,121
{\an8}Belonged to Herlinda's
grandmother.

336
00:14:06,221 --> 00:14:07,122
{\an8}Wow.

337
00:14:07,222 --> 00:14:09,157
{\an8}It belonged to
Abuela's abuela.

338
00:14:09,258 --> 00:14:10,559
{\an8}Yeah.

339
00:14:10,659 --> 00:14:12,895
{\an8}So we're talking like 200
years may be this thing?

340
00:14:12,995 --> 00:14:13,896
{\an8}Yes.

341
00:14:13,996 --> 00:14:15,397
{\an8}That's incredible.

342
00:14:15,497 --> 00:14:17,900
{\an8}Is there anything that goes in
the mole other than the chilies?

343
00:14:25,774 --> 00:14:30,012
{\an8}So basically what you do is
you put a little bit of your

344
00:14:30,112 --> 00:14:33,982
{\an8}weight and kind of like rotate
the hand in order to do

345
00:14:34,082 --> 00:14:36,084
{\an8}all the friction like
she's doing.

346
00:14:38,220 --> 00:14:39,121
{\an8}Where's she going?

347
00:14:39,221 --> 00:14:40,822
{\an8}Abuela wants me to try?

348
00:14:40,923 --> 00:14:41,823
{\an8}Yes.

349
00:14:41,924 --> 00:14:43,525
{\an8}You need to try it.

350
00:14:43,625 --> 00:14:44,526
{\an8}Okay.

351
00:14:44,626 --> 00:14:45,928
{\an8}Okay, thank you, Abuela .

352
00:14:50,933 --> 00:14:51,833
{\an8}Oh, man.

353
00:14:51,934 --> 00:14:53,302
{\an8}I feel so honoured.

354
00:14:53,402 --> 00:14:55,671
{\an8}I'm using a 200-year-old
metate here.

355
00:15:03,278 --> 00:15:05,447
{\an8}Abuela , how my doing?

356
00:15:05,547 --> 00:15:06,581
{\an8}(Laughter)

357
00:15:08,250 --> 00:15:09,351
{\an8}Okay...

358
00:15:09,451 --> 00:15:12,821
{\an8}I think I'm...
I think I'm beat.

359
00:15:12,921 --> 00:15:14,022
{\an8}How did I do?

360
00:15:15,023 --> 00:15:16,224
{\an8}Si ?

361
00:15:16,325 --> 00:15:18,327
{\an8}Bueno ? Bien ? Bien ?

362
00:15:18,427 --> 00:15:23,031
{\an8}Mena: Honestly, it's one of the
most memorable sous chef moments

363
00:15:23,131 --> 00:15:24,099
{\an8}of my life.

364
00:15:24,199 --> 00:15:25,100
{\an8}Grasias.

365
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:26,201
{\an8}Grasias, Abuela.

366
00:15:45,620 --> 00:15:47,389
{\an8}Grasias.

367
00:15:47,489 --> 00:15:52,060
{\an8}It's an honour for me to be here
and she's lived 87 years and

368
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,863
{\an8}seriously, thank you very much.

369
00:15:54,963 --> 00:15:55,964
{\an8}Thank you.

370
00:15:56,064 --> 00:15:57,432
{\an8}Thank you very much.

371
00:15:57,532 --> 00:15:59,134
{\an8}Thank you. Thank you.

372
00:16:00,602 --> 00:16:02,037
{\an8}She's asking if you've eaten?

373
00:16:02,137 --> 00:16:04,973
{\an8}Of course, we have
to eat mole now.

374
00:16:05,073 --> 00:16:06,942
Of course.
We have to try your mole.

375
00:16:07,042 --> 00:16:09,611
Mena: Abuela won't let us leave
without eating

376
00:16:09,711 --> 00:16:12,814
and cooks us
a traditional countryside lunch

377
00:16:12,914 --> 00:16:15,350
from a plant
I've never even heard of before,

378
00:16:15,450 --> 00:16:17,552
topped with
her outrageous mole.

379
00:16:17,652 --> 00:16:19,287
(Mena and Natalia
exclaiming)

380
00:16:19,388 --> 00:16:25,027
{\an8}(Speaking Spanish)

381
00:16:25,127 --> 00:16:26,862
So, this is huauzontle.

382
00:16:26,962 --> 00:16:29,097
Huauzontle,
it's a dish

383
00:16:29,197 --> 00:16:31,767
that is very typical
from Mexico.

384
00:16:31,867 --> 00:16:33,335
It's kind of like a bush

385
00:16:33,435 --> 00:16:35,670
that grows around here
and is edible

386
00:16:35,771 --> 00:16:36,838
and they top it

387
00:16:36,938 --> 00:16:41,376
with the mole and adobo
and the mushrooms.

388
00:16:41,476 --> 00:16:44,246
So, this is the mole
that Abuela has made.

389
00:16:44,346 --> 00:16:46,148
Natalia:
Yeah, this is the mole

390
00:16:46,248 --> 00:16:48,050
that Herme
just helped us do.

391
00:16:48,150 --> 00:16:49,918
Mena: Mmm...

392
00:16:50,018 --> 00:16:51,019
So good.

393
00:16:51,119 --> 00:16:52,154
Hermelinda:
Si?

394
00:16:52,254 --> 00:16:53,822
Yeah, si, si.

395
00:16:53,922 --> 00:16:54,990
(Speaking Spanish)

396
00:16:55,090 --> 00:16:55,991
Yes, very good.

397
00:16:56,091 --> 00:16:57,993
{\an8}(Speaking Spanish)

398
00:16:58,093 --> 00:17:00,362
A lot of people come
to Mexico City

399
00:17:00,462 --> 00:17:02,230
because Mexico City
has been praised

400
00:17:02,330 --> 00:17:04,699
for all the restaurant vibe
and fine dining,

401
00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,836
but all these traditions
are part of the way

402
00:17:07,936 --> 00:17:10,839
of eating
in Mexico City as well.

403
00:17:10,939 --> 00:17:12,307
What I've loved about this

404
00:17:12,407 --> 00:17:14,342
is getting to come
to the countryside

405
00:17:14,443 --> 00:17:16,945
and really see
where it all started.
Natalia: Yes.

406
00:17:17,045 --> 00:17:18,413
See the roots, the heart

407
00:17:18,513 --> 00:17:20,715
of what Mexico City is about.

408
00:17:20,816 --> 00:17:23,785
And Abuela is
a great representation of that,

409
00:17:23,885 --> 00:17:26,488
carrying on tradition
from generation to generation.

410
00:17:26,588 --> 00:17:28,657
You know, this is
what Mexico City is about.

411
00:17:28,757 --> 00:17:30,358
This is
what people should know

412
00:17:30,459 --> 00:17:31,693
about Mexico City. Definitely.

413
00:17:31,793 --> 00:17:32,994
I think
that's the beauty of it.

414
00:17:33,095 --> 00:17:35,230
Hermelinda,
thank you very much.

415
00:17:35,330 --> 00:17:40,035
{\an8}(Speaking Spanish)

416
00:17:40,135 --> 00:17:44,739
{\an8}♪

417
00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:46,341
{\an8}Mena: One of the most
exciting developments

418
00:17:46,441 --> 00:17:47,342
{\an8}in Mexico City

419
00:17:47,442 --> 00:17:49,444
{\an8}is the new wave of chefs

420
00:17:49,544 --> 00:17:52,080
{\an8}creating
delicious vegan food,

421
00:17:52,180 --> 00:17:54,015
{\an8}like Laura Cardenas.

422
00:17:54,116 --> 00:17:56,551
{\an8}Born in Venezuela,
Laura fled the political chaos

423
00:17:56,651 --> 00:17:58,520
{\an8}as a refugee in 2015

424
00:17:58,620 --> 00:18:01,523
{\an8}with just her cooking skills
to support herself.

425
00:18:01,623 --> 00:18:04,092
But those skills
quickly established her

426
00:18:04,192 --> 00:18:05,961
as a chef to watch

427
00:18:06,061 --> 00:18:07,529
at her ultra-trendy
Pitahaya Vegana.

428
00:18:07,629 --> 00:18:09,431
In a nod to Laura's roots,

429
00:18:09,531 --> 00:18:11,399
we're making
a Venezuelan-inspired

430
00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:12,400
plantain-and-bean dish.

431
00:18:12,501 --> 00:18:14,069
Laura: You ever try
enfrijoladas?

432
00:18:14,169 --> 00:18:15,070
Frijoladas.

433
00:18:15,170 --> 00:18:16,071
Enfrijoladas.

434
00:18:16,171 --> 00:18:17,072
Enfrijoladas.

435
00:18:17,172 --> 00:18:18,406
I don't think I've had enfrijoladas.

