All language subtitles for Evolving.Vegan.S01E04.720p.WEB.H264-SPAMnEGGS

(Musical flourish swell)

(Latin music)

Mena:
Rolling through the plazas,

taking in the architecture,
the sun, the people,

of The Capital of The Americas.

It's joy, man.

Mexico City, one of my
favourite towns anywhere.

♪

Built on the ruins of an ancient
Aztec metropolis,

this city's seen it all -
earthquakes, war, revolution -

and has come out
the other side to become

one of the hippest destinations
for young digital nomads

and international travellers today.

And the chefs are progressing
right along with it -

spinning spectacular modern
turns on food

with deep roots in Indigenous

and Spanish cooking techniques
and ingredients.

This is one of the most
vegan-and-vegetarian dense

countries on the planet,
and the food is all-world.

Regional, delectable, surprising,

and like Mexico itself, complicated.

And Mexico City's
where it all collides.

From street eats to world-class
restos to shockingly gorgeous

turns on the humble taco,
to the abuelas making mole

in the burroughs,
Mexico City is alive,

electric
and constantly evolving.

♪

I'm Mena Massoud.

I'm travelling across
North America and eating my way

through some of the coolest
cities to show you how

beautiful meals, talented chefs
and restaurant tours

are making plant-based living
delicious and attainable.

So join me as I show you
how the world is evolving vegan.

♪

Mexico City's renowned
for its killer street food,

particularly in the heart
of the City: La Roma.

This hip,
legendary neighbourhood lined

with neo-Colonial buildings,
canopied streets,

and the most spectacular
food carts ever.

I'm checking it out
with Chris von Uckermann:

Telenovela star, Latin-Grammy
nominee, and fellow vegan.

We're meeting Lydia Carey,
the literal author

of the Mexico City Streets
La Roma guide,

for a tour
of these famous food stands.

What's going on?
How you doing? I'm Mena.

Hi.
Nice to meet you, Mena.

Nice to meet you.

I'm Chris.
Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, Chris.
Well, welcome to La Roma.

Thank you very much.

It's nice to have you guys.

Yeah, so this is
kind of where a lot

of the vegan restaurants
are or...?

Yes, this is one
of the more sort of popular

and touristy neighbourhoods,
but it's also, like,

very beautiful,
very centrally located.

The neighbourhood has definitely
been changing a lot.

Mena:
La Roma was built

as a prestige suburb
in the 1900s,

eventually swallowed
by the city.

It was devastated
in the 1985 earthquake

and the place
was nearly abandoned.

Lydia:
And then in the early 2000s,

a lot of people
started moving back:

young people,
people who are investing.

So you have a lot
of foreigners who live here,

but we also have tons
of young Mexicans that also came

and gentrified this
neighbourhood to begin with.

It has beautiful architecture,
there's a million reasons why

you'd wanna live here,
you know?

Like, look at this beautiful
green space that we're in.

Yeah, I used to live in Condesa,

like five minutes away
from La Roma.

So I love to walk, so
everything's walking distance.

And Chris here.

You have bars,
good restaurants.

And at one point, Lydia,
you tried every restaurant

in La Roma at one point.

Yes.

Where are we gonna go?

So today I'm gonna take you guys
to two different places.

First we're gonna go to Paxil
and they make vegan seafood.

Mena:
Yeah, that's right,

vegan seafood.

Melt-in-your-mouth
vegan seafood.

Fish tacos,
aguachile and tostados.

It's run by sisters
Mafer and Sol.

Lydia:
Here we are.

Oh, wow!

Ooh,
this is amazing, Sol.

(Speaking other language)

♪

Wow, wow.

Yeah, it's really good.

Yeah.

The tomatoes kind of kept
its texture even though

it's diced really small.

Mexican tomatoes are something
else, I'll tell you that.

And it's got just the perfect
amount of kick, you know.

It's just, like, perfect.
Come on, get in here, Chris.

Okay, bro.

Oh, man, this is so good. Cheers.

Cheers, bro.

(Lydia laughs)

Lydia:
What do you think about that?

Mena:
Mm.

It's really good,
mm-hmm.

Pretty nice, yeah?

The fact that this is tomatoes
is mind boggling.

(Speaking other language)

It's delicious,
thank you.

Sol blesses us with portobello
mushroom fish tacos,

arrayed in bright cabbage
and the Taco Gobernador

before Mafer,
the big gastronomic brain

behind the operation,
comes over the top rope

with one
of their all-time faves.

This is the aguachile negro.

I can tell why
this is your favourite

'cause it's got
everything on it.

Yeah,
it's super amazing.

It's like it's got
the fish from the last one.

It's got avocado, mushrooms,
lots of vegetables.

Aguachile is the Mexican version
of ceviche.

Paxil's version
is mushrooms cooked

with chili and cured with lime.

