Albahaca, everyone’s favorite wonder herb

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September 9, 2023

Basil sprig — Basil - or albahaca as it is known in Mexico - is a versatile, fragrant herb that improves food and cocktails alike. (Emily Murphy/Passthepistil)

Albahaca was one of the first Spanish words I learned when I moved to Mexico; I guess that says something about its importance in my life. As a cook – and an Italian cook at that – I’ve always loved basil and usually have some growing in a garden or flowerpot somewhere.

It’s an easy plant to grow, and in Mexico (as in India), it’s not uncommon to see leafy albahaca (pronounced al-BAH-ka) bushes or potted plants outside shops or homes. For thousands of years in cultures around the world, this humble herb was thought to bring good luck and to have magical powers. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians believed basil guaranteed a safe journey to heaven, and sprigs were placed in the hands of those who had passed away. To this day, in traditional Greek Orthodox churches, branches of basil are used to sprinkle holy water, and pots of the herb can often be found inside churches. Some say basil also works as a mosquito repellent.

There are many varieties of basil—purple basil, lemon basil, holy basil and cinnamon basil, to name a few—but the most familiar kind is sweet or Genovese basil. (These are not exactly the same but for ease of understanding we’ll lump them together.) This is what’s usually found fresh in grocery stores or dried in jars; its soft, gently rounded and rumpled dark green leaves are what give many Italian foods their distinctive taste and aroma.

In Asian cooking, Thai basil, with smaller, firmer and more pointy, flat leaves, has a stronger, spicier flavor which it retains at higher heat better than other varieties. Opal or purple basil, while pretty in the garden, doesn’t have as much flavor when used in cooking. One of my favorites (although I’ve yet to find it here) is lemon basil, lighter in color with a pronounced sweet citrus aroma and flavor that you can smell if you crush a leaf with your fingers. It’s great to use in salad dressings, teas and other hot or cold drinks, chicken or fish marinades, sauces, and desserts.

And then there’s holy basil, also known by its Hindi name, tulsi. Once in a while, I see it here, growing in a big pot or outside a small neighborhood shop, with its long distinctive flower spikes in gentle pinks and lavender. In India and other Southeast Asian countries, tulsi has medicinal, culinary and ceremonial uses. Most notably, in a compress or tea to relieve headaches, earaches and toothaches, to reduce inflammation and to alleviate stress. It is not as sweet as other types of basil, and the leaves are small, defined, and bright green.

I’ve never found the classic sweet basil where I live in Mexico except at the seasonal farmers’ market or from friends’ gardens. What’s sold in grocery stores or as seeds looks like some sort of hybrid, with smooth, pointy leaves and a barely perceptible basil aroma and flavor. At Home Depot, I’ve found plants of what might be Spicy Globe Basil—small, compact and roundish, with tiny pointy folded green leaves—with a fairly strong, spicy basil flavor. Friends in other parts of Mexico have better luck in finding the classic sweet basil used in cooking; meanwhile, I’ll continue to bring seeds from up north and grow it myself. Basil sprigs will also reliably root in water and can then be planted in soil. The plant belongs to the mint family, as do sage, lavender and rosemary, disparate as they seem.

Fish in Tomato-Basil Broth

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
4 (6-oz.) fillets of white-fleshed fish, such as dorado or striped bass

Warm olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet. Add tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes; add wine, 2 cups water and about 12 large basil leaves. (Reserve some for garnish.)

Simmer for 10 minutes more, then carefully purée the mixture in a food processor or blender or with an immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasoning. The broth should be well-seasoned and not too thick. Thin with a bit of water if necessary to make about 6 cups of broth.

Over medium heat, bring broth to a simmer. Lay fish fillets in a pan in a single layer. Cover with broth and cook for about 3 minutes. Carefully turn over the fillets, cover the pan and turn off the heat, allowing the fish to steam until it flakes easily when probed, about 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, place fillets in soup plates and ladle broth around each. Garnish with basil leaves and drizzle with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil.

