Ola Magazine

wahaca
Mexican market eating
www.wahaca.co.uk
[email protected]
Mexican food, fun & culture
Year of the Taco 2016
Bluewater; Brixton; Bristol; Canary Wharf; Cardiff;
Charlotte St; Covent Garden; Islington; Kentish
Town; Liverpool; Liverpool St; Manchester;
Oxford Circus; Soho; Southbank; St. Paul's;
Stratford; Waterloo; White City, Wimbledon
Ola
Year of the Taco
Ola
better illustrated than with the taco –
crunchy slaw, fiery fresh salsas, yielding
meats – they have so much to give
and all year we’re focussing on these
incredible creations. Not only will we
be trying out amazingly diverse menus
at our Taco Stand on Wardour Street,
MEXICAN FOOD
IS ALL ABOUT CREATING
COMPLEX LAYERS OF TASTE
It seems this year is officially “Year of
the Taco” according to recent articles in
both Shortlist & Restaurant magazines.
Some of the world’s most awarded chefs
are becoming obsessed with them, from
Noma’s Rene Redzepi, who helped his
pastry chef Rosio Sánchez open Hija
de Sánchez taqueria in Copenhagen
(after whipping up an impromptu taco
feast after last year’s San Pellegrino 50
Best awards here in London) to El Bulli’s
Albert Adria, who’s just opened Niño
Viejo taqueria in Barcelona to critical
acclaim. Gluten-free, multi-layered
and textured and an easy, portable
way to eat, tacos are the undisputed
street food champion. In Mexico, the
bio-diversity and plethora of insanely
good ingredients have chefs from all
over the world in paroxysms of pleasure,
and their tacos are filled with such a
wide variety of ingredients, there’s an
encyclopaedia dedicated to them.
Be it wild mushrooms or flash-fried
skirt steak, or more unusual seasonal
delicacies like ants’ eggs, we’re spoiled
for choice. Mexican food is all about
creating complex layers of taste and
contrasting textures – and never is it
We’ve selected
the perfect
soundtrack to
accompany your
2016 taco tasting
with tracks from
our favourite
artists of the
coming year.
You can discover
the freshest Latin
sounds on our
monthly playlists
Soundcloud.
com/wahaca
or on social via
#WahacaMusic
2
FLYING OFF
THE GRILL
AT SOHO
Wahaca Soho now has its own
walk-up-and-eat, mercado style
taco stand with extra special
grilled tacos, served on upturned frisbees (to bring back
when you’ve finished playing).
Watch out for our newest dishes
– hibiscus glazed pork belly with
hot pickled celeriac or sautéed
cactus with grilled cheese.
SPRING
TACOS WITH
MUSHROOMS
Soho, but our specials in Wahaca will
be focussed on this incredible invention.
Think crispy tacos filled with shrimp
and spices; melting, tamarind and
chipotle-glazed pork belly and salsa
verde, or slow-cooked lamb shoulder
with a seasoned ancho adobo. We’re
using it as a chance to keep pushing the
boundaries too – Like our experiments
with Nixtamalisation (see page 4). This
is the year to appreciate why Mexico
has some of the most avid food fans out
there. Come and join us for 12 months of
tortilla stuffed tasty. The taco party starts
here…
ARE YOU A
TACOFANATIC?
Tacopedia:
The Taco Encylcopedia
published by Phaidon is
the ultimate guide to our
favourite street side bite and
it’s available at a reduced
price for Wahaca lovers, via
www.phaidon.com/wahaca.
Kali Uchis
Ridin’ Around
(US/Col)
Big Big Love
Tibias
(Mex)
Recipe from Mexican Food Made Simple
by Thomasina Miers (Published by Hodder
& Sloughton) Photograph (c) Tara Fisher
The Mexicans love wild mushrooms.
In the spring, morels and St. George’s
mushrooms come out in Britain among
other varieties. If you can get wild
mushrooms, add some sliced to field
mushrooms or include a little dried
porcini for a real treat.
1. Heat half the butter and olive oil in
a frying pan and add the mushrooms,
seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook
over a high heat until the mushrooms
have released their juices and the juice
has started to evaporate, about 10
minutes.
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
2. Add the rest of the butter and the oil
(including the truffle oil if you are using
it), the shallots and garlic and cook until
soft. Sprinkle with the tarragon and
check the seasoning.
25g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
750g mixed mushrooms, sliced
Sea salt & black pepper
1 tablespoon truffle oil (optional)
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Small handful tarragon, chopped
Elsa y Elmar
Planeando el tiempo
(Col)
To serve:
Chetes
Agujero Negro
(Mex)
Year of the Taco
Quiero Club
Los Cuatro Puntos
(Mex)
wahaca.co.uk
Small handful of parsley,
roughly chopped
Grated Pecorino cheese
Wahaca’s Chipotle chilli sauce
La Yegros
Chicha Roja
(Arg)
Mexican market eating
wahaca.co.uk
Mexican market eating
3. Spoon the mushrooms into a heated
earthenware dish that will look fun on
the table and sprinkle over the parsley
and cheese. Serve alongside some
chipotle chilli sauce and a dollop of
crème fraiche if you like it a little cooler.