436
00:18:18,507 --> 00:18:23,145
Enfrijoladas, it's like
enchiladas or enmoladas.

437
00:18:23,245 --> 00:18:24,679
It's basically tortillas
filled with anything

438
00:18:24,779 --> 00:18:25,947
and covered with
other anything.

439
00:18:26,047 --> 00:18:26,948
You know?
Mena: Okay.

440
00:18:27,048 --> 00:18:28,116
And so,
that's the plantain

441
00:18:28,216 --> 00:18:29,284
that you've got right now.

442
00:18:29,384 --> 00:18:30,285
Yeah, that's the plantain.

443
00:18:30,385 --> 00:18:31,286
It's just puréed.

444
00:18:31,386 --> 00:18:33,989
Okay, so,
this one is really hot.

445
00:18:34,089 --> 00:18:36,791
Mena: What's made
Laura's restaurant so successful

446
00:18:36,892 --> 00:18:38,793
is cooking
these Mexican classics

447
00:18:38,894 --> 00:18:39,995
with aesthetic flair.

448
00:18:40,095 --> 00:18:41,463
She's created
the most Insta-worthy

449
00:18:41,563 --> 00:18:42,964
vegan resto in the city

450
00:18:43,064 --> 00:18:45,133
with signature
pink tortillas--

451
00:18:45,233 --> 00:18:47,802
a happy accident involving
a guy on a bike

452
00:18:47,903 --> 00:18:50,438
with corn masa and beet juice
in his backpack

453
00:18:50,539 --> 00:18:52,741
and Mexico City's
notorious potholes.

454
00:18:52,841 --> 00:18:56,811
Sometimes, you gotta listen
to fate and the tortilla.

455
00:18:56,912 --> 00:18:58,780
{\an8}There's a sound.
For example, this is not...

456
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:00,081
{\an8}(Surface scratching)

457
00:19:00,182 --> 00:19:02,317
{\an8}You know, this one
is more scratchy than this one.

458
00:19:02,417 --> 00:19:03,318
{\an8}You know?

459
00:19:03,418 --> 00:19:05,086
{\an8}So, that means
this is almost done?

460
00:19:05,187 --> 00:19:06,087
{\an8}Yeah, it's more cooked.

461
00:19:06,188 --> 00:19:07,255
{\an8}And also, when it gets--

462
00:19:07,355 --> 00:19:08,456
{\an8}It's like you're a DJ.

463
00:19:08,557 --> 00:19:09,457
{\an8}Yeah!
Exactly!

464
00:19:09,558 --> 00:19:10,926
{\an8}The tortilla DJ.
Tortilla DJ Laura!

465
00:19:11,026 --> 00:19:12,260
Mena:
Tortillas steaming,

466
00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:15,163
stuffing the enfrijoladas begins.

467
00:19:15,263 --> 00:19:17,666
We add a bit of almonds,

468
00:19:17,766 --> 00:19:19,534
because it gives
a bit of texture.

469
00:19:19,634 --> 00:19:21,002
{\an8}A little bit of crunch.
Also with this.

470
00:19:21,102 --> 00:19:22,337
{\an8}Also with this, exactly.

471
00:19:22,437 --> 00:19:24,306
Mena:
White cabbage?
Laura:
Exactly, white cabbage.

472
00:19:24,406 --> 00:19:26,975
Then, we just
fold it a bit. Okay.

473
00:19:27,075 --> 00:19:29,945
So, now,
we will serve the beans.

474
00:19:30,045 --> 00:19:31,813
This, those are
organic beans.

475
00:19:31,913 --> 00:19:33,281
And they go good with

476
00:19:33,381 --> 00:19:35,283
garlic, onion,
and some herbs.

477
00:19:35,383 --> 00:19:37,219
Ooh.
That's beautiful.

478
00:19:37,319 --> 00:19:39,688
These are not refried beans
that you're getting

479
00:19:39,788 --> 00:19:40,889
out of a can, all right.

480
00:19:40,989 --> 00:19:42,691
These are beautiful,
fresh beans, no question.

481
00:19:42,791 --> 00:19:43,725
Laura:
Yeah, you will love it.

482
00:19:43,825 --> 00:19:44,726
Mena:
Oh, look at that!

483
00:19:44,826 --> 00:19:46,127
Gorgeous,
absolutely gorgeous.

484
00:19:46,228 --> 00:19:48,496
The contrast
of colour, too,

485
00:19:48,597 --> 00:19:50,832
with the brown, black beans,
the pink tortillas,

486
00:19:50,932 --> 00:19:53,168
little bit of that white cabbage
pouring through.

487
00:19:53,268 --> 00:19:54,636
(Clap)
Wow!

488
00:19:54,736 --> 00:19:55,870
Okay, so,
what goes on it now?

489
00:19:55,971 --> 00:19:57,806
Uh, it has some things.

490
00:19:57,906 --> 00:20:00,108
Yeah, something tells me
that when you say some things,

491
00:20:00,208 --> 00:20:01,710
it's gonna be
a lot of things.

492
00:20:01,810 --> 00:20:03,311
That's true.
That's totally true.
Okay, okay.

493
00:20:03,411 --> 00:20:05,480
Mena: The enfrijoladas
are covered in lettuce,

494
00:20:05,580 --> 00:20:07,315
coconut turmeric cream,
pico de gallo,

495
00:20:07,415 --> 00:20:08,316
and...

496
00:20:08,416 --> 00:20:10,418
This is
the coconut cottage cheese.

497
00:20:10,518 --> 00:20:11,486
Coconut
cottage cheese.

498
00:20:11,586 --> 00:20:12,821
Okay, I'm gonna take--

499
00:20:12,921 --> 00:20:14,356
Yeah. Add another one,
because it's so delicious.

500
00:20:14,456 --> 00:20:15,557
(Laughing)
Yeah, please.

501
00:20:15,657 --> 00:20:17,158
Ahh...

502
00:20:17,259 --> 00:20:18,727
Okay.

503
00:20:18,827 --> 00:20:19,894
(Metal clattering)

504
00:20:19,995 --> 00:20:22,264
Get out of here!

505
00:20:22,364 --> 00:20:24,532
It's got that sourness
of a cottage cheese

506
00:20:24,633 --> 00:20:25,667
or of a cheese.

507
00:20:25,767 --> 00:20:26,801
Yeah, well,
it's fermented.

508
00:20:26,901 --> 00:20:28,503
That's what makes that.
It's fermented?

509
00:20:28,603 --> 00:20:29,804
Yeah. And, this is
the last.

510
00:20:29,904 --> 00:20:31,740
I think
it's falling a bit

511
00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:33,008
to the side, but...

512
00:20:33,108 --> 00:20:34,576
Mena:
Wow, this is just,

513
00:20:34,676 --> 00:20:35,577
it's a piece of art!

514
00:20:35,677 --> 00:20:36,911
I can't wait
to eat this, Laura.

515
00:20:37,012 --> 00:20:39,547
Laura: You should wait
because we need to do the next.

516
00:20:39,648 --> 00:20:41,516
I want to just try it.

517
00:20:41,616 --> 00:20:43,184
What,
I have to wait?

518
00:20:43,285 --> 00:20:44,185
Okay, yeah.
(Laughing)

519
00:20:44,286 --> 00:20:45,186
(Sizzling)

520
00:20:45,287 --> 00:20:47,789
Mena: All I really
want to do

521
00:20:47,889 --> 00:20:49,591
is destroy
those enfrijoladas.

522
00:20:49,691 --> 00:20:52,427
Instead, I'm conscripted
to cook mouth-watering tacos.

523
00:20:52,527 --> 00:20:55,864
Cauliflower,
oyster-mushroom pastor,

524
00:20:55,964 --> 00:20:56,931
and tofu scramble,

525
00:20:57,032 --> 00:20:59,934
all elegantly done up
with bright colours

526
00:21:00,035 --> 00:21:01,603
and delicious sauces.

527
00:21:01,703 --> 00:21:04,306
All right,
look at this!

528
00:21:04,406 --> 00:21:06,107
Laura: How you want to start?
With which one?

529
00:21:06,207 --> 00:21:08,410
I think
with the enfrijoladas.

530
00:21:08,510 --> 00:21:09,744
Mena: Yeah, I'll dig
into the enfrijoladas.

531
00:21:09,844 --> 00:21:10,745
It's so beautiful.

532
00:21:10,845 --> 00:21:12,047
I don't even wanna dig in.

533
00:21:12,147 --> 00:21:13,048
But I will.

534
00:21:13,148 --> 00:21:14,616
When you try it
you won't be sad

535
00:21:14,716 --> 00:21:15,617
of digging in, I promise.

536
00:21:15,717 --> 00:21:16,618
Yeah, exactly.

