around 400 years ago, a spanish nobleman set sail for the new world. his name? lorenzo longoria. my ancestor s arrival, along with millions of others through is centuries, changed history, creating modern mexico and a gateway between it and the rest of the world. this is the cradle of mexico, everything started here. it s also the cradle of mexican gastronomy, because all ingredients landed in this spot, and all the ingredients from mexico left from here. chocolate, vanilla, the tomato. can you imagine italian cuisine without the tomato, or french pastries without chocolate and have a vanilla vanilla? impossible. the people here created a whole new cuisine. wow. 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 port s strategic position saw them fight off repeated invasions right into the 2
so this is called a senote. it is unique and sacred to the mayans. they believed it was a passage to the underworld. the maya defined the culture of yuk tan as one of the great civilizations. their influence is everywhere. this is huge. their dna runs through every local dish. and their ancient ways are still a source of inspiration. that s let it born a little bit more. i m eva long gor yeah born and bred in mention texas with mexican roots. i m tex-mex. i don t think i have ever seen avocado this big. so many great ingredients. with hot weather all year-round, time moves at a slower pace here. when it s taken hundreds of years to build the pyramids, waiting a day for your dinner to cook is no big deal. eight hours. i just hope i can be as patient as my hosts. i wanna taste the pig ! its long coastline has always linked it to the outside world. it has the largest maya population in mexico, dating back 4,000 years. they were pioneering and industrious. t