- Around 400 years ago, a Spanish nobleman
set sail for the New World.
His name--Lorenzo Longoria.
My ancestor's arrival in the Port of Veracruz,
along with millions of others through the centuries,
changed history, creating modern Mexico,
and a gateway between it and the rest of the world.
This is the cradle of Mexico. Everything started here.
It's also the cradle of Mexican gastronomy
because all ingredients landed in this spot.
And all the ingredients from Mexico left from here--
chocolate, vanilla, the tomato.
Can you imagine Italian cuisine without the tomato
or French pastries without chocolate and vanilla?
Impossible.
[upbeat music]
The people of Veracruz took this treasure trove
of ingredients passing in and out of the port
and created a whole new cuisine.
Wow.
I'm Eva Longoria, born and bred in Texas
with Mexican-American roots, which makes me a Texican.
I'm exploring Mexico to see how the people, their lands,
and their past have shaped a culinary tradition
as diverse as its 32 states.
The port's strategic position saw
Veracruzanos fight off repeated invasions
right into the 20th century.
But this history of conflict,
from Indigenous power struggles to African slavery,
created a cultural Big Bang...
With a legacy of strong flavors...
Oh, my God.
Pioneered by strong women.
I will. [laughs]
Veracruzanos are famous for their defiant spirit.
- We're known as...
- Matched only by a lust for life.
Oh, so don't forget to pack your dancing shoes.
[cheers and applause]
[steady music]
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
This is the exact spot my 13th great-grandfather landed,
right here in the Port of Veracruz from Spain.
He was 11 years old,
so it's kind of amazing
I'm walking in his footsteps right now.
And I'm going to discover the diversity
that Veracruz has to offer.
Only 60 miles wide, Veracruz stretches
some 400 miles along the Gulf Coast.
These warm waters are home to around 120 species of fish.
But fishermen have been selling just five of them,
bringing them close to extinction.
Now an award-winning chef is campaigning
to cast the net wider.
Hola! - Eva, ¿cómo estás?
- Muy bien.
Gracias.
This is a beautiful restaurant.
Erick Guerrero left
Mexico City's world-famous Pujol restaurant
to return home on a one-man mission
to transform the fishing industry in Veracruz.
So this was caught this morning?
And what type of fish is this?
Okay.
I know it's not the prettiest thing,
but Erick's not one to judge by appearances.
- Okay...
- It's a lazy fish. Flojo, muy flojo.
[laughs]
Yeah.
Why do you care so much...
What are we going to make with the fish?
- Un ceviche.
- Oh, I love ceviche.
What's the name? - Boquilla.
- Boquilla.
- Of course, for his mouth.
Also known as sailor's grunt,
this guy might not be an obvious choice for ceviche,
but it's got Erick's vote.
Look at that. That's beautiful.
It doesn't even smell like fish.
Yep.
A little onion and jicama...
I love jicama 'cause it gives a good crunch.
Okay.
A drizzle of lemon oil...
What?
I love frijoles in anything!
But are they hot?
Uh-huh.
Some avocado and dressing...
¿Así?
Oh, that's so beautiful!
Okay.
And we're done.
Do I just scoop it, or what happens?
- Exacto.
Mmm.
Oh, my God.
This has changed my life.
I'm now going to make ceviche with frijoles forever.
This is amazing.
For me, the contrast of hot beans with cold ceviche
is a revelation.
And who would have thought those ugly fish
could taste so exquisite?
But apparently there's more.
These are soft-shell crabs?
Uh-huh.
But this is the most popular. [chuckles]
These blue crabs must be caught
just before they shed their exoskeleton
and then cooked straight after while they're still soft.
[oil bubbling]
Oh, my God.
Oh, look at that. That's gorgeous.
- So the tamarindo goes first? - Exacto.
- Soft-shell crabs thrive in warm waters of the Gulf,
making them an easy catch--
not a bad thing from where I'm standing.
Uh-huh.
