It s like every childhood memory is wrapped up in a flour tortilla for me. - so what is the characteristic of a regio? - yeah. it s amazing to think that two staples of north mexican cuisine, the flour tortilla and cabrito, may come from the legacy of centuries of jewish history here. i think it s so impressive that something so hidden is now at the forefront of gastronomy in nuevo león. muchas gracias. - salud.
To collect a cherished ingredient that s been on the menu in nuevo león for thousands of years. so you raise them here and then let them go? - yep. - rancho del puerto, one of the hundreds of ranches in nuevo león, specializes in deer farming. - so we have, like, three or four breeding pens, with 20, 25 does per stud. - mm-hmm. so there s only one man in here? - yeah. - and these are his ladies. - his ladies. - so are they all pregnant? - right now? we hope they are. [laughs] - oh. the deer may be bred in captivity, but then they re freed to roam, just like their ancestors did. there s many stone carvings made by the nomads who lived here 8,000 years ago that depict the food they hunted. wow. that s gonna be a lot of meat. - yeah. - that s gonna be good. jorge supplies premium venison to restaurants all over monterrey.
I feel so small. so we are arriving in monterrey. it s literally the land of mountains. that s what it means, king of mountains. i m in the state of nuevo león in northeast mexico. you see the mountains and the rocks. this terrain is not easy on the people. it s very, very tough living, and because of that, they ve had to be very innovative with their cuisine. 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 food of nuevo león is the food i grew up with. it s like every childhood memory is wrapped up in a flour tortilla for me. the chefs here are inventive and resourceful. - [speaking spanish]
You see the mountains and the rocks. this terrain is not easy on the people. it s very, very tough living, and because of that, they ve had to be very innovative with their cuisine. 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 food of nuevo león is the food i grew up with. it s like every childhood memory is wrapped up in a flour tortilla for me. the chefs here are inventive and resourceful. - [speaking spanish] - transforming simple ingredients into mouthwatering classics. you guys need a tamale! and age-old recipes into culinary works of art.
- one bite? look, go ahead and say adiós to vegetables for a while. [speaking spanish] this is the land of meat. this is definitely a mexican kitchen tool right here. mountains of meat. - but i m not complaining. i love meat. this is amazing! [upbeat music] [acoustic guitar music] you know, i m mexican american. we ve been in texas for 13 generations. we never crossed the border. the border crossed us. and i think that s why i have so much in common with nuevo león and the north. it s so similar to how i grew up.