Combine basil with another Mexican classic – avocado – for a delicious vegetable dip. (A Saucy Kitchen)

Basil-Avocado Dip

Great on burgers or sandwiches or thinned and used as a salad dressing.

½ to 1 cup Greek or full-fat regular yogurt
1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
1-2 tsp. fresh lime juice, to taste
¼ cup minced fresh basil
1 big garlic clove, minced or grated
1Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste
Optional: ½ tsp. honey

Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor till smooth or mix and mash everything in a small bowl. Adjust seasoning.

Basil Daiquiri

10 large basil leaves
1½ oz. simple syrup (see note)
2 oz. fresh lime juice
4 oz. white rum
Pinch salt
Garnish: Thinly sliced cucumber

In a blender, mix everything until smooth. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, pour the blended mixture into the shaker, and shake well. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into two cocktail glasses. Garnish with cucumber slices.

Note: To make simple syrup: combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan; heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Cool before using. Store refrigerated in a closed container for up to 5 days.

Basil Parmesan Mayo

1 large egg yolk
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 anchovy fillets
1 Tbsp. water
4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil
Salt to taste

In a food processor or blender, mix everything except olive oil until basil is finely chopped and all ingredients are thoroughly combined. With the motor or blender running, drizzle in oil. Season to taste with salt. Store, refrigerated, up to 5 days.

Janet Blaser is the author of the best-selling book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, featured on CNBC and MarketWatch. She has lived in Mexico since 2006. You can find her on Facebook.

Bloomberg: Chevron to exit Mexico’s petroleum market

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Cat Rainsford

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September 8, 2023

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Sep,25,,2019,San,Ramon,/,Ca,/,Usa,- — Chevron is one of several foreign companies planning to halt exploration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico after finding the area unfavorable. (Shutterstock)

The oil company Chevron is pulling out of oil and gas exploration in Mexico due to disappointing results, just seven years after entering the market.

Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) gave approval on September 7 for Chevron Energía de México, the company’s Mexican subsidiary, to return the Block 22 exploration area located in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a Bloomberg report.

Chevron found that there was “no favorable prospectivity” in the Block 22 exploration area, which they shared with Japan’s INPEX and Mexico’s Pemex. (Chevron)

“While Chevron and our partners have decided not to continue exploratory work on Block 22, Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico business will maintain an office in Mexico City and will continue to monitor industry developments in the country,” Deena McMullen, Chevron’s head of external affairs in North America, told Bloomberg.

Chevron won the contract in 2016, following an energy reform by former President Enrique Peña Nieto that opened Mexican oil exploration to private companies. But the company has concluded that “there is no favorable prospectivity in the block,” according to CNH representative Oliver Antonio Mayo Cruz.

Chevron is also returning area 3 of the Lost Fold Belt, while its partner Shell is returning blocks 20, 21 and 23. The Spanish company Repsol will also return a block in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Several other foreign oil companies are also in the process of returning concessions to the Mexican government, including BP, Equinor and Total Energies, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Exploratory oil contracts awarded during former president Enrique Peña Nieto’s government have not met the production targets set by the current administration. (@Chevron/X)

Only a handful of foreign companies have seen success from exploratory oil contracts won under Peña Nieto’s energy policy, including Italy’s CNI, Mexico’s Hokchi Energy and the United States’ Talos Energy. Repsol also maintains one deepwater block.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador suspended oil auctions when he took office in 2018, and set a production target of 280,000 barrels of oil per day for contract-holding companies by the end of his presidential term in 2024. However, most companies have failed to meet their forecasts.

Last week, the Mexican Association of Hydrocarbons Companies (Amexhi) admitted that, in light of these disappointing results, private oil companies in Mexico will not have a new production target for 2024.

Amexhi sought to explain the poor performance by stressing that even successful exploratory oil contracts can take up to 15 years to give results, and recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected oil production.

