Travel Rat’s tail chiles Our almuerzo began with ripe strawberries, persimmons, tangerines, pineapple and coconut slices. Crunchy taquitos filled with cheese and served with a tasty tomatillo, serrano chile and onion salsa followed. The fire-roasted chile de árbol peppers were delectable, combined with the grilled green onions that encircled them. “These red peppers are also called chile cola de rata (rat’s tail chiles), because of their shape,” said Patricia. Subsequent courses were equally appetizing, including steamed duck tamales, neatly wrapped in banana leaf packets and held together with thin strips of banana leaves, tied into bows. A plate displayed two types of Mexican cheese – panela (basket cheese) peppered with tiny holes, and queso fresco (fresh cheese) – another soft, unaged cheese. Flavourful frijoles de la olla (stewed beans), served from a hand-decorated glazed clay pot, were delicious with corn tortillas. The main course was huevos rancheros — two soft-fried eggs, topped with red salsa and served with chilaquiles. These delicious fried corn tortilla squares were smothered in red salsa and garnished with chopped red onion, cilantro and crumbled queso fresco. Even though we were nearly full, we cleaned our plates. No breakfast in Mexico is complete without pan dulce (Mexican sweet breads). Seashellshaped conchas are flavoured with chocolate and anise. Ojos de toro (bull’s eyes) are small sweet rolls sandwiched together with strawberry jam. Our breakfast included superb coffee, brewed with cinnamon sticks and sweetened with piloncillo. Patricia explained that this unrefined brown sugar, made from sugar cane, was a Nayarit food specialty. We tasted some dark-brown shavings from a hard, coneshaped mound of piloncillo. They had a rich caramel flavour. Duck tamales in banana leaf packets Grilled chile cola de rata (rat’s tail chiles) and green onions Huevos rancheros (soft-fried eggs, topped with red salsa) served with chilaquiles (fried corn tortilla squares) Pan dulce (Mexican sweet breads) Cheese-filled taquitos Queso fresco (fresh cheese) and panela (basket cheese) with tiny holes CSANews | WINTER 2016 | 27
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