537
00:21:16,718 --> 00:21:19,154
♪

538
00:21:19,254 --> 00:21:21,756
Mena: Mmm. Mmm.

539
00:21:21,856 --> 00:21:23,391
We've got the earthiness

540
00:21:23,491 --> 00:21:26,227
from the black beans
and the tortillas,

541
00:21:26,328 --> 00:21:27,329
the cabbage,

542
00:21:27,429 --> 00:21:28,930
And then you get
a little bit of freshness

543
00:21:29,030 --> 00:21:29,931
from all the components,

544
00:21:30,031 --> 00:21:31,399
balances that out beautifully.

545
00:21:31,499 --> 00:21:33,902
And the black bean
just is phenomenal.

546
00:21:34,002 --> 00:21:34,969
I just... Yeah.

547
00:21:35,070 --> 00:21:37,305
I need to take home
a jar of that.

548
00:21:37,405 --> 00:21:38,773
Beans and corn:

549
00:21:38,873 --> 00:21:40,642
Mexican culinary cornerstones,

550
00:21:40,742 --> 00:21:42,610
they have deep historical,

551
00:21:42,711 --> 00:21:45,313
traditional,
even ecological ties.

552
00:21:45,413 --> 00:21:48,116
They are part of the same system
of growing food.

553
00:21:48,216 --> 00:21:49,250
It's called la milpa

554
00:21:49,351 --> 00:21:50,352
and it has, like, corn;

555
00:21:50,452 --> 00:21:51,353
it has beans;

556
00:21:51,453 --> 00:21:53,922
it has herbs;
it has flowers.

557
00:21:54,022 --> 00:21:57,792
All of them have, like,
a function in that system.

558
00:21:57,892 --> 00:22:00,195
The la milpa
is an ecosystem?

559
00:22:00,295 --> 00:22:02,697
It's a way to grow food
in Mexico.

560
00:22:02,797 --> 00:22:03,865
So, it's ancestral.

561
00:22:03,965 --> 00:22:06,301
This is a perfect example
of combining old and new.

562
00:22:06,401 --> 00:22:07,302
Laura: Exactly.

563
00:22:07,402 --> 00:22:08,770
Mena:
Because in your food,

564
00:22:08,870 --> 00:22:10,105
I mean, in that one dish
right there,

565
00:22:10,205 --> 00:22:11,106
you have la milpa,

566
00:22:11,206 --> 00:22:12,107
right?
Laura: Yeah.

567
00:22:12,207 --> 00:22:13,108
You have the corn

568
00:22:13,208 --> 00:22:14,342
and the beans.
Yeah, sure.

569
00:22:14,442 --> 00:22:16,211
But you're doing it in
a new way, or fairly new--

570
00:22:16,311 --> 00:22:17,445
Yeah, sure,
sure, sure, sure.

571
00:22:17,545 --> 00:22:19,114
With the vegan take
and the plant-based take on it.

572
00:22:19,214 --> 00:22:20,849
All right, gonna put
a little of lime

573
00:22:20,949 --> 00:22:21,850
on this pastor, right?
Yeah.

574
00:22:21,950 --> 00:22:23,485
Laura:
Yeah, yeah.

575
00:22:26,921 --> 00:22:28,990
Mmmm...

576
00:22:29,090 --> 00:22:30,392
That's the most popular.

577
00:22:30,492 --> 00:22:31,826
I love a pastor taco.

578
00:22:31,926 --> 00:22:34,996
And you definitely have
the flavour in there, right,

579
00:22:35,096 --> 00:22:36,631
because of
the adobo seasoning and...
Yeah, yeah.

580
00:22:36,731 --> 00:22:38,233
The taco's
my favourite, too,

581
00:22:38,333 --> 00:22:40,135
because I think
it's so balanced.

582
00:22:40,235 --> 00:22:42,370
You know, and you have
all the flavours

583
00:22:42,470 --> 00:22:44,072
but when you bite it,
it's like surprise.

584
00:22:44,172 --> 00:22:46,040
What made you
open up Pitahaya Vegana?

585
00:22:46,141 --> 00:22:47,742
What was the idea
behind that?

586
00:22:47,842 --> 00:22:51,212
I always cooked with my grandma,
my family.

587
00:22:51,312 --> 00:22:52,480
When I became vegan--

588
00:22:52,580 --> 00:22:55,984
because my mom told me--
I was, like, 16 years old

589
00:22:56,084 --> 00:22:58,353
and my mom was, like, okay,
you want to be vegan, you can,

590
00:22:58,453 --> 00:22:59,621
but you will cook your own food!

591
00:22:59,721 --> 00:23:00,889
Like, a way to push me

592
00:23:00,989 --> 00:23:02,090
to not be vegan anymore.

593
00:23:02,190 --> 00:23:03,758
And it was, like,
okay, that's amazing.

594
00:23:03,858 --> 00:23:05,927
Then I will learn how to cook!
You know?

595
00:23:06,027 --> 00:23:08,363
And I started
using some things.

596
00:23:08,463 --> 00:23:10,598
I learnt from my grandma.

597
00:23:10,698 --> 00:23:12,567
And my business partner and I,
when we met,

598
00:23:12,667 --> 00:23:17,105
we both have that feeling
of we need to do something

599
00:23:17,205 --> 00:23:20,375
about all the things, like,
with animals, with human rights,

600
00:23:20,475 --> 00:23:22,377
water consumption,
carbon emissions.

601
00:23:22,477 --> 00:23:23,578
it's so important,

602
00:23:23,678 --> 00:23:26,314
and at that moment,
we felt a good way to do it

603
00:23:26,414 --> 00:23:27,615
was selling food.

604
00:23:27,715 --> 00:23:30,852
And have, like, an excuse
to talk with people about this.

605
00:23:30,952 --> 00:23:31,853
Veganism is kind of

606
00:23:31,953 --> 00:23:33,621
a new thing for Mexico,
isn't it?

607
00:23:33,721 --> 00:23:35,557
It's not so new,
but it's big.

608
00:23:35,657 --> 00:23:37,225
In fact,
the percentage of people

609
00:23:37,325 --> 00:23:38,326
going vegan or vegetarian

610
00:23:38,426 --> 00:23:39,727
is 20%
of the population.

611
00:23:39,828 --> 00:23:43,131
20% of people in Mexico City
are vegan or vegetarian?

612
00:23:43,231 --> 00:23:44,966
In Mexico the country.
It's so crazy.

613
00:23:45,066 --> 00:23:46,201
What?

614
00:23:46,301 --> 00:23:47,936
I saw the statistics,
and it was, like, seriously?

615
00:23:48,036 --> 00:23:48,937
Is that true?
But, yeah.

616
00:23:49,037 --> 00:23:50,338
Mena:
Laura's foodist activism

617
00:23:50,438 --> 00:23:52,073
goes back to her youth

618
00:23:52,173 --> 00:23:53,942
to fleeing Venezuela
as a refugee.

619
00:23:54,042 --> 00:23:55,310
She says: Where you

620
00:23:55,410 --> 00:23:57,278
are stripped
of everything you own,

621
00:23:57,378 --> 00:23:59,948
all you have left
is the things you've learnt.

622
00:24:00,048 --> 00:24:02,617
Which, for her, goes back
to cooking for family.

623
00:24:02,717 --> 00:24:05,386
When I cook for somebody
it's like it's my way to say

624
00:24:05,487 --> 00:24:07,088
I like you, I love you.

625
00:24:07,188 --> 00:24:09,491
You know, it's for me
it's so relatable with my values

626
00:24:09,591 --> 00:24:12,494
and my traditions,
my family traditions.

627
00:24:12,594 --> 00:24:15,196
I think food is one of those
things that's very universal.

628
00:24:15,296 --> 00:24:17,499
You know, it doesn't matter
of the colour of your skin,

629
00:24:17,599 --> 00:24:19,167
where you come from,
what language you speak,

630
00:24:19,267 --> 00:24:21,436
it's something
that everybody understands.

631
00:24:21,536 --> 00:24:23,037
You can go to any country...

632
00:24:23,137 --> 00:24:24,038
Yeah, totally.

633
00:24:24,138 --> 00:24:25,039
...in the world.

634
00:24:25,139 --> 00:24:26,808
Yeah,
it's like in a smile.

635
00:24:26,908 --> 00:24:29,644
And sit down and have a meal
and you instantly understand

636
00:24:29,744 --> 00:24:31,713
a little bit about them
and who they are so.

637
00:24:31,813 --> 00:24:32,814
Laura:
Totally.

638
00:24:32,914 --> 00:24:34,315
So I feel like
I've gotten to know you,

639
00:24:34,415 --> 00:24:36,684
not just through conversation,
but through the beautiful food.