And what's the sauce
that's oozing here?

(Speaking other language)

This one is good
for the hangover.

In Mexico City,
seafood is hangover food.

Yeah,
it's very common.

Really?

Uh-huh.

(Speaking other language)

Well, you did a fantastic job.

The food is amazing.
So congratulations.

It was really good.
Muchas gracias.

(Speaking other language)

Lydia:
So this place is Por Siempre.

They were the first vegan
tacoria in the city.

They opened up in 2014.

Mena:
This is the OG.

Lydia:
This is the OG.

(Speaking other language)

Gracias .

Luis.

(Talking over each other)

(Speaking other language)

Mena:
Luis Rodriquez, the owner

and head chef at Por Siempre,
is a true vegan pioneer.

(Speaking other language)

Mena:
The torta's a Mexican sandwich,

with all the different meats.

The Taco de Suadero is an OG
Mexico City invention.

Typically beef fried in its own
juices, the plant based version

was re-invented
by Chef Luis on this very spot.

So this is the Taco de Suadero.

It's made with soy

and these are all of the amazing
toppings with it

that I actually put on it.

Mena:
Wow.

Lydia:
There's whole black beans,

french fries, nopal cactus.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

So when you said french fries,
you actually meant,

like, as a topping?

Yeah, no,
it's the best.

It's the best.

Really, like,
a taco with french fries,

it's like the combination of two
of the most magical things ever.

That's crazy.
Egypt does that too.

Like what-- My mom used to make
me French fries sandwiches.

That sounds amazing.

Yeah.

Now I want your mom's
french fries sandwiches.

This is taking me back.
Is that overkill?

It's 'cause I wanna taste one.

Lydia:
I mean, it's not overkill.

You're gonna eat it.

That one's really spicy.

Mena:
Really spicy?

Chris:
Yeah.

Can you handle it, bro?

Mena:
I can handle it.

Can you handle it, Chris?

Of course, bro.
Come on.

Come on, bro,
I'm Mexican.

Is there a strategy to this?

Like, what are we--
How are we going?

Just like this.
Whatever you feel.

Just like that?

Just like that.

No, that was a great tutoring.

Just feel it,
you know.

That's perfect.

♪

That's phenomenal.

Lydia:
Yeah, delicious.

Mena:
It's so good, I gotta find out

more about the operation
from Chef Luis.

I'm seeing a lot of people here
come and grab tacos.

Do you get a lot of non-vegans
coming here

just to eat delicious tacos?

Yeah, of course.

(Speaking other language)

(Speaking other language)

Yeah, it's a great way
to transition people to vegan.

Do you guys want to try this?

Yeah, let's try. Let's try.

Of course I want
to try Chef's torta.

Look at this behemoth.

♪

Mm.

That is so good.

It's a monster, it is and it's
got a good mix of protein

obviously, but the egg in the
cheese add that creaminess

to it as well.

You got a salsa in there, the
fries for the carbs.

Really, really good.

Mm.

What do you think, Chris?

I really like it, more
than the tacos actually.

Man, this is crazy, like,

people think vegan sometimes
they don't realize like

what it could be.

This is insane.

That's what it's all about.

I think the world is evolving
to that point where everybody's

just going to eat a little bit
more vegan as time goes on

even though they are not 100%.

Yeah, of course.

All the climate change stuff.

I mean, it's important.

Even if he did it just a couple
of days a week it would

make an impact.

Well, thank you, Luis.

You're welcome.

Mena: Honestly,
the food in La Roma

was so good I came back on

my days off to get my fill.

Vegan street food in Mexico
City an absolute showstopper.

♪

I'm visiting San Pedro Atocpan,

part of an agricultural
borough in

the outskirts of Mexico City
with Natalia De La Rosa,

one of the leading culinary
journalists in Mexico.

Known as the mole capital of the
world, the community is holding

their annual mole Festival.

You can't talk about Mexican
cuisine without

talking about mole.

It's derived from an ancient
Aztec word that simply means

sauce, but it's so much
more complicated than that.

Dark moles are typically melding
of chilies, nuts, spices and

chocolate, while others like a
mole verde contain tomatillos.

There's over 40 types of mole
often vegan which can

take days to prepare.

If you think French or Nordic
dining is complex, you

have to try authentic mole.

It will blow your food
paradigm off its axis.

We're dropping in on Natalia's
friends at Mole Don Luis, a

third generation mole producer.

Hola!

Hola.

(Speaking Spanish)

Nice to meet you.

Don Luis is one of the
founders of the mole.

Mena: Don Luis and other San
Pedro Atocpan families started

large-scale production of mole
here in the 1950s

but the history of mole
is centuries old.

Mole, when it first started, the
mole could be made of with

five, six ingredients only.

Right.

But it was with the colonial
times that it all

kind of evolved.

