Travel RESOURCES Riviera Nayarit: www.RivieraNayarit.com Mexico Tourism Board: www.visitmexico.com Barb & Ron Kroll publish the tripplanning website: www.KrollTravel.com Celebrity chefs The annual November Festival Gourmet International is even larger than Jala’s Corn Festival. Ten days of culinary events include cocktail parties, progressive dinners, cooking demonstrations, dinearounds, wine tastings and theme nights hosted by Mexican and international guest chefs in the region’s best restaurants. The Grand Gourmet Village buffet features culinary creations from all participating chefs. Our Festival Gourmet dinner at Sea Breeze Restaurant at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort began with an amuse-bouche of confit foie gras with cranberry jelly and figs. After a trio of cod fritters with smoked mussels cappuccino, we relished an exquisite lamb tenderloin with cardamom, star anise, gingered carrot purée, shaved asparagus and green peas with mint emulsion. Haute cuisine, yes, but hardly what most visitors expect when they come to Mexico. Culinary delights surprised us everywhere in Nayarit. During Mexico’s Day of the Dead (All Souls’ Day) celebrations on November 2, we discovered pan de muerto (bread of the dead). Bone- and teardrop-shaped pieces of dough decorated the sweet Mexican buns. Flavoured with orange and sprinkled with sesame seeds and sugar, they were scrumptious. Even roadside fruit stands were enticing. At Los Kiki’s on route 20, we discovered clumps of bananas, juicy pineapples and massive jackfruit. Using a machete, Rigo hacked open a fresh green coconut so that we could enjoy the refreshing water and tasty coconut meat inside. Smiling, Maria Guadalupe Garcia Ramirez watched our delight as we tasted a cornucopia of intensely flavoured mango, quince and other candied fruits. It was a sweet way to end our culinary tour. Appetizers at the Grand Gourmet Village buffet Chef Alejandro Solis offers samples of Navarro cheese Guest enjoys appetizers at the Grand Gourmet Village buffet Palm trees, flowers and cascading pools at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort in Riviera Nayarit Pan de muerto (bread of the dead) served during Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations Street decorations for Mexico’s Day of the Dead (All Souls’ Day) celebrations on November 2 Los Kiki’s fruit stand. Maria Guadalupe Garcia Ramirez offers candied fruits at Los Kiki’s fruit stand CSANews | WINTER 2016 | 33
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