Cabo San Lucas Restaurants

Baja California Sur, Mexico

Los Cabos chefs, working in Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos area restaurants are taking Mexican cuisine to new heights with modern twists and traditional flavors. Long before the world was known as Old and New, México’s gastronomy revolved around maíz. Corn, as we call it, was the lifeblood of México’s pre-Hispanic societies, transcending its dietary value to that of supreme deity for Olmec and Zapotec, Maya and Aztec, who embody México’s mythic and culinary inheritance. Many Mexican chefs are reinterpreting pre-Hispanic dishes, in Cabo restaurants, using modern techniques and new ingredients, calling this “Alta Cocina Mexicana” or High Mexican Cuisine.

It was almost five hundred years ago that Spain conquered México, introducing European customs, foods and livestock, creating one of the world’s first fusion cuisines. Over time, this marriage has produced a rich gastronomy known as one of the world’s three great cuisines.

The cross, not the sword, would conquer the Baja California Peninsula when Jesuit padres established the first mission settlement at Loreto in 1697. Yet, unlike the mainland, where the country’s rich and diverse agricultural areas ensured a constant bounty of regional specialties, the barren peninsula stubbornly yielded few introduced crops, apart from select locations with fresh water. Grapes and olives thrived in the cooler north while sugar cane became the primary crop of the south. In contrast to the mainland’s sophisticated indigenous cultures, the Southern peninsula’s Guaycura and Pericú—peculiarly caught in a Late Stone Age time warp—lent little pre-Hispanic flavor to the pot. And so, for most of the past three centuries, the Mestizo cuisine of “el otro lado” (the other side) as the peninsula was known, was limited to what could be grown or caught fresh to eat, and dried or preserved for a later time. Fish and seafood formed much of the coastal diet, while deer, rabbit and dove provided meat, along with hardy cattle, goats and pigs brought by the Jesuits. Tomatoes, chiles, vegetables, fruits, sugar cane, and herbs shaped the pantry. Staples like rice, beans, flour, and corn, for the most part, were imported from the mainland. Until recent visitors to Los Cabos demanded more variety, our cuisine, while delicious, remained simple. And although dining out is now as diverse as any comparable tourist destination, maíz still forms the core of essential ingredients for many Mexican cooks and chefs.

Each of México’s diverse regions has its specialty, be it the seafood of the Pacific and Gulf coasts, prime Sonoran beef, Yucateca cochinita pibil, or one of the never-ending varieties of moles found in Puebla and Oaxaca states. Almost every ingredient of the pre-Hispanic diet is used today. Tortillas and tamales are as common on Mexican tables now as they were a thousand years ago. From fresh fish caught early in the day for a simple lunchtime taco, to complex sauces requiring days to prepare, Mexican food fires the imagination and jump-starts the appetite.

Ingenuity is a pillar of the Mexican character, and in the gastronomic world, Mexican chefs are known for their ability to take the simplest ingredients and transform them into works of art so delectable they beg to be slowly savored, bite by bite. Many have journeyed abroad to perfect their craft at renowned institutions—Led Cordon Bleu, The Culinary Institute of America, and so on—bringing fresh ideas and techniques home with them.

Chile, perhaps the most recognized ingredient in Mexican cooking, is integral to the cuisine, whether it is used in a simple “salsa casera” to garnish a taco or the elaborate chile-based sauces called moles. The word itself is pre-Hispanic, from the Nahuatl word molli, meaning sauce.

Chile is added to enhance the taste of foods, creating irresistible flavors. Many varieties are used, fresh and dried, from the unmistakable dried smoked jalapeño, called chipotle, to the much milder poblano, stuffed with cheese, meats or seafood, then battered and deep-fried as a “chile relleno.” True Mexican concoctions, moles can be any color—yellow, green, red, brown, black—depending on the ingredients. Combining ground chiles, spices, herbs, seeds, nuts and vegetables, some variations include chocolate, sesame seeds, even day-old tortillas. The dark, chocolate-laced mole poblano, served over chicken and turkey, is by far the best known.

Organic farms are thriving throughout Los Cabos and the Cape Region around Cabo San Lucas, producing fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs picked from the fields the same day you admire them at dinner at your favorite restaurant. More and more chefs are insisting on seasonal local products, accompanied by Baja California vintages from our finest wineries—Chateau Camou, Adobe Guadalupe, Casa de Piedra, Cavas Valmar, Vinícola Torres Alegre and others—creating a spontaneous and truly Baja Californian culinary experience. Some chefs have purchased farmland in Las Animas, Miraflores, Santiago, Pescadero, and Todos Santos, ensuring a steady supply of specialty crops for their menus.

Other chefs showcase their mainland roots, bringing their interpretations of Norteño, Sinaloense, Yucateca, Bahío, Oaxacan and Veracruzano plates to the table, combining local products, and regional ingredients from back home. Yet others are influenced by international tastes, Asian, French or Italian, for example, twisting traditional recipes with new flavors, exotic spices, foreign ingredients and techniques.

Mexican cuisine in Los Cabos continues to evolve. With our destination in the international limelight, more chefs are arriving, inspiring and challenging the status quo. Gastronomic festivals, chefs’ competitions, and the availability of more products and services have opened the door to truly inspirational cooking. With the high caliber of international travelers visiting Los Cabos, and the expectations that they bring to the table, our chefs are striving to present their finest fare, be it truly traditional or a modern take on Pre-Hispanic cuisine. There will always be the traditional mariscos and carne asada feasts of old, and with exciting new directions to explore, more surprises to behold.

More about Cabo San Lucas Restaurants at LosCabosGuide.com

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico - Last Revision - 03 October 2007 - jat