Eva Longoria Hosts ‘Searching For Mexico’ New Travel Food Show

Viva México! Sit back to savor traveling with award-profitable actor, director, producer Eva Longoria, who heads south to scoop up delectable journey-and-meals favorites in Seeking for Mexico, a new 6-episode CNN Authentic Series, premiering March 26. Born and reared in Texas with Mexican heritage, Longoria showcases this shut-to-her-heart nation that she deems her next dwelling, where by she also met her husband, José “Pepe” Bastón. A common tourism desired destination for Us citizens, Mexico is embraced by Longoria, who spotlights its sightseeing jewels, picturesque landscapes, cultural amazements, visionary personalities and driving-the-scenes stories, when devouring diverse dishes in Mexico Metropolis, Yucatan, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon, Jalisco and Veracruz. “All I know is that every single time I try to eat Mexican food stuff, I am joyful,” she exclaims. Co-government created by Longoria and Stanley Tucci — whose own CNN demonstrate Browsing for Italy gained Emmys for Excellent Hosted Nonfiction Collection in 2021 and 2022 — Browsing for Mexico might have you cheering: Olé! Below, its trailer and some episode snapshots to whet your hunger.

Episode 1: Mexico City

Longoria starts Exploring for Mexico’s journey in this major of North American towns. There are many strategies to be wooed by its rousing songs, murals and morsels. She joins foodstuff author Gabriela Rentería on a pleasurable taco-athon, as they dash to dine on generously loaded tortillas. If you assume that you know tacos centered on what is frequently served in the U.S.A., surprises await. Mexico Metropolis has extended attracted people from all around the earth, who have introduced their origin country’s culinary influences. As a result, Mexican food stuff is an amalgam of international exchange. Taco fusions are vibrantly diverse, such as tacos al pastor (with spit-grilled slices of pork), a thought released by Lebanese immigrants who imported shawarma (spit-grilled lamb served on pita bread). Even in Mexico City’s latest district of Small Tokyo, Japanese-Mexican elements are merged. For sweets, she suggests concha (round sweet bread that resembles a seashell) at her choicest community bakery. Longoria also treats Santi, her 4-12 months-outdated son, to sizzling chocolate and churros (fried choux pastry dough).

Mexico City’s historic centre impresses. Structure Plaza, also referred to as El Zócalo, is minutes away from Countrywide Palace (the formal home of Mexico’s president) with lauded paintings by Diego Rivera baroque Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City (building began in 1573 and ongoing for 250 decades) and 13th-century Aztec Temple — the Excellent Pyramid of Tenochtitlan. With Eduardo “Lalo” Garcia, one of Mexico’s esteemed cooks, Longoria boats through a network of historical Aztec-developed canals and smaller islands to see the floating gardens of Xochimilco. It airs: March 26.

Episode 2: Yucatan

On the east coastline of Mexico, along Gulf waters and in jungles of Yucatan (Mexico has 32 states), Longoria delves into significant contributions of historical Maya — an completed civilization for millennia right up until 16th-century Spanish conquistadors arrived. The Maya’s astounding pyramids, this sort of as all those at Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Tulum, are planet renowned. She explores how the Mayan essence is stored alive currently by their cherished recipes. Chef Roberto Solis, mastermind of New Yucatan Delicacies, dazzles with imaginative pushing-the-envelope fare. In the city of Merida, his new cafe Hunik, indicating “unique spirit” in Mayan, pays tribute to intricate spice combos, such as negro recado — a charred, smoky, fragrant chili sauce. A lot of of the ideal Yucatan dishes call for a devoted, lengthy preparation course of action. For case in point, conchinita pibil is pork slow-roasted in a rock-lined underground pit for 8 several hours. It airs: April 2.