[laughs]
Ooh, purple onion.
Chile.
It wouldn't be Mexican if there wasn't chile y limón.
- Ahí vamos. Ahí vamos. - Ahí vamos.
It's so crispy.
Wow.
That's a great combination-- the tamarindo with the crab.
So refreshing.
- No.
- What do you want the world to know
about the cuisine of Veracruz?
- [laughing] Eso.
Erick's passion for cooking with every type of fish
from Veracruz makes him a hero in my book,
and I'll drink to that.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- I love coffee.
And it came to Mexico via, yep, Veracruz.
It arrived here from the Caribbean in the 18th century
before passing on throughout Latin America.
I enjoy it best with friends.
[screams]
Likemi amiga, actress Ana de la Reguera.
- ¿Cómo estás? How are you?
I know! I'm so excited that you're here!
- I can't believe it. This is a crazy-busy place.
La Parroquia, said to be Mexico's oldest cafe,
is one of Ana's favorite haunts.
So Veracruz is super special to you.
Obviously, you're from here. - Yes, I was born here.
And my family's still here.
- What does the rest of Mexico think of Veracruz?
- We are known as...
- [laughs]
- Because I guess we're prankers,
and we're always saying, like...
So, okay.
So we are known because of our sense of humor.
- Sense of humor.
- We're very good also at dancing.
The danzónis from here. Salsa.
- Everything started here. - Exactly. Exactly.
A lot of first things happened here.
You know, the conquis--
you know, the Spanish came through Veracruz.
The coffee--that's why coffee, the first place.
Hi! - [speaking Spanish]
- Oh, my God.
- Okay. - Perfecto.
- [tapping glass] - Exactly!
- Yay! - So...
- I'm a Veracruzana. - There he is.
- Oh, that was fast.
¿Es leche? - That's leche.
- Okay.
- You can tell him how much milk that you have.
- Ya, ya, ya, ya.
- [tapping glass]
[light music]
♪ ♪
This is so fun.
Ringing the glass with a spoon is a tradition
that started way back in the late 19th century,
when tram drivers in the port rang their bells
to order a coffee as they passed.
Mmm.
- Is it good? - Oh, my God.
- I really recommend you to go to the coffee fields.
- Where are they?
In the mountains? - In the mountains.
- No, I'm definitely going to go see the coffee fields.
That's, like... - Yes.
- Top of my list.
Well, you don't need to tell me twice.
This is so beautiful.
After coffee arrived here,
Veracruzanos took it inland to cultivate it,
where it flourished,
before exporting it back to the rest of the world.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
This landscape is amazing.
I don't feel like I'm in Mexico.
I feel like I'm in an Amazon rain forest.
Today Veracruz produces around a quarter of Mexico's coffee,
which thrives in the shade and altitude of mountain areas
like Coetzala.
The cooler temperatures up here
slow the growth of the beans,
making them sweeter and more dense,
and the denser the bean, the better the flavor.
Hola. - Hola.
Hi, Eva. How are you?
- Muy bien. Nice to meet you.
- Welcome to Coetzala. - Thank you.
- And this is a coffee field.
- My guide, Itzel Mendoza,
is passionate about these coffee fields
and supporting local women in agriculture.
- This is the plant of the coffee--look.
- Oh, my God, look at this. Oh, is this a bean?
- Yes. That's a bean. - Oh, I found one already.
- Yes.
- In the 1990s, coffee prices plummeted,
driving farmers to the U.S. in search of work
and leaving many women behind to fend for themselves.
- A lot of men-- they went to the north,
and these coffee fields were no--
- Abandoned. - Yes, abandoned.
And then the "womens," they said, "What we do?
We go, or we stay in our land?"
We grew coffee.
And this kind of coffee is very interesting
because we have, like, a lot of flowers
that we're going to cook today.
- Oh, we can eat the flowers? - Yes.
- Oh. Okay.
- These are the flowers of San Lorenzo.
