International Tequila Day: Three Ways To Combine It To Enhance The Flavors Of Mexican Cuisine

On March 20, Mexico celebrates National Tequila Day. However, the whole world has been able to celebrate this drink since the July 24, 2006 UNESCO declared World Heritage to the 34,658 hectares of landscape of agave, the blue plant that has been used since the 16th century to make tequila and, “for at least 2,000 years, to produce fermented drinks and make clothes from its textile fibers”.

To this international decoration To this can be added the old industrial installations of Tequila, Jalisco (Mexico), which include “areas of archaeological remains of terraced cultures, houses, temples, ceremonial burial mounds and ball courts which constitute a testimony of the culture of Teuchitlán, predominant in the region of Tequila between the years 200 and 900 of our era ”, founds UNESCO. However, the totality of industrial facilities, fields, distilleries, farms and towns includes the municipalities of Magdalena, Amatitán, El Arenal, Tequila and Teuchitlán.

When we talk about Mexican identity We can think of traditional hats, mariachis, ranchera music, the artist Frida Khalo who has become an icon across the world, in the murals of Diego Rivera, but without a doubt Tequila is the foolproof item in the heart of this country.

Nearly, the tequila making process follows certain steps shared by most distilleries. Part of the shredded blue agave to extract the sugars which are then cooked. This is followed by fermentation and then distillation, a process by which water is removed and the alcohol in the fermented wort is concentrated. Finally, the Particle filtering which achieves maximum transparency in the liquid and the time required is aged depending on the type of tequila you want to obtain: reposado (from 2 months to 1 year), Añejo (from 1 to 3 years) and Extra Añejo (minimum 3 years). There are other categories called white or silver, young or gold.

Tequila can go very well with dinner, on its own or in a glass. Lemon and salt are perhaps the most typical accompaniments for consumption, but not the only ones. The owner and creator of Lupita Puerto Madero, Daniel Saguir, lived in Mexico where he learned about the gastronomic culture of this country which he then brought to Argentina with some adaptations. This has made Lupita one of the most recognized places to taste traditional Mexican cuisine.

“Depending on the complexity of the notes of each type of tequila you can make different pairings that take advantage of their characteristics to assemble them with products and dishes where the flavors are enhanced ”, To explain. But the library is divided as there are those who think that cask tequilas are best enjoyed on their own, but it’s a matter of taste “rested and aged tequilas offer very characteristic flavors and go well with flavor. intense and more complex, ”explained.

How to pair it with tequila

Some options recommended by Lupita to combine flavors in the best way can be:

Mexican Ceviche – Classic Margarita (Tequila Blanco)

White tequilas generally go well with seafood, a good ceviche which is a dish with a marked acidity will go very well with a young tequila which does not obscure the flavors of seafood.

Chicken & Beef Mix – Margarita de Todos los Santos (tequila macerated with pink pepper)

A tequila macerated with pink pepper has notes that pair well with red and white meats, vegetables and flavors that are not too overwhelming. Fajitas only contain these ingredients and that is why a drink with this type of tequila will have a very good harmony.

Molcajete de Ojo de Bife y Chorizo ​​- Hot Margarita (macerated tequila with jalapeños)

The tequila macerated with jalapeños will give a very light touch of spice to our drink, it will enhance a dish like Ojo de Bife and Chorizo ​​molcajete where the flavors are already stronger and more persistent in the mouth. This slight heat will help us balance these flavors, making the tequila flavor present and rounding off the red fruit flavors.

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