Rick Stein enjoys the unique dishes and the enduring legacy of Mexico.
Rick Stein's journey begins to draw to a close as he heads east from Oaxaca to the Yucatan Peninsula - a place once frequented by real pirates of the Caribbean, including our own Sir Francis Drake. Here, where the Europeans first landed over five hundred years ago, the local folk have lighter skins and bluey-green eyes. They feast on the hottest chilli of them…
For Mexicans, their most revered dishes come from the south and their Mecca is undeniably Oaxaca, where locals still dress in traditional costume, bringing to life the enduring descriptions of writers like D H Lawrence, who fell in love with the area. This is the land that coined the phrase 'people of the corn', the former site of the desert empire of the Zapotecs,…
Rick heads to the capital - a melting pot that encapsulates a country that, despite its narrow stature, crosses three time zones.
Leaving the Baja Peninsula, Rick explores the western mainland. He lands in the town that placed tequila - and probably Mexico - on the world map and the metropolis that gave us mariachis and dishes like carne con chile.
Rick enjoys a hearty steak and eggs American diner special and bids a fond farewell to his trusty Ford Mustang as he heads across what is reputed to be the busiest border crossing in the world – San Diego to Tijuana – to begin his Mexican adventures.
Rick Stein continues travelling down the Californian coastline immortalised by Steinbeck, past citrus groves, vineyards that inspired one his favourite movies, Sideways, and into the city of dreams, Los Angeles.
Rick Stein journeys from northern California to Mexico, enjoying unique dishes and the enduring legacy of Mexico.