640
00:24:36,784 --> 00:24:38,086
So thank you again.

641
00:24:38,186 --> 00:24:39,320
It's been a great meal.

642
00:24:39,420 --> 00:24:48,563
♪

643
00:24:48,663 --> 00:24:49,831
♪

644
00:24:49,931 --> 00:24:51,699
Given the complexity
of the Mexican palate,

645
00:24:51,799 --> 00:24:54,302
it's not surprising
their top restaurants land

646
00:24:54,402 --> 00:24:57,505
on all-world top 10 lists,
like Quintonil,

647
00:24:57,605 --> 00:25:00,875
recently rated the ninth best
restaurant on planet Earth.

648
00:25:00,975 --> 00:25:03,578
It's just a six month wait
to dine here.

649
00:25:03,678 --> 00:25:06,414
Quintonil prides itself
on using local producers

650
00:25:06,514 --> 00:25:07,949
with the best ingredients.

651
00:25:08,049 --> 00:25:10,818
It's not a vegan restaurant, but
they've always made it a point

652
00:25:10,919 --> 00:25:13,855
to have a vegan tasting menu
as part of their haute cuisine.

653
00:25:13,955 --> 00:25:18,359
{\an8}Chef Geraldine was born
and raised in Mexico City.

654
00:25:18,459 --> 00:25:20,295
{\an8}She grew up cooking
in her parents' fonda,

655
00:25:20,395 --> 00:25:22,030
{\an8}worked at Michelin-star
restaurants all over Europe

656
00:25:22,130 --> 00:25:24,632
{\an8}before returning home.

657
00:25:24,732 --> 00:25:26,334
What are we making today?

658
00:25:26,434 --> 00:25:30,905
We are going to make charred
avocado with green mole pipian.

659
00:25:31,005 --> 00:25:32,607
Mena:
Chef's mole is made

660
00:25:32,707 --> 00:25:35,410
of Thai basil, coriander seeds,
coconut milk, white pepper,

661
00:25:35,510 --> 00:25:38,179
and what makes it
a pipian sauce, pumpkin seeds.

662
00:25:38,279 --> 00:25:39,814
With an Asian fusion twist!

663
00:25:39,914 --> 00:25:42,317
Feels like a combination
of a mole and curry.

664
00:25:42,417 --> 00:25:44,185
Yeah,
we have Thailand ingredients,

665
00:25:44,285 --> 00:25:45,653
but we have also
Mexican ingredients.

666
00:25:45,753 --> 00:25:46,988
Very aromatic.

667
00:25:47,088 --> 00:25:49,524
I want that in a spray bottle.
I'd just spray it on me.

668
00:25:49,624 --> 00:25:51,292
Mm, fantastic, wow.

669
00:25:51,392 --> 00:25:53,361
Okay, we are going to cook it
a little bit here.

670
00:25:53,461 --> 00:25:54,696
Okay.

671
00:25:54,796 --> 00:25:56,564
Alright, so you've got these
beautiful Mexican pepitas,

672
00:25:56,664 --> 00:25:57,932
which are pumpkin seeds.

673
00:25:58,032 --> 00:25:59,934
You added it the sauce,
I'll add it into in my mouth.

674
00:26:00,034 --> 00:26:01,336
Yeah, because we want it
to be green...

675
00:26:01,436 --> 00:26:03,371
Yes.

676
00:26:03,471 --> 00:26:05,640
...we are going to--
some spinach.

677
00:26:05,740 --> 00:26:06,774
Mena:
This is spinach?

678
00:26:06,874 --> 00:26:08,443
Yeah,
this is spinach.

679
00:26:08,543 --> 00:26:10,678
Chef, I think I've been lied to
my whole life.

680
00:26:10,778 --> 00:26:11,679
Why?

681
00:26:11,779 --> 00:26:12,680
This is spinach?

682
00:26:12,780 --> 00:26:13,815
Yeah.

683
00:26:13,915 --> 00:26:15,483
Our spinach is small
and half of it is rotten

684
00:26:15,583 --> 00:26:17,151
by the time you get it
in the grocery store.

685
00:26:17,251 --> 00:26:20,421
No, we here in Mexico,
we have very, very big one.

686
00:26:20,521 --> 00:26:22,991
(Munching)

687
00:26:23,091 --> 00:26:26,227
It's almost like the spinach
I would imagine dinosaurs

688
00:26:26,327 --> 00:26:28,963
were eating back thousands
of years ago.

689
00:26:29,063 --> 00:26:30,632
Millions of years ago?

690
00:26:30,732 --> 00:26:32,066
Thousands?

691
00:26:32,166 --> 00:26:33,301
Millions?

692
00:26:33,401 --> 00:26:34,302
Thousands, I think.

693
00:26:34,402 --> 00:26:35,436
I don't know.

694
00:26:35,536 --> 00:26:37,372
The point is that this
spinach is massive.

695
00:26:37,472 --> 00:26:41,609
Yup, that's the expert analysis
you're tuning in for.

696
00:26:41,709 --> 00:26:44,579
But in my defense, I'm kind of
stunned by the size and quality

697
00:26:44,679 --> 00:26:47,582
of the ingredients, including
greens I've never tried before.

698
00:26:47,682 --> 00:26:50,018
We have also hoja santa.

699
00:26:50,118 --> 00:26:51,019
Mena:
Kind of looks like

700
00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:52,286
a banana leaf
or a plantain leaf.

701
00:26:52,387 --> 00:26:55,390
Yeah, this is really,
very aromatic.

702
00:26:55,490 --> 00:26:56,557
If you wanted to taste it...

703
00:26:56,658 --> 00:26:57,558
Yeah.

704
00:26:57,659 --> 00:26:59,193
...it is really freshness.

705
00:26:59,293 --> 00:27:00,561
Okay,
I will taste it.

706
00:27:00,662 --> 00:27:04,265
♪

707
00:27:04,365 --> 00:27:05,366
It almost tastes like carrots.

708
00:27:05,466 --> 00:27:06,734
Yeah.

709
00:27:06,834 --> 00:27:08,903
It has that kind of carrot,
kind of earthy flavour to it.

710
00:27:09,003 --> 00:27:10,571
Yeah, it's not too much strong.

711
00:27:10,672 --> 00:27:12,940
And then you get a little bit
of minty flavour as well.

712
00:27:13,041 --> 00:27:16,711
It's like a carrot and a mint
had a baby and it came out

713
00:27:16,811 --> 00:27:18,279
as a leaf,
and this is it.

714
00:27:18,379 --> 00:27:19,313
Hoja santa.

715
00:27:19,414 --> 00:27:20,381
Hoja santa.

716
00:27:20,481 --> 00:27:21,482
Hoja santa.

717
00:27:21,582 --> 00:27:23,251
We have all
of our ingredients here

718
00:27:23,351 --> 00:27:24,986
and we are going to blend it.

719
00:27:25,086 --> 00:27:28,823
(Whirring)

720
00:27:28,923 --> 00:27:30,158
(Laughs)

721
00:27:30,258 --> 00:27:31,492
Mena:
Usually this would be the crab,

722
00:27:31,592 --> 00:27:32,894
but we're using avocado
for the vegan dish.

723
00:27:32,994 --> 00:27:34,929
Yeah, we are going to cut it.

724
00:27:35,029 --> 00:27:36,397
I'm going to char.

725
00:27:36,497 --> 00:27:38,199
Mena:
Now that I don't think

726
00:27:38,299 --> 00:27:39,500
I ever had:
a charred avocado.

727
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,837
It really change
the flavour of the avocados,

728
00:27:42,937 --> 00:27:44,839
so it's really nice.

729
00:27:44,939 --> 00:27:48,342
And then we are going to add
the green mole, okay.

730
00:27:48,443 --> 00:27:49,711
Beautiful.

731
00:27:49,811 --> 00:27:53,614
And then we have some clayuda,
this traditional dish.

732
00:27:53,715 --> 00:27:56,451
We use it here
for like a chip.

733
00:27:56,551 --> 00:27:58,453
So it's like a crisp tortilla.

734
00:27:58,553 --> 00:28:00,121
Yeah, crispy tortillas, yes.

735
00:28:00,221 --> 00:28:03,791
And we have also cilantro
flowers, okay.

736
00:28:03,891 --> 00:28:04,926
Mena:
Wow, beautiful.

737
00:28:05,026 --> 00:28:07,028
From the same ones
this one.

738
00:28:07,128 --> 00:28:08,763
We have also oxalis.

739
00:28:08,863 --> 00:28:11,232
♪

740
00:28:11,332 --> 00:28:13,401
Wow.
I did not expect that.

741
00:28:13,501 --> 00:28:16,771
Just a kick of sourness
at the very end, wow.