- Oh, San Lorenzo. - So maybe you can cut.
- Okay. Oh, Lord.
Okay, I hate when it's, like--
the high pressure of, like, there's one plant that grows.
How long does it take to grow? - Like, one year.
- Oh, just a year.
Okay. Down here?
- Yes, yes. - Okay.
- Perfect.
- But the coffee isn't the only thing
full of flavor around here.
Apparently these shade-grown flowers are also delicious.
And we're going to cook them in a stew.
[sizzling]
Yeah? - Sí, sí.
- It might not seem an obvious combination...
but as well as being packed with vitamins,
the sweetness of these izote petals
enhances the flavor
of the tomato, onion, and garlic broth.
And dough balls help thicken the stew.
Oh, that's beautiful.
The tesmole will be served alongside a salsa
made with the San Lorenzo flower I picked...
And some palm flowers dipped in a light batter and fried
till crisp.
Okay. - Okay, vamos.
- Vamos.
- Oh, my God, look at these little petals.
Ooh!
You can feel the fragrance from the petals.
- Yes.
- Mm.
I love that.
Mmm!
To me, the palm-flower fritter
has a sweet and sour zucchini taste.
Amazing texture.
Oh, I love this texture.
The women of Coetzala
may have been left to fight for survival,
but I think their resourcefulness
has not only led to a wonderful way of cooking,
but it's also given them strength and stature,
just like the flowers of the coffee fields.
Oh, my gosh, this is so good.
[church bells tolling tune of "La Bamba"]
- ♪ Bamba, bamba ♪
I love that the church bells is "La Bamba."
I grew up listening to "La Bamba,"
but I had no idea the roots of this folk song
go back to the 18th century
and the quarter of a million enslaved Africans
who were brought to Veracruz.
These African cultural influences,
surviving two centuries of the slave trade,
blended with those of the Indigenous people,
as well as the Spanish,
like my ancestor Lorenzo Longoria,
and today neighborhoods around the port
reflect this unique mix of cultures.
Hola. - Hola, Eva.
- Mucho gusto. - Qué gusto.
- Welcome to Veracruz. - Muchas gracias.
I'm meeting with food historian
Nidia Hernández Medel.
She's written a book on local cuisine
and is my guide to La Huaca.
- It's impossible to overstate the impact of African culture
on this region.
But even at the peak of the slave trade,
there was resistance.
In 1631, a group of rebel slaves led by Gaspar Yanga,
won the right to live as free people in their own region.
It was a small but significant victory,
given it would take another two centuries
before slavery ended in Mexico.
Sí.
♪ ♪
Wow.
Yuca frita.
Okay.
So they're both roots.
- Así es.
- Africans missed the yams of their homeland
but discovered the similar Latin American yuca.
Ever since, it's been used for popular dishes
like crispy fried yuca with garlic.
- ¿Sí? Qué bueno. - Sí.
¿Sí?
Mama Yuca? [laughs]
- [laughs]
¿Sí? - Sí.
Of course, it goes without saying
that plantain fritters are also on the menu.
Introduced by the Spanish,
the trees provided shade for valuable crops like coffee.
The leftover fruit was used to feed enslaved communities.
We smash them,
and then we're going to put them back in the oil.
Okay. Back in the pan they go.
They're like potato chips. You can't eat just one.
Mmm. Wow.
Mm-hmm.
[chuckles]
Sí.
Oh, muchas gracias.
- Aquí está. Whoa.
- Te ayudo. - Vamos.
♪ ♪
- [singing in Spanish]
- Wow!
♪ ♪
This blend of African,
Indigenous, and Spanish influences
extends from Veracruzanos' cooking
to the music of the fandango...
which originally was a form of protest music.
And I find the passion and rebellion it conveys
contagious.
But let's face it.
I'm not one to stand by and watch.
- [singing in Spanish]
- This seductively feisty culture shouts resistance...
♪ ♪
The Veracruzano way.