Because a lot of moles are
made from over

20 ingredients, right?

So there's a lot of evolution
that goes into mole.

Yes.

And all different kinds
of moles as well.

Moles can be sweet or savoury,
used in mains or desserts.

Just take the paste or
powder and add water.

The resulting sauce is dense and
flavorful, and the recipes

are often handed down
generation to generation.

What I love about mole is
it's very complex, right?

Natalia: Yeah, yes.

Mena: It hits your palate and
for a few seconds after your

still discovering all
the different flavours.

First of all, you have to feel
the sweet flavours and then

a little bit of spicy in
the throat and that's all.

Mena: Mm.

It's not too heavy
for the stomach.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Nice to meet you.

I appreciate that.

After my mole crash course it's
time to see how it's made by

someone who's been making
it for over 70 years.

Oh, wow.

Okay.

Natalia: Yes.

(Speaking Spanish)

Nice to meet you.

(Speaking Spanish)

Herlinda, nice to meet you.

Very nice to meet you.

Natalia: She's going to teach
us how to make mole

in the traditional way.

Look at all these ingredients.

I mean, this is incredible.

We've got fava beans, avocados,
all kinds of nuts,

cinnamon, onions.

We've got everything here at.

Abuela , this is amazing!

Step one is the chili prep.

How on earth do you
know the difference?

Because they all
look the same to me.

Texture is different.

The texture is different.

This is thicker.

Wow. Amazing. Amazing.

So, this is our base.

Yeah. This is our base.

Can I help you?

Is that okay?

That means a lot
coming from you.

Oh, there we go.

Natalia: Yes.
That is the chili base.

And this is a classic metate?

Is that how you say it?

Meta-- metate?

Metate.

Metate is a culinary tool
pre-Hispanic, it's made out of

volcanic stone.

Wow.

And this metate is ancient.

Belonged to Herlinda's
grandmother.

Wow.

It belonged to
Abuela's abuela.

Yeah.

So we're talking like 200
years may be this thing?

Yes.

That's incredible.

Is there anything that goes in
the mole other than the chilies?

So basically what you do is
you put a little bit of your

weight and kind of like rotate
the hand in order to do

all the friction like
she's doing.

Where's she going?

Abuela wants me to try?

Yes.

You need to try it.

Okay.

Okay, thank you, Abuela .

Oh, man.

I feel so honoured.

I'm using a 200-year-old
metate here.

Abuela , how my doing?

(Laughter)

Okay...

I think I'm...
I think I'm beat.

How did I do?

Si ?

Bueno ? Bien ? Bien ?

Mena: Honestly, it's one of the
most memorable sous chef moments

of my life.

Grasias.

Grasias, Abuela.

Grasias.

It's an honour for me to be here
and she's lived 87 years and

seriously, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you.

She's asking if you've eaten?

Of course, we have
to eat mole now.

Of course.
We have to try your mole.

Mena: Abuela won't let us leave
without eating

and cooks us
a traditional countryside lunch

from a plant
I've never even heard of before,

topped with
her outrageous mole.

(Mena and Natalia
exclaiming)

(Speaking Spanish)

So, this is huauzontle.

Huauzontle,
it's a dish

that is very typical
from Mexico.

It's kind of like a bush

that grows around here
and is edible

and they top it

with the mole and adobo
and the mushrooms.

So, this is the mole
that Abuela has made.

Natalia:
Yeah, this is the mole

that Herme
just helped us do.

Mena: Mmm...

So good.

Hermelinda:
Si?

Yeah, si, si.

(Speaking Spanish)

Yes, very good.

(Speaking Spanish)

A lot of people come
to Mexico City

because Mexico City
has been praised

for all the restaurant vibe
and fine dining,

but all these traditions
are part of the way

of eating
in Mexico City as well.

What I've loved about this

is getting to come
to the countryside

and really see
where it all started.
Natalia: Yes.

See the roots, the heart

of what Mexico City is about.

And Abuela is
a great representation of that,

carrying on tradition
from generation to generation.

You know, this is
what Mexico City is about.

This is
what people should know

about Mexico City. Definitely.

I think
that's the beauty of it.

Hermelinda,
thank you very much.

(Speaking Spanish)

♪

Mena: One of the most
exciting developments

in Mexico City

is the new wave of chefs

creating
delicious vegan food,

like Laura Cardenas.

Born in Venezuela,
Laura fled the political chaos

as a refugee in 2015

with just her cooking skills
to support herself.

But those skills
quickly established her

as a chef to watch

at her ultra-trendy
Pitahaya Vegana.

In a nod to Laura's roots,

we're making
a Venezuelan-inspired

plantain-and-bean dish.

Laura: You ever try
enfrijoladas?

Frijoladas.

Enfrijoladas.

Enfrijoladas.