742
00:28:16,871 --> 00:28:20,675
Yeah, and we finish the plate
with this oil we make with kale.

743
00:28:20,775 --> 00:28:21,943
Mena:
With kale?

744
00:28:22,043 --> 00:28:23,978
Yeah,
and we finish.

745
00:28:24,078 --> 00:28:25,513
Mena:
Wow, that's gorgeous, Chef.

746
00:28:25,613 --> 00:28:27,415
Absolutely gorgeous.
I don't even wanna eat it.

747
00:28:27,515 --> 00:28:29,584
I don't think I can eat it.
It's just beautiful.

748
00:28:29,684 --> 00:28:34,455
But I am definitely eating it.
I can't wait to dig into this.

749
00:28:34,555 --> 00:28:36,224
I want to get
the perfect bite here

750
00:28:36,324 --> 00:28:38,259
with that beautiful flower...

751
00:28:38,359 --> 00:28:39,293
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

752
00:28:39,393 --> 00:28:40,495
...with that punch of citrus.

753
00:28:40,595 --> 00:28:44,465
♪

754
00:28:44,565 --> 00:28:46,768
Mm, wow.

755
00:28:46,868 --> 00:28:48,202
The amount of flavour

756
00:28:48,302 --> 00:28:50,772
that's coming from
that pipian is incredible.

757
00:28:50,872 --> 00:28:53,574
All the leaves,
the herbs, yeah, yeah.

758
00:28:53,674 --> 00:28:55,576
And it's so delicate
at the same time.

759
00:28:55,676 --> 00:28:57,678
It's balanced in a way
that you can really taste

760
00:28:57,779 --> 00:29:01,048
every single ingredient
and get all those flavours.

761
00:29:01,149 --> 00:29:05,419
So you travelled abroad
and worked at Michelin-star

762
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:07,922
restaurants in Spain
and really all over the world.

763
00:29:08,022 --> 00:29:09,257
Yeah.

764
00:29:09,357 --> 00:29:11,592
And how were you able to kind of
marry that old tradition

765
00:29:11,692 --> 00:29:15,630
of Mexico to the new,
you know, techniques

766
00:29:15,730 --> 00:29:17,198
that you learned abroad?

767
00:29:17,298 --> 00:29:20,234
Here I learn that the product
has to be first.

768
00:29:20,334 --> 00:29:22,970
And being able to use
ingredients locally.

769
00:29:23,070 --> 00:29:26,040
Yes, it's very important
and we try to keep it together

770
00:29:26,140 --> 00:29:27,642
with Mexican cuisine.

771
00:29:27,742 --> 00:29:30,778
It says a lot to me
that at a restaurant,

772
00:29:30,878 --> 00:29:32,580
like ninth best restaurant
in the world,

773
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:34,549
you now
have plant-based options.

774
00:29:34,649 --> 00:29:35,917
Why?

775
00:29:36,017 --> 00:29:40,054
We know that cooking we can
change the way we used to eat.

776
00:29:40,154 --> 00:29:43,591
Now is more common, but because
the customer, the guest,

777
00:29:43,691 --> 00:29:47,428
came here and they say, I'm
vegan and that they can't have

778
00:29:47,528 --> 00:29:50,898
a delicious food and they can't
have our experience.

779
00:29:50,998 --> 00:29:53,901
Yeah, they can have an elevated,
prestigious experience.

780
00:29:54,001 --> 00:29:57,038
Yeah, a fine dining experience
and not only fast food.

781
00:29:57,138 --> 00:30:00,541
Yeah, I think people associate
vegan with, you know, something

782
00:30:00,641 --> 00:30:02,977
that's not very common,
you can't find it anywhere,

783
00:30:03,077 --> 00:30:04,412
it's not elite.

784
00:30:04,512 --> 00:30:07,982
But you are an elite restaurant
here and this food has,

785
00:30:08,082 --> 00:30:11,552
you know, exquisite flavours
and it's all plant based.

786
00:30:11,652 --> 00:30:12,620
Geraldine:
Yeah, yeah, yeah,

787
00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,122
we have awesome ingredients
to explore

788
00:30:15,223 --> 00:30:18,025
and the people can eat
really, really well.

789
00:30:18,125 --> 00:30:21,395
Do you think this would have
been possible 10, 15 years ago?

790
00:30:21,495 --> 00:30:23,064
15 years ago,
I think no.

791
00:30:23,164 --> 00:30:24,065
Mena:
Yeah.

792
00:30:24,165 --> 00:30:25,333
It's been changing.

793
00:30:25,433 --> 00:30:29,670
We all, the chefs, have been
realize that this can be

794
00:30:29,770 --> 00:30:32,807
an option and we are taking care
of the planet in the way

795
00:30:32,907 --> 00:30:34,542
that we can do something.

796
00:30:34,642 --> 00:30:39,614
You know, because small changes,
we can make a big difference.

797
00:30:39,714 --> 00:30:41,415
Mena:
Fascinating to see this change

798
00:30:41,515 --> 00:30:43,050
play out in real-time

799
00:30:43,150 --> 00:30:45,720
at the most cosmopolitan
high-end restaurants.

800
00:30:45,820 --> 00:30:49,557
After some elite dining,
it's time for a night-cap.

801
00:30:49,657 --> 00:30:55,897
♪

802
00:30:55,997 --> 00:30:58,332
Any big night in a major
metropolis is best done

803
00:30:58,432 --> 00:31:01,002
with a local who knows
the scene intimately.

804
00:31:01,102 --> 00:31:04,005
{\an8}Luckily, I'm hanging
with Jonathan Landa.

805
00:31:04,105 --> 00:31:07,775
{\an8}Born and raised in Mexico City,
he knows this town inside out.

806
00:31:07,875 --> 00:31:10,344
When he said there's no better
way to kick off a big night

807
00:31:10,444 --> 00:31:13,447
than a mezcal tasting at
an unlisted private speakeasy--

808
00:31:13,547 --> 00:31:16,918
I mean, mezcal's vegan,
so when in Mexico, right?

809
00:31:17,018 --> 00:31:19,487
We knew just the person
to hook it up.

810
00:31:19,587 --> 00:31:21,389
♪

811
00:31:21,489 --> 00:31:23,624
{\an8}Because our friend Natalia
isn't just a journalist,

812
00:31:23,724 --> 00:31:25,893
{\an8}she's also a mezcal aficionado

813
00:31:25,993 --> 00:31:28,796
{\an8}and the owner
of this incredible mezcal oasis.

814
00:31:28,896 --> 00:31:29,797
Natalia:
Come on in.

815
00:31:29,897 --> 00:31:31,065
Mena and Jonathan:
Thank you.

816
00:31:31,165 --> 00:31:34,468
Welcome to my mezcal
private collection room.

817
00:31:34,568 --> 00:31:35,569
It's a beautiful one.

818
00:31:35,670 --> 00:31:37,104
Mena:
Wow, very cool, very cool, wow.

819
00:31:37,204 --> 00:31:38,272
Yes.

820
00:31:38,372 --> 00:31:40,041
So how many mezcals
would you say you have?

821
00:31:40,141 --> 00:31:42,410
50 varied mezcals.

822
00:31:42,510 --> 00:31:44,712
This is just a quarter
of the collection

823
00:31:44,812 --> 00:31:45,947
that we have at our house.

824
00:31:46,047 --> 00:31:47,748
Mena:
A quarter!

825
00:31:47,848 --> 00:31:49,884
Natalia:
We have from all over,

826
00:31:49,984 --> 00:31:53,187
from Wahaka, San Luis Potosi,
Durango, Chihuahua.

827
00:31:53,287 --> 00:31:55,589
A lot of people,
their reference is Wahaka.

828
00:31:55,690 --> 00:31:56,824
Mena:
Yeah.

829
00:31:56,924 --> 00:31:58,759
But actually there's so much
more about mezcal.

830
00:31:58,859 --> 00:32:01,395
Well, that's what makes mezcal
very unique from tequila, right?

831
00:32:01,495 --> 00:32:03,230
Tequila's typically only made
in very few regions.

832
00:32:03,331 --> 00:32:04,231
Yes.

833
00:32:04,332 --> 00:32:05,566
Mena:
Only from the blue agave plant.

834
00:32:05,666 --> 00:32:06,834
Natalia: Yes.

835
00:32:06,934 --> 00:32:09,670
Mezcal can be made from
over 35 different varietals?

836
00:32:09,770 --> 00:32:10,805
Yes.

837
00:32:10,905 --> 00:32:13,140
Mena: Those varietals
are farmed and harvested

838
00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:14,542
all over Mexico,

839
00:32:14,642 --> 00:32:16,577
and the mezcal is created
through labour-intensive

840
00:32:16,677 --> 00:32:18,980
traditional methods
of smoking, crushing

841
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,148
and distilling the agave plant.