SERVE WITH YOUR
FAVOURITE SALSAS FOR
A DELICIOUS SPRING BITE
3
Ola
Year of the Taco
Ola
EAT LIKE A
Mexican
Year of the Taco
ONE
Take taco in a pincer movement with
thumb, index and middle finger.
Brits should hang the tea - drinking
etiquette and raise that pinkie finger
for maximum enjoyment.
HOW TO EAT A TACO
TWO
Raise your taco holding arm’s
elbow, ensuring not to nudge
your neighbour. The other hand
should be holding a serviette,
ready for immediate post-bite chin
deployment.
YOU WILL NEED:
Tortilla
Corn or flour
(the debate rages on)
Filling
Meats, veg, flowers,
insects, funguses, etc
FUTURE
GRAZING
The origins of the humble tortilla can
be dated back more than 5,000 years
to when gluten-free maize first popped
on the scene in and around Puebla,
Mexico. As more and more chefs
and food lovers embrace the tortilla
as a healthy vehicle for transporting
mouth-watering food to their lips, we
have been fascinated with the latest
developments to this ancient foodstuff.
We caught up with Tommi to hear
how she and her team have been
tinkering with tortillas in the Wahaca
development kitchen…
What’s the inspiration behind your
latest culinary experiments?
So how’s it made?
Fresh corn is soaked and boiled with
limewater to break down its fibrous walls
and then ground down into a dough, a
process known as Nixtamalisation. With
that ‘nixtamalised’ dough, the humble
tortilla is made. In the UK, we can only
get that special savoury corn in a
processed flour, a masa harina. Whilst
the product is good, it is just not the same
as the fresh, nixtamalised version. That’s
why we’re constantly on the lookout for
better products in the tortillas that we
have specially made for the restaurants.
Can that be recreated?
We’ve been looking at how to more
closely recreate the methods and flavours
of Mexican corn tortillas here in the UK,
whilst keeping an eye on sustainable
production. The main difference you’ll
find in tortillas is the raw material. In
many of the tortilla ‘bakeries’ in Mexico,
tortillas are made from corn that has
been picked that very morning. The corn
is not the sweetcorn that we eat here but
a much more savoury ingredient that
comes in hues of white, yellow, blue,
red and black, that is rich in essential
vitamins and minerals and that makes
these incredible flatbreads.
4
We love sustainability at Wahaca and
we were intrigued to hear that the
Nordic Food Lab, in Copenhagen, had
been experimenting with the same
nixtamalisation process you find used on
Mexican corn, but with different locally
sourced grains. The theory is that we
don’t grow savoury corn in the Northern
hemisphere so we are always reliant on
shipping the grains from The Americas –
not a very sustainable food story. If they
could make a tortilla using Northern
Hemisphere grains like buckwheat,
rye, mung beans, barley, could they
THREE
Take a hell of a good chomp.
Top tip: use your pinkie to hold the
back of the taco to avoid spillage.
Salsa
Tomato, tomatillo,
chillies & spices
FOUR
Repeat until replete.
COOKING
produce a European version of the
tortilla with a more sustainable story?
Everything about this appealed to us so
we called up a friend. We met Santiago
Lastra when we did a supper club with
Enrique Olvera and Daniela SotoInnes at our Day of the Dead festival
last November. He is a Mexican chef
working mainly in Copenhagen, who
had been crowned as one of the top ten
young chefs in Scandinavia last year. His
cooking is Mexican in origin, but using
the Northern European ingredients that
he was discovering. He is a great guy
and we immediately hit it off. He came
over and cooked with us for a week in
our development kitchen experimenting
with different grains and tortilla doughs.
Sounds pretty nifty. How did it turn out?
We loved the tortillas made with rye and
buckwheat. We tried some amazing
ones with black rice and black beans
too. It was a fascinating week of
creating some incredible flavours and
it could be the beginning of something
really exciting. Our next job is to work
out whether we can re-produce our
experimentations on a larger scale.
We hope we can! Watch this space…
The search for the perfect tortilla goes on.
wahaca.co.uk
Mexican market eating
GOOD
Hija de Sanchez
WE ASKED SOME OF OUR
FOODIE PALS FOR THEIR
TOP TIPS ON WHERE TO FIND
THE BEST TACOS IN MEXICO
(AND BEYOND!)
Linnésgade 17,
1363 Copenhagen - Denmark
"A Copenhagen taco stop opened by
Noma’s pastry chef, Rosio Sanchez. It has
a simple menu, nothing complicated,
serving the tacos that Rosio has craved
since moving from Mexico to Denmark."