♪ ♪
- Vamos. [cheers and applause]
- Muchas gracias!
- So I've traveled north from the Port of Veracruz
to the region where vanilla originates.
This is where the plant is from.
I'm so excited.
I'm probably the biggest fan of vanilla.
I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
They say good things come to those who wait,
and the prized vanilla bean from Veracruz
is definitely one of those things.
[gasps]
I don't think I've ever seen so many vanilla beans
in one place. - Yeah.
Yeah, it's from Mexico-- the best aroma.
- I've been invited here by Norma Gaya,
from Mexico's oldest vanilla family,
who have been harvesting it for hundreds of years.
And she is the first woman
to take charge of the business.
So, if vanilla is endemic to Mexico,
is Mexico the number-one producer?
- No.
- Turns out that Madagascar produces about 80%
of the world's vanilla.
But guess what.
It was Veracruz that gave it to them.
- It's more expensive than in Madagascar.
- 'Cause it's the best? - Yeah, it's the best.
Of course it's the best.
And now here, you can see how they are taking care
of each vanilla beans.
- To cut each vanilla bean.
- Each vanilla bean, just to be sure.
- It can get infected with something?
So she has to cut the tip off. - Exactamente.
- Wow.
Very labor intensive.
And that's just the tip of the vanilla bean.
Wait till you hear what it takes to create it
in the first place.
[jazz music]
♪ ♪
- This is the vanilla plantation.
- Is it just this one?
Native to the north of Veracruz,
the vanilla plant
was originally only pollinated by bees,
until it was discovered
that you could do the same job by hand.
I never knew they were vines. - Yes.
- I don't know why I thought it was like a bush or a plant,
like a...
Vanilla comes from the seed pods
of a hermaphrodite orchid.
The flower has to be pollinated
in a single window of a few hours, or it will die.
Now get ready for a bit of biology.
- The vanilla plant is like a woman.
- Okay.
- So, if you want to pollinate,
you need to speak very lovely.
- [laughs]
- And then open it. - Uh-huh.
- And you are going to take out the pollen from the male
and put it inside of the female organ.
- So we're impregnating... - Yes.
- The woman.
- And then you need to wait nine months
in order to make the crop.
- Like a baby. - Yes.
And then you need to do it. - Oh, gosh, no.
Okay, what happened-- Oh, Lord. Okay.
- Here. - Uh-huh.
- You see? You need to open.
- I open this part right here? - Yeah.
- God, I need glasses. - [chuckles]
Yeah.
- [softly] Oh, God, I am not breathing.
[normal voice] And that's the male right there?
- Yeah. So you need to open it.
- Okay. [laughs]
I don't want to [bleep] up the vanilla bean.
Okay, okay.
Okay, here we go.
So I'm-- - Yeah. Yes.
There is the pollen. Then pull it down and push it.
- Is that it? - Yeah.
- Did I make vanilla baby? - Yes.
- Feel like we need a glass of wine.
[laughing] - Yeah.
- Yay! We did it.
- So the people now need to do it,
like, 5,000 per day, something like that, for one month.
- That's so stressful.
You have to do that with all of these flowers?
- Yeah. - That's amazing.
I'm happy I'm only doing one.
This painstaking process makes vanilla
one of the most expensive spices in the world,
worth nearly its weight in gold.
- This is the family house.
- Oh, this is so beautiful.
- We are going to cook chicken with vanilla.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Is very typical dishes in the family.
- And here it is. Here's the bean.
- Yes. Yes. - And what is this?
- Natas.
- Nata is the thick, butter-like cream
that forms on the top of milk after it's been boiled.
- Here, yes, it's a typical ingredient.
- And do we put the vanilla in here?
- Yes. - Now we're talking.
It's like gold. This is like-- - Yeah, it's a black gold.
- Mmm. That's amazing.
I put it in here? - Yes.
- It's so vibrant-- just that small amount.
And vanilla extract? - Some vanilla extract.
