Now, an awardwinning chef is campaigning to cast the net wider. Hola. [ speaking nonenglish ] this is a beautiful restaurant. Eric left mexico citys World Famous Restaurant to return home on a oneman mission to transform the Fishing Industry in veracruz. So, this was caught this morning . [ speaking nonenglish ] and what type of fish is it . [ speaking nonenglish ] okay. I know its not the prettiest thing, but erics not one to judge by appearances. [ speaking nonenglish ] its a lazy fish. [ speaking nonenglish ] yeah. [ speaking nonenglish ] why do you care so much . [ speaking nonenglish ] what are we going to make with the fish . Oh, i love ceviche. Whats the name . Also known as sailors grunt, this guy might not be an obvious choice for ceviche, but its got erics vote. [ speaking nonenglish ] look at that. Its beautiful. [ speaking nonenglish ] it doesnt even smell like fish. [ speaking nonenglish ] a little onion and jicama i love it because it gives a good crunch. A drizzle of lem
now, an award-winning chef is campaigning to cast the net wider. hola. [ speaking non-english ] this is a beautiful restaurant. eric left mexico city s world famous restaurant to return home on a one-man mission to transform the fishing industry in veracruz. so, this was caught this morning? [ speaking non-english ] and what type of fish is it? [ speaking non-english ] okay. i know it s not the prettiest thing, but eric s not one to judge by appearances. [ speaking non-english ] it s a lazy fish. [ speaking non-english ] yeah. [ speaking non-english ] why do you care so much? [ speaking non-english ] what are we going to make with the fish? oh, i love ceviche. what s the name? also known as sailor s grunt, this guy might not be an obvious choice for ceviche, but it s got eric s vote. [ speaking non-english ] look at that. it s beautiful. [ speaking non-english ] it doesn t even smell like fish. [ speaking non-english ] a little onion and jicama
In this bewitching place, culinary wonders are conjured. Theres a lot of exciting chefs coming out of this region. And oaxaca is now a mecca for food lovers in the know. So good. The Gastronomic Wizards here. Wow. Can summon so many of mexicos most iconic ingredients. Have you ever seen such a rainbow of corn . Its the original string cheese. Im eva longoria, Born And Bred in texas with mexicanamerican roots, which makes me a texican. Im exploring mexico to see how the people, their lands, and their past have shaped a culinary tradition as diverse as its 32 states. Nestled within three vast mountain ranges, oaxaca is so blessed with food riches. Roasted chocolate. Its as if the gods themselves dined here. And for its ancient indigenous communities. [laughter] this land and its produce is sacred. But in these parts, youve got to work hard for your dinner. Oh, my god. I mean, really hard. God, im sweating. Wish me luck. [shouts] [steady music] since prehispanic times, Ancient Trade Route
- oh, it s cold. it s cold. so this is called a cenote. it s a natural sinkhole. it s very unique to the yucatán peninsula. they were very sacred to the mayans. they believed that this was a passage to the underworld. the maya define the culture of yucatán. as one of the great civilizations in central america, their influence is everywhere. this is huge! their dna runs through every local dish. - [speaking spanish] - and their ancient ways are still a source of inspiration. - let s let it burn a little bit more, and. - more? - we grind. - 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. i don t think i ve ever seen an avocado this big. - here in yucatán, there are so many great ingredients. - with searingly hot weather all year round, time moves at a slower pace in yucatán. - [speaking maya
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! [up