I don't think I've had enfrijoladas.

Enfrijoladas, it's like
enchiladas or enmoladas.

It's basically tortillas
filled with anything

and covered with
other anything.

You know?
Mena: Okay.

And so,
that's the plantain

that you've got right now.

Yeah, that's the plantain.

It's just puréed.

Okay, so,
this one is really hot.

Mena: What's made
Laura's restaurant so successful

is cooking
these Mexican classics

with aesthetic flair.

She's created
the most Insta-worthy

vegan resto in the city

with signature
pink tortillas--

a happy accident involving
a guy on a bike

with corn masa and beet juice
in his backpack

and Mexico City's
notorious potholes.

Sometimes, you gotta listen
to fate and the tortilla.

There's a sound.
For example, this is not...

(Surface scratching)

You know, this one
is more scratchy than this one.

You know?

So, that means
this is almost done?

Yeah, it's more cooked.

And also, when it gets--

It's like you're a DJ.

Yeah!
Exactly!

The tortilla DJ.
Tortilla DJ Laura!

Mena:
Tortillas steaming,

stuffing the enfrijoladas begins.

We add a bit of almonds,

because it gives
a bit of texture.

A little bit of crunch.
Also with this.

Also with this, exactly.

Mena:
White cabbage?
Laura:
Exactly, white cabbage.

Then, we just
fold it a bit. Okay.

So, now,
we will serve the beans.

This, those are
organic beans.

And they go good with

garlic, onion,
and some herbs.

Ooh.
That's beautiful.

These are not refried beans
that you're getting

out of a can, all right.

These are beautiful,
fresh beans, no question.

Laura:
Yeah, you will love it.

Mena:
Oh, look at that!

Gorgeous,
absolutely gorgeous.

The contrast
of colour, too,

with the brown, black beans,
the pink tortillas,

little bit of that white cabbage
pouring through.

(Clap)
Wow!

Okay, so,
what goes on it now?

Uh, it has some things.

Yeah, something tells me
that when you say some things,

it's gonna be
a lot of things.

That's true.
That's totally true.
Okay, okay.

Mena: The enfrijoladas
are covered in lettuce,

coconut turmeric cream,
pico de gallo,

and...

This is
the coconut cottage cheese.

Coconut
cottage cheese.

Okay, I'm gonna take--

Yeah. Add another one,
because it's so delicious.

(Laughing)
Yeah, please.

Ahh...

Okay.

(Metal clattering)

Get out of here!

It's got that sourness
of a cottage cheese

or of a cheese.

Yeah, well,
it's fermented.

That's what makes that.
It's fermented?

Yeah. And, this is
the last.

I think
it's falling a bit

to the side, but...

Mena:
Wow, this is just,

it's a piece of art!

I can't wait
to eat this, Laura.

Laura: You should wait
because we need to do the next.

I want to just try it.

What,
I have to wait?

Okay, yeah.
(Laughing)

(Sizzling)

Mena: All I really
want to do

is destroy
those enfrijoladas.

Instead, I'm conscripted
to cook mouth-watering tacos.

Cauliflower,
oyster-mushroom pastor,

and tofu scramble,

all elegantly done up
with bright colours

and delicious sauces.

All right,
look at this!

Laura: How you want to start?
With which one?

I think
with the enfrijoladas.

Mena: Yeah, I'll dig
into the enfrijoladas.

It's so beautiful.

I don't even wanna dig in.

But I will.

When you try it
you won't be sad

of digging in, I promise.

Yeah, exactly.

♪

Mena: Mmm. Mmm.

We've got the earthiness

from the black beans
and the tortillas,

the cabbage,

And then you get
a little bit of freshness

from all the components,

balances that out beautifully.

And the black bean
just is phenomenal.

I just... Yeah.

I need to take home
a jar of that.

Beans and corn:

Mexican culinary cornerstones,

they have deep historical,

traditional,
even ecological ties.

They are part of the same system
of growing food.

It's called la milpa

and it has, like, corn;

it has beans;

it has herbs;
it has flowers.

All of them have, like,
a function in that system.

The la milpa
is an ecosystem?

It's a way to grow food
in Mexico.

So, it's ancestral.

This is a perfect example
of combining old and new.

Laura: Exactly.

Mena:
Because in your food,

I mean, in that one dish
right there,

you have la milpa,

right?
Laura: Yeah.

You have the corn

and the beans.
Yeah, sure.

But you're doing it in
a new way, or fairly new--

Yeah, sure,
sure, sure, sure.

With the vegan take
and the plant-based take on it.

All right, gonna put
a little of lime

on this pastor, right?
Yeah.

Laura:
Yeah, yeah.

Mmmm...

That's the most popular.

I love a pastor taco.

And you definitely have
the flavour in there, right,

because of
the adobo seasoning and...
Yeah, yeah.