Episode 3: Oaxaca

“Do you think in magic?” asks Longoria. “I didn’t till Oaxaca cast its spell on me.” She travels to southern Mexico’s Oaxaca, tucked among three mountains and the Pacific Ocean. “A bewitching position, exactly where culinary wonders are conjured,” she continues. Oaxaca is the two a state and a city. Considering the fact that pre-Hispanic times, trade routes from South The us funneled a multitude of components north, criss-crossing by means of Oaxaca, endowing it with considerably-flung culinary presents. “Oaxaca is a mecca for food items lovers in the know,” Longoria provides.

The groundbreaking chef who has place Oaxacan delicacies on the modern world wide-gourmand map is Alejandro Ruiz, whose Casa Oaxaca restaurant salutes the region’s make. His bespoke, cacao-centric mole negro sauce — complex, silky, easy, refined — has 28 elements. Longoria and Ruiz make mole together in his kitchen later on, it is served with turkey, as is standard in Oaxaca, on Ruiz’s rooftop terrace. Named the “food of the gods,” chocolate is a cornerstone of Oaxacan gastronomy. Following, food items writer and passionate cheese fan Omar Alonzo navigates Longoria to the city of Reyes Etla, in which full-fats quesillo cheese, Oaxaca’s beloved export, is made. At restaurant Las Quince Letras, progressive Chef Celia Florian generates an in-demand finger meals, in which a hand-dimension Hoja Santa leaf — which has normal flavors of anise, eucalyptus, mint — is topped with torn quesillo and crunchy roasted (protein-wealthy) grasshoppers, then folded, heated, slash and rolled into chunk-dimensions portions edible flowers and drizzles of pesto sauce gown the quite plate. Longoria at 1st would seem cautious about eating the grasshoppers, then concurs that the dish’s textures and flavors enhance just about every other perfectly.

Ancient Zapotecs thrived in the Oaxaca location called Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the narrowest extend of land amongst Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These days, guardians of Zapotec cuisine are recognised as Muxes, who are identified as a 3rd gender. “We are persons of two spirits,” says Felina Santiago (over). “We are the duality, neither man or girl, neither significantly less or far more.” Their society has provided them a perception of freedom. “It has been a privilege for me to expend time with the Muxes, who’ve cast their own path in Oaxaca,” claims Longoria. They wear regular gown, elaborately embroidered with bouquets. Stuffed pork is a favored dish, served with casserole-like mashed potatoes loaded with enough amounts of garlic, spring onions, carrots, eggs, butter and heavy product. As Longoria will help the Muxes manually mix the ingredients with their palms, she remarks, “This is a exercise!” Unique event foods can incorporate armadillo, iguana and mountain pigeon.

Tomatoes, way too, originate from South The us. They were traded through Mexico, then Spaniards took them to Europe. In Mexico, the birthplace of maize, a lot more than 60 diverse species flourish. Corn is central to Mexican cooking and identification. An hour drive from Oaxaca Metropolis, the farming local community of Santa Ana Zegáche is corn’s epicenter. It has been cultivated there for a lot more than 6,000 many years. Longoria visits a loved ones farm, pointing to its cobs of burgundy, dark yellow and white kernels. Yet another prime Oaxacan export is mezcal liquor, designed from the agave plant. Longoria eagerly pitches in at a San Baltazar Chichicapam agave farm — run by a woman, a rarity. Right after agave plants are harvested and machete-reduce, they are cooked in a coated firey pit, which can consider up to 5 times, then mashed and milled to attain an agave juice, fermented, distilled twice, casked (dependent on intent of growing old) and last but not least bottled. It airs: April 9.

Episode 4: Nuevo Leon

Mexico’s northeastern point out of Nuevo Leon borders Texas, southwest of Corpus Christi. Substantially of its rugged, dry mountainous terrain is inhospitable to fruit and vegetable farming. In its place, meat is on most menus beef and cabrito (child goat) are extensively out there. Open up-flame cooking and barbecues are honored. Ranch-fashion beans and breakfast tacos are staples. Longoria attends a festive carne asada celebration to relish nearby aguja steak. She preferences tender goat with flour tortillas that may well derive from a Sephardic Jewish custom — and she aids assemble venison tamales for her movie crew.