Quesqui oil field — Crude processing in Pemex-operated facilities such as Quesqui, in Tabasco, dropped in July to the lowest rate in the year. (@Pemex/X)

President López Obrador has often expressed doubts about private investment in Mexico’s oil industry, seeking instead to strengthen the finances and boost the production of state oil company Pemex. But Pemex is also struggling, with crude production dropping to its lowest point this year, at just under 1.6 million barrels per day in July.

Mexico’s total oil production is currently at 1.9 million barrels per day – far below the 2.6 million barrels per day predicted at the beginning of López Obrador’s term.

With reports from Bloomberg Linea and Reuters

Get in touch with nature on these beautiful hikes near Guadalajara

By

John Pint

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September 8, 2023

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Huentitlan hikers — The trails around Guadalajara, where Mexico's different biomes all converge, are a paradise for hikers and climbers of all abilities. (All photos by John Pint)

Over the past months—with the collaboration of outdoor enthusiasts living in different parts of Mexico—I’ve listed some excellent hikes you can do from San Miguel de Allende, Monterrey, and Queretaro, not to mention several really spectacular ones you can do inside Mexico City, without ever leaving town. This time around, I want to describe some delightful places you can visit from the city of Guadalajara.

This is an easy task because Guadalajara is literally surrounded by captivating canyons, waterfalls, forests, hot springs, jungles, volcanoes, and much more. I’ve described 90 such sites in a series of books called Outdoors in Western Mexico plus another 10 great places you will find in my Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area.

Rio Caliente — A picturesque amate tree (strangler fig) on the Salty River section of Río Caliente.

Why are there so many attractive outdoor sites within easy reach of Guadalajara?

Guadalajara happens to lie at a spot where all five of Mexico’s ecosystems come together. So, whichever direction you leave the city, you’ll soon find yourself in a different environment with its own flora, fauna, and geology. It’s so extraordinary that I decided to call the area within a day’s drive of Guadalajara, “The Magic Circle.”

Here are a few examples of great places you can easily visit from Mexico’s second-largest city.

Río Caliente

This hot river is the number one attraction of the vast Primavera Forest which lies directly west of Guadalajara. Studies show that the water is chock full of minerals, including organic lithium, and for years people from all over the world flocked to the Río Caliente Spa (now closed) to soak in its healing waters.

Today most people come here to take a dip in the rustic pools, constructed at a point where the river is really hot, right next to a large parking lot easily reachable by any sort of vehicle. This place is always open!

From this parking area, hikers may choose to follow a trail paralleling the river, eventually leading to the cooled-down section of Río Caliente known as Rio Salado (Salty River) where bathers can enjoy a soothing Jacuzzi effect caused by water swirling around rocks. Search Google Maps for “MCMF+34 La Primavera, Jalisco” to reach the Río Caliente parking area. It’s a 35-minute drive from the west end of Guadalajara.

La Barranca de Huentitán

Drenched with sweat, a hiker reaches the top of the steep trail down Huentitán Canyon.

This hike takes you 500 meters down to the bottom of the spectacular canyon which forms the northern boundary of Guadalajara. The view is breathtaking and so is the steep, zigzagging trail. Once you’ve reached the Santiago River at the bottom, a short walk downstream will bring you to the picturesque Arcediano Suspension Bridge, the historic gateway to all points north of Guadalajara in bygone days. Would you believe that the record for running down and back up this steep path is 43 minutes?

To reach the trailhead, ask Google Maps to take you to “Barranca de Huentitán-Capilla y Camino Empedrado.”

El Diente

Here is a beautiful location six kilometers north of town, filled with huge rocks 30 million years old, including a few that look like giant teeth. It’s the favorite hangout of Guadalajara’s rock-climbing community. On any weekend you can spend hours watching them inch their way up impossible-looking surfaces set at crazy angles. If you wish, you can do a most interesting six-kilometer loop hike around the monolith-topped peak. Look for “El Diente Zapopan, Jalisco” to get you to this unique site.