The taco's
my favourite, too,

because I think
it's so balanced.

You know, and you have
all the flavours

but when you bite it,
it's like surprise.

What made you
open up Pitahaya Vegana?

What was the idea
behind that?

I always cooked with my grandma,
my family.

When I became vegan--

because my mom told me--
I was, like, 16 years old

and my mom was, like, okay,
you want to be vegan, you can,

but you will cook your own food!

Like, a way to push me

to not be vegan anymore.

And it was, like,
okay, that's amazing.

Then I will learn how to cook!
You know?

And I started
using some things.

I learnt from my grandma.

And my business partner and I,
when we met,

we both have that feeling
of we need to do something

about all the things, like,
with animals, with human rights,

water consumption,
carbon emissions.

it's so important,

and at that moment,
we felt a good way to do it

was selling food.

And have, like, an excuse
to talk with people about this.

Veganism is kind of

a new thing for Mexico,
isn't it?

It's not so new,
but it's big.

In fact,
the percentage of people

going vegan or vegetarian

is 20%
of the population.

20% of people in Mexico City
are vegan or vegetarian?

In Mexico the country.
It's so crazy.

What?

I saw the statistics,
and it was, like, seriously?

Is that true?
But, yeah.

Mena:
Laura's foodist activism

goes back to her youth

to fleeing Venezuela
as a refugee.

She says: Where you

are stripped
of everything you own,

all you have left
is the things you've learnt.

Which, for her, goes back
to cooking for family.

When I cook for somebody
it's like it's my way to say

I like you, I love you.

You know, it's for me
it's so relatable with my values

and my traditions,
my family traditions.

I think food is one of those
things that's very universal.

You know, it doesn't matter
of the colour of your skin,

where you come from,
what language you speak,

it's something
that everybody understands.

You can go to any country...

Yeah, totally.

...in the world.

Yeah,
it's like in a smile.

And sit down and have a meal
and you instantly understand

a little bit about them
and who they are so.

Laura:
Totally.

So I feel like
I've gotten to know you,

not just through conversation,
but through the beautiful food.

So thank you again.

It's been a great meal.

♪

♪

Given the complexity
of the Mexican palate,

it's not surprising
their top restaurants land

on all-world top 10 lists,
like Quintonil,

recently rated the ninth best
restaurant on planet Earth.

It's just a six month wait
to dine here.

Quintonil prides itself
on using local producers

with the best ingredients.

It's not a vegan restaurant, but
they've always made it a point

to have a vegan tasting menu
as part of their haute cuisine.

Chef Geraldine was born
and raised in Mexico City.

She grew up cooking
in her parents' fonda,

worked at Michelin-star
restaurants all over Europe

before returning home.

What are we making today?

We are going to make charred
avocado with green mole pipian.

Mena:
Chef's mole is made

of Thai basil, coriander seeds,
coconut milk, white pepper,

and what makes it
a pipian sauce, pumpkin seeds.

With an Asian fusion twist!

Feels like a combination
of a mole and curry.

Yeah,
we have Thailand ingredients,

but we have also
Mexican ingredients.

Very aromatic.

I want that in a spray bottle.
I'd just spray it on me.

Mm, fantastic, wow.

Okay, we are going to cook it
a little bit here.

Okay.

Alright, so you've got these
beautiful Mexican pepitas,

which are pumpkin seeds.

You added it the sauce,
I'll add it into in my mouth.

Yeah, because we want it
to be green...

Yes.

...we are going to--
some spinach.

Mena:
This is spinach?

Yeah,
this is spinach.

Chef, I think I've been lied to
my whole life.

Why?

This is spinach?

Yeah.

Our spinach is small
and half of it is rotten

by the time you get it
in the grocery store.

No, we here in Mexico,
we have very, very big one.

(Munching)

It's almost like the spinach
I would imagine dinosaurs

were eating back thousands
of years ago.

Millions of years ago?

Thousands?

Millions?

Thousands, I think.

I don't know.

The point is that this
spinach is massive.

Yup, that's the expert analysis
you're tuning in for.

But in my defense, I'm kind of
stunned by the size and quality

of the ingredients, including
greens I've never tried before.

We have also hoja santa.

Mena:
Kind of looks like

a banana leaf
or a plantain leaf.

Yeah, this is really,
very aromatic.

If you wanted to taste it...

Yeah.

...it is really freshness.

Okay,
I will taste it.

♪

It almost tastes like carrots.

Yeah.

It has that kind of carrot,
kind of earthy flavour to it.

Yeah, it's not too much strong.

And then you get a little bit
of minty flavour as well.

It's like a carrot and a mint
had a baby and it came out

as a leaf,
and this is it.

Hoja santa.

Hoja santa.

Hoja santa.

We have all
of our ingredients here

and we are going to blend it.

