Mexico City is a kaleidoscope of cultures. Ever since ancient times, many “microcities” have flourished within this metropolis, all with their own history, style and subtle differences in cuisine – unique markers often obscured by the chaos of urban Mexico City. On this tour we will focus on one of the most emblematic – and unexplored – neighborhoods of the city, Azcapotzalco, a place of significant history and culinary traditions. With the backdrop of factories-cum-cultural centers, former farms, and city streets lined with distinct architectural styles, we will track down those flavors born in Azcapotzalco, learn about their origin and meet the people preserving them in neighborhood restaurants, street stalls, bakeries and cantinas. We will begin our day, as much of the neighborhood does, with a café de olla – spiced coffee – and a piece of sweet bread, then move on to huevos encamisados, enchiladas, freshly made juices and other house specialties at a family-run backstreets restaurant that happens to be one of Mexico City’s best. Later on, there will be offal tacos, a reminder of the slaughterhouses that once operated nearby. We’ll also stop into an artisanal tortillería for a deep dive into the production of this most elemental of Mexican foods, along with a tasting. And at a third-generation street stand, we will sample drinks that trace their roots to Aztec times. We’ll finish in a cantina opened some 110 years ago by a family from Italy, where we’ll try the house cocktail and small dishes that reflect both classic Mexican traditions and the founders’ European roots. Once our walk is complete, Azcapotzalco’s collage of foods and landscapes comes into view, showing the multiple sides of this often-overlooked corner of this unexplored neighborhood – one with perhaps the strongest personality in all of Mexico City.
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