After meeting in Mexico and having lived in Mexico City and Morelia, Michoacán for many years, Berenice and I decided to relocate to my native Greece. Europe is a continent of several cultures with different customs that after centuries of conflict have come to the conclusion that union is better. Surrounded by a huge market and an exquisite and recognized cuisine, when trying to reproduce our recipes, we came across a lack of Mexican products. In our attempt to find them, we realized that there is a better chance of finding them in Spain or Germany than in Ireland or Greece.

Products arrive where there is demand for them. It is noticeable in the European continent that the larger the Mexican population, the greater the presence of merchandise from the country. For us in Greece, that created a big problem considering its small population of compatriots. This is how we decided to create this blog that serves as a reference in our investigation of points of sale, suppliers of Mexican food products, the substitution of products that cannot be obtained by others available in local markets and any other aspect related to the preparation and / or tasting of our dishes.

So we chose “Chiles y Maíz” as a title, to put a descriptive stamp through two fundamental elements of our culinary heritage and “Mexican cuisine traveling Europe” as a subtitle, to establish a geographical limitation of the community. We think that in such a way, it will be possible to focus on common issues that concern Mexican expatriates and all lovers of our style of food on the continent.

Our goal is to create a living space, offering our European community services that facilitate our stay outside of Mexico. We try to collect information and arrange it in an organized and interactive way, to the extent possible. At the same time, being in the kitchen, we try new ways to achieve the desired results, adjusting the ingredients that make up our culinary legacy, substituting ingredients in such a way that they leave the least possible trace detected on the palate.

For us, everything revolves around the Mexican community in Europe. For this site to be effective, it is important that doubts be clarified, starting conversations and promoting modernization and new ways of preparing our delicacies, without losing the wealth that grandmother gave them, making possible the availability of products that were previously difficult to find. We have united and determined Mexicans, capable of transmitting and improving our culinary heritage in a globalized world. Hopefully some tiles can be placed on this cultural building!

Yannis Volos