(Whirring)

(Laughs)

Mena:
Usually this would be the crab,

but we're using avocado
for the vegan dish.

Yeah, we are going to cut it.

I'm going to char.

Mena:
Now that I don't think

I ever had:
a charred avocado.

It really change
the flavour of the avocados,

so it's really nice.

And then we are going to add
the green mole, okay.

Beautiful.

And then we have some clayuda,
this traditional dish.

We use it here
for like a chip.

So it's like a crisp tortilla.

Yeah, crispy tortillas, yes.

And we have also cilantro
flowers, okay.

Mena:
Wow, beautiful.

From the same ones
this one.

We have also oxalis.

♪

Wow.
I did not expect that.

Just a kick of sourness
at the very end, wow.

Yeah, and we finish the plate
with this oil we make with kale.

Mena:
With kale?

Yeah,
and we finish.

Mena:
Wow, that's gorgeous, Chef.

Absolutely gorgeous.
I don't even wanna eat it.

I don't think I can eat it.
It's just beautiful.

But I am definitely eating it.
I can't wait to dig into this.

I want to get
the perfect bite here

with that beautiful flower...

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

...with that punch of citrus.

♪

Mm, wow.

The amount of flavour

that's coming from
that pipian is incredible.

All the leaves,
the herbs, yeah, yeah.

And it's so delicate
at the same time.

It's balanced in a way
that you can really taste

every single ingredient
and get all those flavours.

So you travelled abroad
and worked at Michelin-star

restaurants in Spain
and really all over the world.

Yeah.

And how were you able to kind of
marry that old tradition

of Mexico to the new,
you know, techniques

that you learned abroad?

Here I learn that the product
has to be first.

And being able to use
ingredients locally.

Yes, it's very important
and we try to keep it together

with Mexican cuisine.

It says a lot to me
that at a restaurant,

like ninth best restaurant
in the world,

you now
have plant-based options.

Why?

We know that cooking we can
change the way we used to eat.

Now is more common, but because
the customer, the guest,

came here and they say, I'm
vegan and that they can't have

a delicious food and they can't
have our experience.

Yeah, they can have an elevated,
prestigious experience.

Yeah, a fine dining experience
and not only fast food.

Yeah, I think people associate
vegan with, you know, something

that's not very common,
you can't find it anywhere,

it's not elite.

But you are an elite restaurant
here and this food has,

you know, exquisite flavours
and it's all plant based.

Geraldine:
Yeah, yeah, yeah,

we have awesome ingredients
to explore

and the people can eat
really, really well.

Do you think this would have
been possible 10, 15 years ago?

15 years ago,
I think no.

Mena:
Yeah.

It's been changing.

We all, the chefs, have been
realize that this can be

an option and we are taking care
of the planet in the way

that we can do something.

You know, because small changes,
we can make a big difference.

Mena:
Fascinating to see this change

play out in real-time

at the most cosmopolitan
high-end restaurants.

After some elite dining,
it's time for a night-cap.

♪

Any big night in a major
metropolis is best done

with a local who knows
the scene intimately.

Luckily, I'm hanging
with Jonathan Landa.

Born and raised in Mexico City,
he knows this town inside out.

When he said there's no better
way to kick off a big night

than a mezcal tasting at
an unlisted private speakeasy--

I mean, mezcal's vegan,
so when in Mexico, right?

We knew just the person
to hook it up.

♪

Because our friend Natalia
isn't just a journalist,

she's also a mezcal aficionado

and the owner
of this incredible mezcal oasis.

Natalia:
Come on in.

Mena and Jonathan:
Thank you.

Welcome to my mezcal
private collection room.

It's a beautiful one.

Mena:
Wow, very cool, very cool, wow.

Yes.

So how many mezcals
would you say you have?

50 varied mezcals.

This is just a quarter
of the collection

that we have at our house.

Mena:
A quarter!

Natalia:
We have from all over,

from Wahaka, San Luis Potosi,
Durango, Chihuahua.

A lot of people,
their reference is Wahaka.

Mena:
Yeah.

But actually there's so much
more about mezcal.

Well, that's what makes mezcal
very unique from tequila, right?

Tequila's typically only made
in very few regions.

Yes.

Mena:
Only from the blue agave plant.

Natalia: Yes.

Mezcal can be made from
over 35 different varietals?

Yes.

Mena: Those varietals
are farmed and harvested

all over Mexico,

and the mezcal is created
through labour-intensive

traditional methods
of smoking, crushing

and distilling the agave plant.

It results in an extremely
pure high test spirit,

often 100 proof or more.

Think about tequila as you think
about champagne,

and think about mezcal
as a other variety.

So wine, champagne
is only from one region.

So, mezcal:
different regions,

different varieties of mezcal.

A lot of people, their first
reference is that mezcal

is smoky
but not necessarily.