Rio Seco

The north-central part of the Primavera Forest is characterized by slot canyons typically varying in width from two to ten meters, with sheer walls rising as high as 50 meters. From your access point near the town of La Venta del Astillero (ten kilometers west of Guadalajara), you can follow the Rio Seco for 3 kilometers, frequently walking among huge boulders of pumice, a rock so light it actually floats. Erosion is forever sculpting these soft volcanic walls, creating bizarre shapes and scenes that look different every time you visit the place.

To reach the trailhead, ask Google Maps for “PFC6+78J La Venta del Astillero, Jalisco.” The hike begins near the lip of a high cliff at the south end of La Venta del Astillero. Park far from the cliff edge and follow an old cobblestone road that takes you south, down into the canyon. From here the Rio Seco takes you east for two kilometers and then goes south for another three kilometers. When you’re tired of walking, head back the way you came. Shortcuts are not recommended in an area crisscrossed by slot canyons!

Tequila Volcano

This volcano is 2920 meters (9580 feet) high and is completely dormant. During its last gasp of activity 200,000 years ago, a spike rose straight up out of the crater. The view from the top of this spike is spectacular… and deceptive. At first, you see lakes everywhere, but a second look reveals that they are fields of blue-green agaves: countless gallons of tequila in the making!

The spike of Tequila Volcano, known as La Tetilla, rises to a height of 2920 meters above sea level.

Hiking along the trail that crosses the crater is an unforgettable experience because the scenery is gorgeous during both the dry and the rainy seasons. Yes, unlike many other volcanic craters, this one is as pretty as a picture, though only experienced climbers should try to scale the spike.

To reach the trailhead for the cross-crater hike, ask Google Maps to take you to “Q5Q2+RP3 Tequila, Jalisco.” You may also want to consult the map on Wikiloc. Note that you’ll need a high-clearance vehicle to drive up to the top of the volcano.

Just think, once you’ve finished these five hikes, you still have 95 more to go before you’ve visited all the places in western Mexico I’ve been writing about for the last 38 years!

The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, since 1985. His most recent book is Outdoors in Western Mexico, Volume Three. More of his writing can be found on his blog.

AMLO hands over ‘baton of command’ to Claudia Sheinbaum

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MND Staff

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September 8, 2023

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AMLO and Claudia Sheinbaum — The president handed over the baton - literally - of his "Fourth Transformation" to Morena 2024 candidate, Claudia Sheinbaum, on Thursday night. (MARIO JASSO/CUARTOSCURO.COM)

President López Obrador on Thursday formally ceded the leadership of the “fourth transformation” political project he initiated by handing over a symbolic “baton of command” to Claudia Sheinbaum, who will be the ruling Morena party’s candidate at next year’s presidential election.

Sheinbaum, mayor of Mexico City between December 2018 and last June, came out on top in polling to determine who would represent Morena and its allies at the June 2, 2024 election. Her victory was announced Wednesday night.

Claudia Sheinbaum and AMLO — Sheinbaum and the president stand together with the baton overlooking the Templo Mayor ruins in the Zócalo. (Andrés Manuel López Obrador/X)

López Obrador handed over the bastón de mando to Sheinbaum at a ceremony held at a restaurant in the historic center of Mexico City. The president received a “baton of command” from an Indigenous leader shortly after he was sworn in on Dec. 1, 2018, but what he handed to the ex-mayor on Thursday was a different one.

According to a statement posted to López Obrador’s personal website on Thursday night, Sheinbaum is now the “new national coordinator of the defense of the transformation.”

The president claims that his government is carrying out a transformation as significant as those that occurred as a result of independence from Spain in the early 19th century, liberal reforms enacted in the 1850s and the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century.

Among the central features of the “fourth transformation” – a term that is also the current government’s self-anointed nickname – are a stated attitude of zero tolerance toward corruption and impunity, government austerity and support for Mexico’s most disadvantaged citizens.