842
00:32:21,248 --> 00:32:23,617
It results in an extremely
pure high test spirit,

843
00:32:23,718 --> 00:32:25,720
often 100 proof or more.

844
00:32:25,820 --> 00:32:27,555
Think about tequila as you think
about champagne,

845
00:32:27,655 --> 00:32:30,124
and think about mezcal
as a other variety.

846
00:32:30,224 --> 00:32:33,094
So wine, champagne
is only from one region.

847
00:32:33,194 --> 00:32:35,463
So, mezcal:
different regions,

848
00:32:35,563 --> 00:32:37,331
different varieties of mezcal.

849
00:32:37,431 --> 00:32:40,167
A lot of people, their first
reference is that mezcal

850
00:32:40,267 --> 00:32:43,170
is smoky
but not necessarily.

851
00:32:43,270 --> 00:32:45,773
You're tasting
agave plants that take

852
00:32:45,873 --> 00:32:48,576
six, 10, and 15,
18 years to grow.

853
00:32:48,676 --> 00:32:49,577
Mena: Yeah.

854
00:32:49,677 --> 00:32:50,911
Natalia: You don't
want to shoot it.

855
00:32:51,012 --> 00:32:52,580
You want to enjoy it.
You want to respect it.

856
00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:53,614
Of course.

857
00:32:53,714 --> 00:32:55,149
Enough with the talk.

858
00:32:55,249 --> 00:32:56,951
The party's coming!

859
00:32:57,051 --> 00:32:59,320
We're going to start with a kind
of, like, relatable mezcal

860
00:32:59,420 --> 00:33:01,088
that a lot of people like.

861
00:33:01,188 --> 00:33:04,859
And this is from Oaxaca, from a
town that is called Chichicapa.

862
00:33:04,959 --> 00:33:08,095
Put a little bit on your finger
and then put it--

863
00:33:08,195 --> 00:33:11,599
Rub the alcohol
in your hand and let it dry.

864
00:33:11,699 --> 00:33:13,067
It's kind of like a perfume.

865
00:33:13,167 --> 00:33:14,769
Mena: Yeah.

866
00:33:14,869 --> 00:33:15,970
It smells like a wood or--

867
00:33:16,070 --> 00:33:17,571
Yeah, I'm smelling more wood
now, you're right.

868
00:33:17,671 --> 00:33:19,106
Natalia: Yes.

869
00:33:19,206 --> 00:33:20,741
Yeah, I'm feeling it!

870
00:33:20,841 --> 00:33:22,076
All: Cheers.

871
00:33:22,176 --> 00:33:23,377
Thanks for having us, Natalia.

872
00:33:23,477 --> 00:33:24,412
Natalia:
Welcome to Mexico.

873
00:33:24,512 --> 00:33:26,814
Thank you.

874
00:33:26,914 --> 00:33:28,315
Delicious.

875
00:33:28,416 --> 00:33:30,117
This is quality
mezcal, my friends.

876
00:33:30,217 --> 00:33:31,685
It's smokiness
but I am definitely

877
00:33:31,786 --> 00:33:33,354
getting sweetness
in it as well.

878
00:33:33,454 --> 00:33:35,389
The incredible thing about
mezcal is that I don't

879
00:33:35,489 --> 00:33:38,692
really wake up with a hangover,
a lot of the times.

880
00:33:38,793 --> 00:33:39,960
Yes.

881
00:33:40,061 --> 00:33:42,296
Because we're talking about one
ingredient, right?

882
00:33:42,396 --> 00:33:43,431
Yes.

883
00:33:43,531 --> 00:33:45,099
It's the heart of the agave,
and that's it.

884
00:33:45,199 --> 00:33:46,734
Across Mexico, hundreds of
distilleries produce

885
00:33:46,834 --> 00:33:49,537
over two million litres of
agave-based mezcal a year,

886
00:33:49,637 --> 00:33:50,938
and it's growing.

887
00:33:51,038 --> 00:33:53,140
My love for mezcal exploded
during my time waiting tables,

888
00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,010
and I love seeing it have
its moment in the sun.

889
00:33:56,110 --> 00:33:58,245
This one comes
from Chihuahua.

890
00:33:58,345 --> 00:34:01,715
I'm going to pour and you're
going to tell me what you smell.

891
00:34:01,816 --> 00:34:04,151
Spicier, kind
of like pink peppercorn.

892
00:34:04,251 --> 00:34:06,353
For me, this one
is like leathery.

893
00:34:06,454 --> 00:34:07,588
All: Cheers!

894
00:34:07,688 --> 00:34:08,989
(Clink)

895
00:34:09,090 --> 00:34:10,858
Well, the flavour is different,
completely different

896
00:34:10,958 --> 00:34:11,926
than the first one.

897
00:34:12,026 --> 00:34:13,194
Mena: Yeah.

898
00:34:13,294 --> 00:34:15,563
This is the proof that mezcal
is not necessarily smoky.

899
00:34:15,663 --> 00:34:16,564
Yeah.

900
00:34:16,664 --> 00:34:17,765
Are you ready for
the next one?

901
00:34:17,865 --> 00:34:18,966
Oh, my god, yeah.

902
00:34:19,066 --> 00:34:20,901
I, yeah--
I guess so, Natalia.

903
00:34:21,001 --> 00:34:23,270
I mean, we've got
to keep up with you here.

904
00:34:23,370 --> 00:34:25,139
Oh, you're bringing
out the honkers.

905
00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:26,273
These are my babies.

906
00:34:26,373 --> 00:34:28,109
(Laughing)

907
00:34:28,209 --> 00:34:31,011
Tell me what you smell there.

908
00:34:31,112 --> 00:34:33,114
Oh, more of a sweetness.

909
00:34:33,214 --> 00:34:34,115
It kind of almost tastes like--

910
00:34:34,215 --> 00:34:35,483
Yeah, like candy.

911
00:34:35,583 --> 00:34:36,517
It smells like
candy, right?

912
00:34:36,617 --> 00:34:37,852
Yes.

913
00:34:37,952 --> 00:34:39,753
Yes, a lot of times
it has a little funk,

914
00:34:39,854 --> 00:34:42,423
cheesy kind of--

915
00:34:42,523 --> 00:34:44,158
Yeah! You're right.

916
00:34:44,258 --> 00:34:46,093
It kind of tastes like cheese.

917
00:34:46,193 --> 00:34:48,295
And this is stronger than the
other two, a little bit.

918
00:34:48,395 --> 00:34:50,297
Yeah. I mean, hey, listen,
anytime you get alcohol

919
00:34:50,397 --> 00:34:52,333
in a clear unmarked bottle,

920
00:34:52,433 --> 00:34:55,035
it's going to be
strong, man, that's--

921
00:34:55,136 --> 00:34:57,438
That's a universal truth.

922
00:34:57,538 --> 00:34:59,073
(Laughing)

923
00:34:59,173 --> 00:35:01,509
Three ounces turns to four,
which turns to cinco ,

924
00:35:01,609 --> 00:35:03,644
which turns
to a good old time...

925
00:35:03,744 --> 00:35:05,279
Cheers, guys, cheers.

926
00:35:05,379 --> 00:35:06,447
Salut!

927
00:35:06,547 --> 00:35:07,448
We say "salut"
in Mexico.

928
00:35:07,548 --> 00:35:08,949
All: Salut!

929
00:35:09,049 --> 00:35:10,284
(Clinking)

930
00:35:10,384 --> 00:35:12,620
Mena: ...before a grand
night on the town.

931
00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:14,088
Salut!

932
00:35:14,188 --> 00:35:16,423
{\an8}♪

933
00:35:16,524 --> 00:35:19,426
{\an8}The journey to Mexico City
has been incredible,

934
00:35:19,527 --> 00:35:20,828
{\an8}and for the final leg,

935
00:35:20,928 --> 00:35:22,263
{\an8}my girlfriend Emily's
joining me

936
00:35:22,363 --> 00:35:23,264
{\an8}to check out a borough

937
00:35:23,364 --> 00:35:25,666
{\an8}that dates back past the Aztecs,

938
00:35:25,766 --> 00:35:28,402
{\an8}a natural haven you'd never
expect to see in a city

939
00:35:28,502 --> 00:35:32,072
{\an8}of 22 million people:
the chinampas.

940
00:35:32,173 --> 00:35:33,841
With its canals and gondolas,

941
00:35:33,941 --> 00:35:36,277
the chinampas on the Xochimilco
lake system are often called

942
00:35:36,377 --> 00:35:38,712
the Venice of Mexico,

943
00:35:38,812 --> 00:35:42,650
but this is actually
ancient farmland.