You're tasting
agave plants that take

six, 10, and 15,
18 years to grow.

Mena: Yeah.

Natalia: You don't
want to shoot it.

You want to enjoy it.
You want to respect it.

Of course.

Enough with the talk.

The party's coming!

We're going to start with a kind
of, like, relatable mezcal

that a lot of people like.

And this is from Oaxaca, from a
town that is called Chichicapa.

Put a little bit on your finger
and then put it--

Rub the alcohol
in your hand and let it dry.

It's kind of like a perfume.

Mena: Yeah.

It smells like a wood or--

Yeah, I'm smelling more wood
now, you're right.

Natalia: Yes.

Yeah, I'm feeling it!

All: Cheers.

Thanks for having us, Natalia.

Natalia:
Welcome to Mexico.

Thank you.

Delicious.

This is quality
mezcal, my friends.

It's smokiness
but I am definitely

getting sweetness
in it as well.

The incredible thing about
mezcal is that I don't

really wake up with a hangover,
a lot of the times.

Yes.

Because we're talking about one
ingredient, right?

Yes.

It's the heart of the agave,
and that's it.

Across Mexico, hundreds of
distilleries produce

over two million litres of
agave-based mezcal a year,

and it's growing.

My love for mezcal exploded
during my time waiting tables,

and I love seeing it have
its moment in the sun.

This one comes
from Chihuahua.

I'm going to pour and you're
going to tell me what you smell.

Spicier, kind
of like pink peppercorn.

For me, this one
is like leathery.

All: Cheers!

(Clink)

Well, the flavour is different,
completely different

than the first one.

Mena: Yeah.

This is the proof that mezcal
is not necessarily smoky.

Yeah.

Are you ready for
the next one?

Oh, my god, yeah.

I, yeah--
I guess so, Natalia.

I mean, we've got
to keep up with you here.

Oh, you're bringing
out the honkers.

These are my babies.

(Laughing)

Tell me what you smell there.

Oh, more of a sweetness.

It kind of almost tastes like--

Yeah, like candy.

It smells like
candy, right?

Yes.

Yes, a lot of times
it has a little funk,

cheesy kind of--

Yeah! You're right.

It kind of tastes like cheese.

And this is stronger than the
other two, a little bit.

Yeah. I mean, hey, listen,
anytime you get alcohol

in a clear unmarked bottle,

it's going to be
strong, man, that's--

That's a universal truth.

(Laughing)

Three ounces turns to four,
which turns to cinco ,

which turns
to a good old time...

Cheers, guys, cheers.

Salut!

We say "salut"
in Mexico.

All: Salut!

(Clinking)

Mena: ...before a grand
night on the town.

Salut!

♪

The journey to Mexico City
has been incredible,

and for the final leg,

my girlfriend Emily's
joining me

to check out a borough

that dates back past the Aztecs,

a natural haven you'd never
expect to see in a city

of 22 million people:
the chinampas.

With its canals and gondolas,

the chinampas on the Xochimilco
lake system are often called

the Venice of Mexico,

but this is actually
ancient farmland.

♪

With its super-high-altitude,

Mexico City was never an easy
place to grow food,

but these floating
farms were created

using millennia-old
aqua-culture techniques

to form rich cropland that
barely needs watering.

Now it provides fresh produce
to population-dense Mexico City

and restaurants
like Quintonil every day.

Frankly, it's ingenious.

We're here to meet
Ricardo Rodriguez,

a farmer and activist
who's working tirelessly

to revitalize
these iconic farms.

Hi, guys, welcome.

- Hey!
- Hi.

Ricardo?

Yeah, nice to meet you.

I'm Mena. Nice to meet you.
This is Emily.

Hi. Emily.
Nice to meet you.

Welcome to my land.
This is a chinampas.

Mena: Wow, this is beautiful.

What does "chinampas" refer to?

The chinampas come
from 2,000 years ago.

It means the Toltecs,

they built a net
of branches and they put--

They add soil on top

and then another
lid of branches,

mud, branches, and mud,

and the last lid was with soil,

and in that soil
they sow in the seeds.

Mena: So basically
they've created

floating farms, essentially?

Ricardo: Right.

This is all on water that we're
standing on right now?

If you feel, it's spongy...

Yeah.

...this is, the land.

How old are these lands?

Thise lands have
an age of 124 years.

Oh, this specific land?

This specific,
but all the system,

2,000 years ago.

Wow, that's incredible.

Yeah, that's amazing.

Amazing.

If you observe,
we have volcanic soil

because it's very dark.

Mena: Yeah, very, very black.

And it's rich in minerals

because the city was surrounded
by five volcanoes.

Mena: Ricardo
bought the chinampas

14 years ago and completely
transformed it.

I found this land,
the grass here.

Really?

It's very tall.

