A Very Large Comal

When it comes to cooking, Mexico is a huge country. There are many regional variations from one part of Mexico to another, which makes for a vast and diverse cuisine. There are however, several items which tie the whole of Mexican cooking together.

The cooking of ingredients on a comal (a flat cast iron pan) is uniquely Mexican. Many Mexican cooks put foods on these comales and roast them until the exterior is often slightly burned. This burnt garlic, onion or chile skin is then removed…but what is left behind is a subtle and smoky flavor that is found throughout Mexican cuisine.

The use of corn masa is another uniquely Mexican culinary trait. This paste, made from dried field corn, significantly affects nearly every dish served in Mexico. Where you see a bread basket on every European and most American tables, you will see a basket of freshly made corn tortillas in Mexico. There are also tamales, enchiladas, and an entire category of dishes called antojitos (small plates) that are traditionally made from this corn masa.

Fusion cuisine was all the rage in the mid 1990’s. Chefs were fusing cuisines from all over the world on the same plate, and some of the combinations were very forced and strange. Mexican cuisine is a natural fusion cuisine because it slowly fused Spanish continental cuisine with Mexican Native cuisine. A robust and vibrant cuisine existed in Mexico prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores nearly 500 years ago. The Spanish brought spices, pork, rice and European cooking techniques to supplement the cuisine that already existed in Mexico. These two cuisines naturally fused over the centuries, but in Mexico the cuisine of the gulf coast actually exhibits more Spanish influence than in areas which remained more true to native cooking such as Oaxaca and the Yucatan Peninsula. It is the natural blending of cuisines that makes Mexican cooking so ingenious and adaptable.

Tequila is arguably the most popular and misunderstood Mexican alcohol. It is a spirit made from the fermented and distilled agave plant. While there are over 400 types of Agave, Tequila is made only from the Blue Agave plant. Even though U.S. and Mexican experts both state that Tequila can be produced in any region of Mexico, it is traditionally made in the northern and northwestern areas of Mexico, known as the “Tequila” are of Mexico. This area is located in the Western Mexico state of Jalisco.

The Blue Agave harvest is a centuries old tradition and is done by men called “Jimadors”, who harvest the plants by hand, using a special knife called a “Coa”. Roughly 300 million Blue Agave plants are harvested each year to make Tequila and each “Pinta” (the pulp of the agave plant) weighs in the neighborhood of 40-70lbs.

While agave based alcohols have been around since the late 16th century, Tequila, as it is known today was first mass produced in the Tequila region, near Guadalajara, Mexico in the 1800’s.

Once distilled, the clear Tequila is left to age in oak barrels. The preferred barrels come from America, Canada and France. Typically, Tequila is aged in white oak though some distilleries use charred oak, similar to Bourbon or Scotch, or barrels previously occupied by other types of alcohol such as Whiskey or Wine.

The flavor profile of Tequila depends on many variables including region, sugar content or even how high above sea level the Blue Agave grew before it was harvested. Often times, older (Anejo) Tequilas will inherit distinct flavors from whatever barrels they were stored in as well as from the alcohol previously stored in the barrels.

Though the preferred and traditional way to drink Tequila is straight, it is also known as a very versatile spirit in which to mix cocktails. Many drink straight Tequila with salt and lime, though the more traditional Mexican way of imbibing Tequila is to alternately sip the Tequila and a non-alcoholic, tomato and citrus based mixture called Sangrita (translates to: “little blood”). This technique is widely popular in Jalisco.

The Tequilas of BARRIO fall into 3 main categories…

Blanco (White) or Plata (Silver): This is Tequila in its “purest” form. It can be bottled directly after distillation or settled in stainless steel tanks for up to 4 weeks, after which it is moved to oak barrels to begin the aging process.  Though, it can be held up to one more month in oak barrels and still be considered a Blanco. Any more than 2 months and it is considered a…

Reposado (Rested): This is a Tequila that has been settled in oak barrels for anywhere between 2 and 11 months before bottling. In this stage, the spirit begins to get a golden hue from the oak barrels and begins to show a good flavor balance between the sweet agave and the wood flavors of the barrels.

Anejo (Aged): As the name implies, Anejo Tequila is aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of 1 year and as much as 3 years.  It is in this aging stage that the spirit darkens to a deep amber color and the flavors become deeper, richer and more complex. Anejo Tequilas are often compared to Scotch or Bourbon.

Our Blancos incldue Corzo, Cuervo Familia Reserva, Partida, Casa Noble, Aha Toro, Herradura, Patron and Gran Patron Platinum.

Our Reposados include Milagro, Corrolejo, Partida, Chinaco, Aha Toro, Chamucos, Cazadores, Sauza Hornitos, El Jimador, Hussong’s Agave and Gran Centanario.

Our Anejos include Milagro, Cuervo Familia Reserva, Partida, Chinaco, Casa Noble, Aha Toro, Don Julio 1942 and Sauza Commemorativo.

Some tasting notes from our lead bartender, Casey Robison…

The Don Julio 1942 is my favorite high-end Tequila. It has notes of toffee, caramel and vanilla. Unlike most Tequila, this one goes through a second distillation known as “Pot Still 6″ which gives it a more refined flavor that many other Tequilas. It is warm, smooth and magnificent.

The Milagro brands are some of my favorites. The Anejo is aged 18 months (technically making it an “extra anejo”), and it is triple distilled, making it one of the smoothest Tequilas available. It is aged in a single oak barrel giving it a distinctive light wood finish.

My favorite Reposado is Corralejo.  It is aged for 4 months in three separate barrels; American Oak, French Oak and White Oak. This gives it a very unique and distinctively earthy flavor that truly separates this brand from many other reposados.

Salud!