Corn is the second most cultivated in Mexico after coffee. The recipes with this ingredient date from the beginning of Mexican gastronomy. Currently, several chefs have been in charge of giving it greater weight in the menus of their restaurants. Beyond the tortilla, now this cereal is also present in spirits, beers, and preparations.
POX
Siglo cero is a distillate of four Creole corn, sugar cane, and wheat. It is an ancestral drink used by the Mayan culture that today was adopted by the Tzotzil community in Chiapas. The word pox means “medicine” or “cure.”
BEER
La Brü is a Mexican brewery located in Morelia, Michoacán, which among its line of labels has one prepared with blue corn. It is a dark cream ale style beer with 4.3% alcohol mixed with piloncillo, anise, cognac infusion, and vanilla from Chinantla, Oaxaca. It has a sweet and spicy aroma.
WHISKEY
Mexico is better known for its agave-based spirits and spirits than for its corn distillates. That is why mezcal maker Jonathan Barbieri decided to launch Pierde Almas Ancestral, a corn whiskey sold in the U.S. The project aims to support small farmers and create an economic incentive for them to continue growing one of the 60 varieties of corn.
PIXZA
Calling pizza “pixza” is a classic Mexicanism, hence the name of the pizzeria. Pixza’s dough contains 40% less gluten than conventional pizza dough because it mixes flour with blue corn. Here the slices are larger than usual and instead of tomato, its base has chipotle sauce.
Our favorite mix is the Chayito (grasshoppers soaked in salt and lemon with cilantro, guacamole, and green sauce).