Completely abandoned it.
We didn't have anything.

And now it's a new land
and produce food,

four to seven
harvests every year.

Wow.

And if you observe around of us,
we can see butterflies.

Mena: Incredible.
Tons of butterflies, yeah.

My farmers they don't
use any pesticides.

It's agro-ecological crops.

So is it technically organic?

Right.

Mena: His farm
is vegan utopia:

carrots, cabbage, broccoli,
spinach, kale, fennel,

corn, cilantro, and, yes,
kaleidoscopes of butterflies.

And you've got some
beautiful mint here?

This is stevia.

Stevia?

No way, stevia?

The sweet leaves.

Really? Can I, may I?

Ricardo: Yeah, sure.

Because I've never actually
seen stevia in person. Wow.

You can taste.

Here, smell this one.

Oh, my gosh,
it's sweet as heck.

Oh, my gosh.

Do you feel the explosion
of flavour in your mouth?

Wow, that's insane!

Ricardo farms
by inter-cropping,

often planting
in the ancient milpa style,

growing a wide variety
of complementary crops

to avoid the vulnerabilities

modern mono crops
have to plague.

If you have a diversify
of products, what happens?

You protect the area
and you create life inside,

because you have butterflies,
pollinators, bees, everything.

If the plagues arrive,
they only attack one of them,

and you have the rest
of the crop

for continue survive.

And it's much better because
you've found a symbiosis.

And do restaurants come
and buy this produce?

Like, who are you selling to,
or who are you serving here?

In the beginning,
14 years ago,

I sell the production
with the restaurants,

all of them, 25.

Not anymore because
now they have chinampas.

They arrange their own lands and
they produce their own food.

Mena: Wow.

And this is amazing

because my real job is try
to restore the lands.

Mena: Only 4% of the chinampas
are currently farmed,

putting the ecosystem at risk.

The canals need to be dredged
and the soil farmed,

or the whole system will
eventually collapse.

Local restaurants are leading
the charge to save this unique,

ancient system with
farm-to-table cuisine.

So this old tradition that
was created by the Aztecs...

Yeah.

...thousands of years ago,

is now being preserved by these
restaurants who are preserving

their own chinampas because it
helps their business

but also they're
preserving the chinampas?

Right, and it's a way for create
conscience, you know,

because we need to the
people of Mexico City,

they need to know in this area

we can grow the best
food of the city.

In a lot of parts of the world,

the world is evolving
into a more sustaining

way of life, right?

Yeah.

People now-- consumers now care
about sustainability:

Where is their food coming from?
How is it growing?

Yeah.

Is it preserving the land?
Is it hurting the land?

Is it like that
in Mexico now as well?

It start to be,
in the last 10 years,

but now we start
to say to the people:

"Get the basics.

Eat the food from the fields.
This is much better."

Fantastic.

I'm struck by how closely
aligned veganism

and the local food
movements are.

They're milpa:
they grow best together.

Vegans often choose their diet
for ethical reasons.

Like Laura, it can entail
fighting climate change

and carbon emissions.

And the growing
local food movement

serves those purposes
from this ancient system.

♪

Mexico City's deep-rooted
connection to its own history,

to its ancestors
is simply staggering.

Imagine, we're about to try
traditional huitlacoche

quesadillas on fresh tortillas
from the farm,

and made with
cactus nopales soup,

prepared the same way

they've been made
here for centuries.

♪

Ricardo: Cheers.
Thanks for coming.

All: Cheers.

Mena: To the chinampas.

(Clinking)

- Salut!
- Salut.

So how many chinampas
would be all around here?

In all the area,
we can found 22,000.

22,000 chinampas?

22,000 chinampas.

So it's massive?

Yeah, it's very massive.

Is it government
protected at all?

Yeah, and the UNESCO.

This is a ecological reserve.

Mena: Right.

Ricardo: Here we can
see birds, turtles.

It's a unique area
and we need to carry the idea,

because we want
the people to know

from which places
come their food

because you create conscience
in the people and in the city.

♪

Mena:
Oh, wow, a mariachi band!

It's so cool!

Is this travelling
on the water?

Yeah.

That's amazing.

♪

Ola!

Have a little song.

(Singing in Spanish)

♪

♪

♪

Bravo!

(Cheers and applause)

Thank you.

Muchas gracias!
Muchas gracias.

♪

Listening to the mariachis play
us out

is an unbelievable moment,

a fitting coda
for Mexico City,

floating on
millennia-old canals,

already dreaming
of returning someday

to indulge in show-stopping
street eats,

Insta-worthy tacos,
intricate moles,

and visit with the artists,
chefs, activists

and abuelas who call
la Ciudad de Mexico home.

I cannot wait to return.

(Upbeat instrumental music)

♪

♪

♪

(Whirring)

(Musical swell)