AMLO at event celebrating his election — The president speaking at an event commemorating his 2018 election in Mexico City’s Zócalo in July. (lopezobrador.org.mx)

After receiving the baton at an event attended by four of her five rivals for the Morena nomination as well as Morena governors and other party officials, Sheinbaum pledged to continue the “transformation” initiated by “President AMLO.”

Conforming to López Obrador’s oft-repeated philosophy, the ruling party’s new standard-bearer also pledged to never lie, steal or betray the people of Mexico.

As president, Sheinbaum said she would continue building a “fairer, more fraternal” Mexico that is “sovereign, free and democratic.”

“… Mexico belongs to everyone, but above all it belongs to the more than 8 million seniors who receive their pension every two months, to the hundreds of thousands of people who receive disability support payments, to the millions of young people that write and build the future, to the engineers and laborers who build trains, airports, refineries, solar plants, ports, dams and highways, to the teachers who teach with the new textbooks, … [and] to the health workers,” she said.

Sheinbaum has promised she will continue with the “fourth transformation” of President López Obrador. (Cuartoscuro)

Sheinbaum also took the opportunity to attack Mexico’s opposition parties, three of which – the PAN, the PRI and the PRD – have banded together to form an alliance that will back a common candidate at next year’s presidential election. Those now in opposition never fulfilled their promises when they were in government and are “the living image of corruption,” she said.

Sheinbaum’s official designation as the new leader of the “transformation movement” came four days after Senator Xóchitl Gálvez was formally named as the coordinator of the three-party Broad Front for Mexico (FAM) opposition bloc.

Morena and the FAM are not currently referring to their presidential contenders as candidates to avoid falling foul of electoral laws that stipulate when that designation can occur.

Gálvez, who defeated Senator Beatriz Paredes in polling to determine the FAM’s presumptive nominee, asserted that López Obrador was acting more like an “emperor” than a president by giving Sheinbaum the “baton of command.”

“Today is a historic day. Today is the day on which Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as if he were an emperor and not the president of a republic, will hand over the imperial scepter to Sheinbaum,” she said in a video posted to social media.

“It’s a circus, … an act of authoritarianism typical of the Mexico we want to leave behind,” Gálvez said.

Xóchitl Gálvez at a rally — Xóchitl Gálvez was officially designated the opposition candidate for 2024 at the Ángel de la Independencia in Mexico City on Sunday. (Xóchitl Gálvez/X)

When he leaves office, López Obrador will leave behind a country marked by “fear and violence,” she said.

“… The presidential sash is not a scepter that is inherited,” Gálvez added. “It’s the will and the hope of the entire country. That hope already changed hands and now belongs to us.”

López Obrador was asked earlier this week why he had decided to hand over a “baton of command” to Morena’s new standard bearer when such an object is a “representation of the entire citizenry, not one political party.”

“Look, it’s a way of passing on a responsibility that I’ve had to attend to as the leader of a movement of transformation. That’s what the baton symbolizes,” he responded.

“Above all, it’s a symbol of Indigenous communities, the poorest people of this country and it’s about handing over that symbol to he or she who must lead the transformation, provide continuity to what for us is essential – helping the poor and helping the Indigenous people.”

With reports from El Financiero and Reforma

6 Mexican spirits that are not derived from agave

By

Bethany Platanella

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September 8, 2023

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stanislav-ivanitskiy-j5SwUbcgeyA-unsplash (1) — Mexico's drinking culture may be best known for agave distillates, but they aren't the only options.(Stanislav Ivanitskiy/Unsplash)

Agave is at the heart of Mexican drinking culture. Without this lustrous plant, we’d be denied many a uniquely Mexican moment. A weekend in Jalisco without tequila? A festival in Oaxaca without mezcal? A random Tuesday lunch with friends without a light, fresh margarita?

No, thank you.

What would one do here in Mexico with, say, an aversion to agave? I’ve done some research, and I’ve got some answers. Each of the following six spirits is produced right here in Mexico and none is a product of the agave plant.