944
00:35:42,750 --> 00:35:45,152
♪

945
00:35:45,252 --> 00:35:46,520
With its super-high-altitude,

946
00:35:46,620 --> 00:35:49,757
Mexico City was never an easy
place to grow food,

947
00:35:49,857 --> 00:35:52,159
but these floating
farms were created

948
00:35:52,259 --> 00:35:54,461
using millennia-old
aqua-culture techniques

949
00:35:54,562 --> 00:35:58,432
to form rich cropland that
barely needs watering.

950
00:35:58,532 --> 00:36:02,336
Now it provides fresh produce
to population-dense Mexico City

951
00:36:02,436 --> 00:36:05,372
and restaurants
like Quintonil every day.

952
00:36:05,472 --> 00:36:07,241
Frankly, it's ingenious.

953
00:36:07,341 --> 00:36:09,210
{\an8}We're here to meet
Ricardo Rodriguez,

954
00:36:09,310 --> 00:36:10,911
{\an8}a farmer and activist
who's working tirelessly

955
00:36:11,011 --> 00:36:13,447
{\an8}to revitalize
these iconic farms.

956
00:36:13,547 --> 00:36:14,648
{\an8}Hi, guys, welcome.

957
00:36:14,748 --> 00:36:15,950
{\an8}- Hey!
- Hi.

958
00:36:16,050 --> 00:36:16,984
{\an8}Ricardo?

959
00:36:17,084 --> 00:36:18,085
{\an8}Yeah, nice to meet you.

960
00:36:18,185 --> 00:36:20,187
{\an8}I'm Mena. Nice to meet you.
This is Emily.

961
00:36:20,287 --> 00:36:22,389
{\an8}Hi. Emily.
Nice to meet you.

962
00:36:22,489 --> 00:36:24,792
Welcome to my land.
This is a chinampas.

963
00:36:24,892 --> 00:36:26,794
Mena: Wow, this is beautiful.

964
00:36:26,894 --> 00:36:28,729
What does "chinampas" refer to?

965
00:36:28,829 --> 00:36:31,432
The chinampas come
from 2,000 years ago.

966
00:36:31,532 --> 00:36:32,766
It means the Toltecs,

967
00:36:32,866 --> 00:36:36,737
they built a net
of branches and they put--

968
00:36:36,837 --> 00:36:38,906
They add soil on top

969
00:36:39,006 --> 00:36:40,608
and then another
lid of branches,

970
00:36:40,708 --> 00:36:42,276
mud, branches, and mud,

971
00:36:42,376 --> 00:36:45,713
and the last lid was with soil,

972
00:36:45,813 --> 00:36:47,214
and in that soil
they sow in the seeds.

973
00:36:47,314 --> 00:36:48,482
Mena: So basically
they've created

974
00:36:48,582 --> 00:36:50,317
floating farms, essentially?

975
00:36:50,417 --> 00:36:51,852
Ricardo: Right.

976
00:36:51,952 --> 00:36:53,787
This is all on water that we're
standing on right now?

977
00:36:53,887 --> 00:36:54,788
If you feel, it's spongy...

978
00:36:54,888 --> 00:36:55,956
Yeah.

979
00:36:56,056 --> 00:36:56,991
...this is, the land.

980
00:36:57,091 --> 00:36:58,525
How old are these lands?

981
00:36:58,626 --> 00:37:00,894
Thise lands have
an age of 124 years.

982
00:37:00,995 --> 00:37:03,264
Oh, this specific land?

983
00:37:03,364 --> 00:37:04,698
This specific,
but all the system,

984
00:37:04,798 --> 00:37:06,200
2,000 years ago.

985
00:37:06,300 --> 00:37:07,201
Wow, that's incredible.

986
00:37:07,301 --> 00:37:08,269
Yeah, that's amazing.

987
00:37:08,369 --> 00:37:09,703
Amazing.

988
00:37:09,803 --> 00:37:11,739
If you observe,
we have volcanic soil

989
00:37:11,839 --> 00:37:13,474
because it's very dark.

990
00:37:13,574 --> 00:37:14,608
Mena: Yeah, very, very black.

991
00:37:14,708 --> 00:37:16,076
And it's rich in minerals

992
00:37:16,176 --> 00:37:18,979
because the city was surrounded
by five volcanoes.

993
00:37:19,079 --> 00:37:20,514
Mena: Ricardo
bought the chinampas

994
00:37:20,614 --> 00:37:23,450
14 years ago and completely
transformed it.

995
00:37:23,550 --> 00:37:26,153
I found this land,
the grass here.

996
00:37:26,253 --> 00:37:27,588
Really?

997
00:37:27,688 --> 00:37:28,822
It's very tall.

998
00:37:28,922 --> 00:37:31,191
Completely abandoned it.
We didn't have anything.

999
00:37:31,292 --> 00:37:35,629
And now it's a new land
and produce food,

1000
00:37:35,729 --> 00:37:38,932
four to seven
harvests every year.

1001
00:37:39,033 --> 00:37:40,267
Wow.

1002
00:37:40,367 --> 00:37:43,904
And if you observe around of us,
we can see butterflies.

1003
00:37:44,004 --> 00:37:46,840
Mena: Incredible.
Tons of butterflies, yeah.

1004
00:37:46,940 --> 00:37:49,176
My farmers they don't
use any pesticides.

1005
00:37:49,276 --> 00:37:52,546
It's agro-ecological crops.

1006
00:37:52,646 --> 00:37:54,315
So is it technically organic?

1007
00:37:54,415 --> 00:37:55,349
Right.

1008
00:37:55,449 --> 00:37:56,617
Mena: His farm
is vegan utopia:

1009
00:37:56,717 --> 00:38:00,387
carrots, cabbage, broccoli,
spinach, kale, fennel,

1010
00:38:00,487 --> 00:38:05,259
corn, cilantro, and, yes,
kaleidoscopes of butterflies.

1011
00:38:05,359 --> 00:38:07,528
And you've got some
beautiful mint here?

1012
00:38:07,628 --> 00:38:09,363
This is stevia.

1013
00:38:09,463 --> 00:38:10,397
Stevia?

1014
00:38:10,497 --> 00:38:11,398
No way, stevia?

1015
00:38:11,498 --> 00:38:12,399
The sweet leaves.

1016
00:38:12,499 --> 00:38:13,734
Really? Can I, may I?

1017
00:38:13,834 --> 00:38:15,102
Ricardo: Yeah, sure.

1018
00:38:15,202 --> 00:38:17,137
Because I've never actually
seen stevia in person. Wow.

1019
00:38:17,237 --> 00:38:18,572
You can taste.

1020
00:38:18,672 --> 00:38:21,108
Here, smell this one.

1021
00:38:21,208 --> 00:38:24,011
Oh, my gosh,
it's sweet as heck.

1022
00:38:24,111 --> 00:38:25,279
Oh, my gosh.

1023
00:38:25,379 --> 00:38:27,381
Do you feel the explosion
of flavour in your mouth?

1024
00:38:27,481 --> 00:38:29,717
Wow, that's insane!

1025
00:38:29,817 --> 00:38:31,018
Ricardo farms
by inter-cropping,

1026
00:38:31,118 --> 00:38:34,455
often planting
in the ancient milpa style,

1027
00:38:34,555 --> 00:38:37,391
growing a wide variety
of complementary crops

1028
00:38:37,491 --> 00:38:38,625
to avoid the vulnerabilities

1029
00:38:38,726 --> 00:38:39,927
modern mono crops
have to plague.

1030
00:38:40,027 --> 00:38:44,431
If you have a diversify
of products, what happens?

1031
00:38:44,531 --> 00:38:48,135
You protect the area
and you create life inside,

1032
00:38:48,235 --> 00:38:52,673
because you have butterflies,
pollinators, bees, everything.

1033
00:38:52,773 --> 00:38:55,576
If the plagues arrive,
they only attack one of them,

1034
00:38:55,676 --> 00:38:57,778
and you have the rest
of the crop

1035
00:38:57,878 --> 00:38:59,446
for continue survive.

1036
00:38:59,546 --> 00:39:03,217
And it's much better because
you've found a symbiosis.

1037
00:39:03,317 --> 00:39:05,252
And do restaurants come
and buy this produce?

1038
00:39:05,352 --> 00:39:08,155
Like, who are you selling to,
or who are you serving here?

1039
00:39:08,255 --> 00:39:10,257
In the beginning,
14 years ago,

1040
00:39:10,357 --> 00:39:13,494
I sell the production
with the restaurants,

1041
00:39:13,594 --> 00:39:15,596
all of them, 25.

1042
00:39:15,696 --> 00:39:18,599
Not anymore because
now they have chinampas.

1043
00:39:18,699 --> 00:39:20,601
They arrange their own lands and
they produce their own food.