- Uh-huh.
And this is your vanilla extract from the vanilla bean.
- Yes. Yes. - Yes.
- Now we add braised onions to this hot, creamy mixture.
Wow. - Ready.
- Okay. Now we go to blend it?
- Yeah. [blender whirring]
- Because this is going to be the sauce of the chicken?
- Yes.
- Flavoring savory dishes with vanilla
is a thing around here.
I've never had chicken with vanilla.
Inspired by Norma's great-grandfather's recipe,
the sauce is added to chicken pieces
gently sauteed in butter.
So what was it like growing up in a vanilla family?
Of the process, of jobs...
- Do you have brothers? - Yeah.
- But they're not in the business?
- Because you're a woman? - Yeah, I'm a woman.
Uh-huh.
- "I will." [laughs]
[gasps] - Eva, the plate is ready.
- Now that all the flavors have had a chance to marry,
tiny pieces of vanilla are sprinkled on top.
It's like caviar.
You got to be very sparing with it.
How's that? - Great.
- We even add vanilla to the salad dressing
to enhance the flavors of mango and feta.
Mmm. Oh, that's refreshing.
All right. Et voilà.
Hola.
- This is my son and my father.
- Hola, señor. Un placer.
Mm.
Mm-hmm.
Okay, let me try this dish that I've never had before.
- It's good. - Oh, my God.
Mmm.
Everybody has to eat this when we're done.
The finale to this incredible day is dessert.
Bananas doused in the homemade vanilla liqueur--
another recipe from Norma's great-grandfather.
Oh, this looks beautiful. Gracias.
Oh, look at this vanilla bean ice cream.
Just melting.
Wow. Thank you so much for today.
What an experience. - Thank you.
- I was so excited.
I've been such a fan of vanilla,
and now I know everything about it.
And I've impregnated a vanilla bean, so...
- Yeah. - [chuckles]
- I'm a proud parent. [laughter]
[dramatic music]
- So this is El Tajín.
This place was inhabited by the Totonac civilization,
and they were very prosperous.
You can tell just by these ruins.
There's many buildings dedicated
to ceremonies and rituals.
It extends forever.
Over 1,000 years ago,
way before any Spanish arrived,
two civilizations vied for supremacy in Veracruz--
the Aztecs and the Totonacs.
And up here in the north,
it was the Totonacs that prevailed.
Set between two large streams
that flow to the Tecolutla River,
El Tajín was perfectly shielded from attack
and is one of the best-preserved
pre-Hispanic cities in Mexico.
This strategic advantage was key to the survival
of the Totonac people.
And this particular culture is still practicing
their rituals and ceremonies today.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
Hola. - Buenas tardes.
- ¿Cómo están? Buenas tardes. - Buenas tardes.
- My host, doña Marta, founded Smoke Women,
a group that keeps ancient Totonac traditions alive
while also supporting local women.
Okay.
Smoke has always been integral to Totonac culture.
It's used in preserving food and also in cooking rituals.
A shot of moonshine keeps the Devil away.
Okay.
El Tajín's position between two rivers
didn't just provide protection.
It was also a source of food for the local community,
like these freshwater shrimps, or acamayas,
which we're going to cook.
- Sí.
- [laughing]
Just so y'all know.
You know, nature doesn't lie.
[chuckles]
They are the star ingredient of a traditional Totonac stew
called huatape.
Mm-hmm.
- Sí. - Sí.[laughs]
Chile piquín. He grows these.
Uh-huh.
Okay.
Everything we're using in these recipes
is foraged from the local area,
like these chaga mushrooms,
which are crushed to make the filling for the empanadas.
- Sí...
Sí.
Y las vamos a...
- These look amazing.
Wow. So beautiful.
A few minutes on the heat...
And our Totonac feast is ready.
♪ ♪
Mmm.
Okay.
She sucked the head.
Okay, let's have this mushroom empanada.
[crunches]
Mmm. Crispy.