Lots of Nuevo Leon chefs astonish with their out-of-the-box creative imagination. For case in point, at Koli Cocina de Origen in the city of Monterrey, Longoria scientific studies the slicing-edge, excelling menus of three proficient brothers: Chef Rodrigo Rivera Rio, Pastry Chef Daniel Rivera Rio and Maître d’/Sommelier Patricio Rivera Rio. Intent on their cafe getting an uplifting family grace, they selected the title Koli, this means “grandfather” in Náhuatl, the language of Aztecs who ruled Mexico concerning the 14th and 16th hundreds of years. Not properly recognised as a language outside of Mexico, Náhuatl is continue to fluently spoken now by about 1.5-million Mexicans — and, in actuality, some Náhuatl words, this kind of as avocado, chipotle, chocolate, coyote, guacamole, mezcal and tomato have been incorporated into the English language. It airs: April 16.

Episode 5: Jalisco

On Mexico’s west coastline, bordered by 6 states — Aguascalientes, Colima, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán and Zacatecas — Jalisco is frequently considered the most quintessentially Mexican. Traditions these kinds of as mariachi bands, ranchera audio, charro cowboys and tequila originated there. Its Pacific shorelines are beauties, attractive tourists to swanky resorts, specifically in Puerto Vallarta. Energetic Guadalajara is the capital its plazas, neoclassical Teatro Degollado (theater) and golden-spired cathedral allure. Longoria preferences outstanding dishes, this sort of as birria, a gradual-heated goat stew, and torta ahogada, a sourdough sandwich filled with pork, a legacy from French invasions. Pop-up eateries and polished dining places proliferate these times, led by energetic cooks. At fantastic Café Pa’l Genuine, Chef Fabian Delgado has brainstormed a novel mole, employing Mexican and European elements. Longoria then steers towards Jalisco’s region of Tequila to toast the nationwide consume. She also talks with the fiercely very pleased indigenous Coca individuals. It airs: April 23.

Episode 6: Veracruz

Along the warm Gulf Coast, the japanese point out of Veracruz — just 60 miles large, stretching 400 miles very long — is recognized as the cradle of the modern-day-working day nation of Mexico. Spanish conquistadors initially landed on its shores. Soon thereafter, Veracruz became a incredibly lively buying and selling hub: Spaniards imported espresso, oranges, pork and spices Mexicans exported a wealth of coveted foodstuff, including tomatoes, chocolate and vanilla. A treasure trove of elements coming and heading remixed and ignited entire new cuisines. Can you picture Italy without the need of the tomato? France devoid of chocolate and vanilla?

In a intriguing Hunting for Mexico trajectory, Longoria retraces the route of her ancestor, Lorenzo Longoria, who set foot in Veracruz 400 yrs in the past.

Nowadays, Veracruzanos are famed for their feisty defiance and resilience. Women of all ages are sturdy, more and more striving for independence and management roles. Earning a good impression on Veracruz’s fishing industry is Chef Erik Guerrero Arias, who has encouraged sustainability and expanded the variety of consumable fish species. With Longoria, he would make a cold seafood ceviche that is “disrupted” with warm refried beans and drizzled avocado oil. Longoria then drives to espresso fields in verdant mountains, to discover how shade, altitude and awesome temps improve much better crops. She visits a main vanilla farm, which has been owned by just one spouse and children for hundreds of years and now, for the initially time, is headed by a girl, Norma Gaya. The entrepreneur displays Longoria how to cook mouth watering rooster with prized vanilla, braised onions, and nada — a thick butter-like cream that kinds on the leading of uncooked milk, which is then boiled. For dessert? Heated bananas are doused in artisanal vanilla liqueur and served with selfmade vanilla bean ice product. Hungry however? It airs: April 23.