mucho gusto. welcome to veracruz. i m meeting with this food historian. she s written a book on local cuisine and is my guide. [ speaking non-english ] [ speaking non-english ] [ speaking non-english ]
chili. is this how it started? yeah, we re going try a chili. it s a mixture between two cultures. it s the mexican one and the spanish. yet another of veracruz s culinary gifts to the world, the famous jalapeno originated right here in jalapa. around 60 miles inland from the port, the capital city is nestled in lush, fertile landscape. jalapeno peppers have been cultivated here since the time of the aztecs. just dig in? okay. yes. so what s inside of it? what s the filling? it s many ingredients. it s tomato, it s rice. mmm. oh my good.
communities and the people who live and work there grow and thrive. we re proud to call these places home too. they re where we put down roots, and where together, we work to help move everyone s financial goals forward. pnc bank. [upbeat music] - i love coffee. and it came to mexico via, yep, veracruz. it arrived here from the caribbean in the 18th century 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. like mi amiga, actress
life. oh, so don t forget to pack your dancing shoes. this is the exact spot my 13th great grandfather landed, right here in the port of veracruz from spain. he was 11 years old. it is 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
around 400 yearsings ago, a spanish nobleman set sail for the new world. his name, lorenzo longoria. my ancestors arrival changed history, creating modern mexico and a gateway between it and the rest of the world. everything started here. it s also the cradle of mexican gastronomy because all ingredients landed in this spot. and all the ingredients in mexico left from here, chocolate, vanilla, the tomato. can you imagine italian cuisine without the tomato, or french pastry without chocolate and vanilla? impossible. the people of veracruz took this treasure trove of ingredients passing in and out of the port and created a whole new cuisine. sp