1044
00:39:20,701 --> 00:39:21,969
Mena: Wow.

1045
00:39:22,069 --> 00:39:23,437
And this is amazing

1046
00:39:23,537 --> 00:39:26,607
because my real job is try
to restore the lands.

1047
00:39:26,707 --> 00:39:29,576
Mena: Only 4% of the chinampas
are currently farmed,

1048
00:39:29,676 --> 00:39:31,545
putting the ecosystem at risk.

1049
00:39:31,645 --> 00:39:33,847
The canals need to be dredged
and the soil farmed,

1050
00:39:33,947 --> 00:39:36,617
or the whole system will
eventually collapse.

1051
00:39:36,717 --> 00:39:40,087
Local restaurants are leading
the charge to save this unique,

1052
00:39:40,187 --> 00:39:42,956
ancient system with
farm-to-table cuisine.

1053
00:39:43,056 --> 00:39:46,226
So this old tradition that
was created by the Aztecs...

1054
00:39:46,326 --> 00:39:47,561
Yeah.

1055
00:39:47,661 --> 00:39:49,596
...thousands of years ago,

1056
00:39:49,696 --> 00:39:52,266
is now being preserved by these
restaurants who are preserving

1057
00:39:52,366 --> 00:39:55,269
their own chinampas because it
helps their business

1058
00:39:55,369 --> 00:39:58,372
but also they're
preserving the chinampas?

1059
00:39:58,472 --> 00:40:01,241
Right, and it's a way for create
conscience, you know,

1060
00:40:01,341 --> 00:40:03,110
because we need to the
people of Mexico City,

1061
00:40:03,210 --> 00:40:04,812
they need to know in this area

1062
00:40:04,912 --> 00:40:08,048
we can grow the best
food of the city.

1063
00:40:08,148 --> 00:40:10,551
In a lot of parts of the world,

1064
00:40:10,651 --> 00:40:12,319
the world is evolving
into a more sustaining

1065
00:40:12,419 --> 00:40:13,554
way of life, right?

1066
00:40:13,654 --> 00:40:14,855
Yeah.

1067
00:40:14,955 --> 00:40:17,057
People now-- consumers now care
about sustainability:

1068
00:40:17,157 --> 00:40:19,026
Where is their food coming from?
How is it growing?

1069
00:40:19,126 --> 00:40:20,561
Yeah.

1070
00:40:20,661 --> 00:40:22,329
Is it preserving the land?
Is it hurting the land?

1071
00:40:22,429 --> 00:40:23,897
Is it like that
in Mexico now as well?

1072
00:40:23,997 --> 00:40:26,800
It start to be,
in the last 10 years,

1073
00:40:26,900 --> 00:40:29,570
but now we start
to say to the people:

1074
00:40:29,670 --> 00:40:31,505
"Get the basics.

1075
00:40:31,605 --> 00:40:34,708
Eat the food from the fields.
This is much better."

1076
00:40:34,808 --> 00:40:35,909
Fantastic.

1077
00:40:36,009 --> 00:40:39,513
I'm struck by how closely
aligned veganism

1078
00:40:39,613 --> 00:40:40,714
and the local food
movements are.

1079
00:40:40,814 --> 00:40:43,851
They're milpa:
they grow best together.

1080
00:40:43,951 --> 00:40:46,620
Vegans often choose their diet
for ethical reasons.

1081
00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:49,122
Like Laura, it can entail
fighting climate change

1082
00:40:49,223 --> 00:40:50,724
and carbon emissions.

1083
00:40:50,824 --> 00:40:52,326
And the growing
local food movement

1084
00:40:52,426 --> 00:40:56,697
serves those purposes
from this ancient system.

1085
00:40:56,797 --> 00:40:59,066
♪

1086
00:40:59,166 --> 00:41:01,935
Mexico City's deep-rooted
connection to its own history,

1087
00:41:02,035 --> 00:41:05,906
to its ancestors
is simply staggering.

1088
00:41:06,006 --> 00:41:09,109
Imagine, we're about to try
traditional huitlacoche

1089
00:41:09,209 --> 00:41:12,412
quesadillas on fresh tortillas
from the farm,

1090
00:41:12,513 --> 00:41:14,882
and made with
cactus nopales soup,

1091
00:41:14,982 --> 00:41:16,650
prepared the same way

1092
00:41:16,750 --> 00:41:18,585
they've been made
here for centuries.

1093
00:41:18,685 --> 00:41:24,892
♪

1094
00:41:24,992 --> 00:41:26,193
Ricardo: Cheers.
Thanks for coming.

1095
00:41:26,293 --> 00:41:27,227
All: Cheers.

1096
00:41:27,327 --> 00:41:28,228
Mena: To the chinampas.

1097
00:41:28,328 --> 00:41:29,296
(Clinking)

1098
00:41:29,396 --> 00:41:31,632
- Salut!
- Salut.

1099
00:41:31,732 --> 00:41:35,736
So how many chinampas
would be all around here?

1100
00:41:35,836 --> 00:41:41,208
In all the area,
we can found 22,000.

1101
00:41:41,308 --> 00:41:42,876
22,000 chinampas?

1102
00:41:42,976 --> 00:41:43,877
22,000 chinampas.

1103
00:41:43,977 --> 00:41:44,912
So it's massive?

1104
00:41:45,012 --> 00:41:46,313
Yeah, it's very massive.

1105
00:41:46,413 --> 00:41:47,514
Is it government
protected at all?

1106
00:41:47,614 --> 00:41:49,483
Yeah, and the UNESCO.

1107
00:41:49,583 --> 00:41:50,951
This is a ecological reserve.

1108
00:41:51,051 --> 00:41:52,119
Mena: Right.

1109
00:41:52,219 --> 00:41:55,122
Ricardo: Here we can
see birds, turtles.

1110
00:41:55,222 --> 00:41:57,224
It's a unique area
and we need to carry the idea,

1111
00:41:57,324 --> 00:42:00,127
because we want
the people to know

1112
00:42:00,227 --> 00:42:02,729
from which places
come their food

1113
00:42:02,829 --> 00:42:07,000
because you create conscience
in the people and in the city.

1114
00:42:07,100 --> 00:42:08,936
♪

1115
00:42:09,036 --> 00:42:11,772
Mena:
Oh, wow, a mariachi band!

1116
00:42:11,872 --> 00:42:12,839
It's so cool!

1117
00:42:12,940 --> 00:42:14,575
Is this travelling
on the water?

1118
00:42:14,675 --> 00:42:15,576
Yeah.

1119
00:42:15,676 --> 00:42:17,177
That's amazing.

1120
00:42:17,277 --> 00:42:18,579
♪

1121
00:42:18,679 --> 00:42:21,081
Ola!

1122
00:42:21,181 --> 00:42:24,384
Have a little song.

1123
00:42:24,484 --> 00:42:26,386
(Singing in Spanish)

1124
00:42:26,486 --> 00:42:33,794
♪

1125
00:42:33,894 --> 00:42:40,167
♪

1126
00:42:40,267 --> 00:42:46,573
♪

1127
00:42:46,673 --> 00:42:48,408
Bravo!

1128
00:42:48,508 --> 00:42:49,543
(Cheers and applause)

1129
00:42:49,643 --> 00:42:51,678
Thank you.

1130
00:42:51,778 --> 00:42:54,114
Muchas gracias!
Muchas gracias.

1131
00:42:54,214 --> 00:42:57,651
♪

1132
00:42:57,751 --> 00:42:58,852
Listening to the mariachis play
us out

1133
00:42:58,952 --> 00:43:01,588
is an unbelievable moment,

1134
00:43:01,688 --> 00:43:03,724
a fitting coda
for Mexico City,

1135
00:43:03,824 --> 00:43:06,226
floating on
millennia-old canals,

1136
00:43:06,326 --> 00:43:08,562
already dreaming
of returning someday

1137
00:43:08,662 --> 00:43:11,765
to indulge in show-stopping
street eats,

1138
00:43:11,865 --> 00:43:14,234
Insta-worthy tacos,
intricate moles,

1139
00:43:14,334 --> 00:43:16,703
and visit with the artists,
chefs, activists

1140
00:43:16,803 --> 00:43:21,375
and abuelas who call
la Ciudad de Mexico home.

1141
00:43:21,475 --> 00:43:24,144
I cannot wait to return.

1142
00:43:24,244 --> 00:43:27,314
(Upbeat instrumental music)

1143
00:43:27,414 --> 00:43:35,288
♪

1144
00:43:35,389 --> 00:43:43,263
♪

1145
00:43:43,363 --> 00:43:51,238
♪

1146
00:43:51,338 --> 00:43:54,608
(Whirring)

1147
00:43:54,708 --> 00:43:56,943
(Musical swell)