Oh!
And a little spicy.
It tastes very...
both: Mm-hmm.
Smoke preserves,
but it can also change to fit the shape of the space.
And from what I've seen, the Totonacs
also know how to adapt.
Maybe it's that attitude and resilience
that's the secret to doña Marta's success.
Gracias.
[laughs] Muchas gracias.
[upbeat music]
- Hola! - Welcome, Eva.
- Gracias.
- Are you hungry? - Yeah.
- Want to join me? - Yes.
I'm always hungry.
I'm so excited to meet Luis Palmeros,
ranked one of Mexico's best new chefs.
But before I get to see him in action,
there's someone special he wants me to meet.
- I'm going to introduce you
one of the most important traditional cooks here.
It's doña Rocío. - Okay.
- It's amazing person and amazing cook.
- Luis wants me to try doña Rocío's specialty,
a stuffed jalapeño.
Hola! - Hola, hola.
- Let me introduce-- - Soy Eva. Mucho gusto.
- She teach me how to cook the chili.
- Oh, my God.
So is this where it all started?
[laughs] - Yeah.
We're going to try
a traditional version of the chili.
It's a mixture between two cultures.
It's the Mexican one and the Spanish.
- [gasps]
Yet another of Veracruz's culinary gifts to the world--
the famous jalapeño
originated right here in Xalapa.
Around 60 miles inland from the port,
the capital city is nestled in lush, fertile landscape.
♪ ♪
Jalapeño peppers have been cultivated here
since the time of the Aztecs.
- You should-- - Just dig in, okay.
- Yeah, you should--
- You dig in. - Just dig in.
- And so what's inside of it? What's the filling?
- Its main ingredients-- it's tomato, it's raisins.
- Mmm.
- Yeah, of course.
- Oh, my God.
- I know this is beautiful
because it's the traditional way.
- Yeah.
- But I'm going to introduce you my version.
- Well, I don't know if you can top doña Rocío's.
I don't know. - No.
[laughs]
- To create a modern version of chile en caldillo,
we need a suitably modern space.
The vibe is stripped back and simple.
I suspect the food will be anything but.
[gasps]
- And this is what's going to go inside the chili.
- Sí. Inside the chili.
- In his cooking, Luis celebrates
different culinary influences, like fried African plantain.
Raisin. - Raisins, yes.
- That's very Spanish.
And he combines these
with capers and herbs for the fillings.
Oh. - And I'm going to...
- And it catches on fire! - Yeah, of course.
- Mmm.
You can smell that alcohol mixed with the plantain.
- With the plantains--
- I mean, it makes the plantains...
- The smell... - Explode.
Yeah. - You know, exploded, yeah.
- As a tribute to Totonac tradition,
Luis smokes the filling for 12 to 16 hours.
Thank God he's got one ready.
It smells amazing. - Sí. No.
- You can smell every single spice.
Like, there's not one that overpowers the other.
- Está listo.
- Okay.
Oh, my God.
Guys, I don't want to brag, but mine is perfect.
[chuckles]
Yeah, yeah.
God, look at that!
It's like the Mexican flag.
[chuckles]
Sí.
That's so beautiful! I need my phone!
[laughter]
Thank you.
But it's not just the food.
At this restaurant, even the drinks are smoked.
Oh, this is so beautiful-- a smoked Aperol.
Stanley Tucci has to see this.
Salud. Gracias. - Bienvenida a Cuarto Blanco.
- Mmm.
Let's see.
Mmm.
[giggles]
This is amazing.
This is quite different from this morning
but, at the same time, very, very familiar
and definitely nods to the traditional way
you make chile relleno.
Mm-hmm.
Just as my roots in Veracruz go back hundreds of years,
so do the origins of every recipe.
Veracruzanos continue to celebrate the produce
that pass through their port,
but fighting for the freedom to create something new
has also been a cornerstone of their rich history.
And with that kind of mindset,
you just know there are more great things to come.