- Rene Redzepi
EL Califa
El Huequito
Condesa, Altata 22, Hipódromo,
Cuauhtémoc, D.F - Mexico
"Look for the steak and crispy fried
melted cheese, with either fresh green
tomatillo salsa or inky sweet and sour
Pasilla salsa. Attracting everyone from
bin men to business men, the queues are
worth waiting in." - Valentine Warner
wahaca.co.uk
Mexican market eating
Ayuntamiento 21,
Corner Lopez, Centro, DF - Mexico
"A tiny hole in the wall (it’s been around
for decades), that specialises in tacos al
pastor. The pork is sweet and charred,
the tacos warm and soft, and the fresh
made salsa has glorious bite. Total handheld heaven." - Tom Parker-Bowles
Central de Abasto Market
Central de Abasto, Juárez Maza s/n,
68090 Oaxaca - Mexico
"On the outskirts of Oaxaca City, the
market stalls make the most incredible
skirt steak and Oaxacan cheese tacos,
with a fiery chile de agua salsa."
- Thomasina Miers
Tacos El Guero
Av. Amsterdam 135, Cuauhtémoc,
Hipódromo, D.F - Mexico
"Also known as Tacos Hola, a favourite
amongst Condesa’s hipster scene,
unusually it’s mostly vegetarian, but also
has an incredible pig's head and blood
sausage stew taco that’ not to be missed."
- James Lowe
5
Ola
Year of the Taco
Ola
TACO FACTOS
1. THE TACO WAS INVENTED BETWEEN
1000 AND 500 B.C. AS A KIND OF
EDIBLE SPOON
2. THE AVERAGE MEXICAN CONSUMES
135 POUNDS OF TORTILLAS PER YEAR
3. THE TORTILLA WENT INTO
OUTER SPACE WHEN THE ASTRONAUT
JOHN GLENN ADDED IT TO THE MENU
FOR THE SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
IN 1998
4. HAVING TACOS AL PASTOR WITH
A ''GARDEN'' OF ONION, CILANTRO,
PINEAPPLE AND SALSA IS A
MEXICO CITY ORIGINAL
TOP
HOG
TACOS AL PASTOR
WHERE MEXICO MEETS THE MIDDLE EAST
If you’ve visited Mexico and whilst
having a stroll… you, in amazement,
spotted an enormous spinning skewer
of meat roasting kebab-shop style,
wonder no more. We’ve got the story
behind what is probably the most
popular – and some say most delicious
- taco in Mexico… tacos al pastor.
In the 1930s, Lebanese immigrants
arriving in Puebla, south central Mexico,
were happily making their spit-grilled
lamb shawarma, grinning from ear
to ear. Until one day, a crafty Mexican
decided to swap the meat over to
pork and marinate it with his locally
produced achiote paste (made from
annatto seeds, oregano, cumin and
6
LOVE AT
FIRST BITE
RENE REDZEPI
other spices). The taco al pastor was
born and the grins continued to grow.
Nowadays, vertical “spinning tops”
better known as trompos, cook the meat
slowly with a rotisserie type flame. The
meat is topped with a fresh pineapple
which the “taqueros” (taco bosses) slice
along with the thinly carved, succulent
“We’ll grab a bite here.” “Remember the
beach, remember the beach,” I repeated
like a mantra to myself as we sat down,
but within an instant I forgot those words.
Ice-cold beers arrived at our table in
a flash, as our host signalled the kitchen
to send us a round of tacos al pastor. As I
stared down at the plate, the first thing I
noticed was that the tortillas had a yellow
hue to them that was so different from
the white and dense variety I was used to
finding in Denmark. The grilled pork was
flaky and moist. There were fresh leaves
of emerald-green coriander sprinkled
on top, as well as some thin slices of
pineapple. On the side, a little condiment
of sour orange juice with habanero. “Put
seven drops of that on your pineapple,”
the host told me. I did, and folded the
taco together. It was already levels above
what I had experienced in Europe—the
aroma, the very look of it. But then I
sunk my teeth in. Immediately I felt the
tenderness, the rich umami character
of the meat. And the tortilla! It was sweet
and smoky, with a gentle chew to it, like
a good sourdough bread. Suddenly the
spice from the habaneros hit me, kept in
check by the sweet, succulent pineapple.
That perfect bite made it a moment I’ll
always remember, sitting on those plastic
chairs in the tropical heat.
pork into freshly made corn tortillas.
These lush tacos are then sprinkled with
chopped onion & coriander and served
with a slice of lime for you to squeeze
liberally (as Mexicans like to do).
Tacos al pastor have fast become
Mexico City’s most famous taco. As it
evolved with the use of other chillies like
guajillo, anchos and spices, legendary
taquerias like El Fogoncito and El
Tizoncito helped boost their popularity as
taco parlours opened up around town,
then expanded to the rest of the country
and now the world.
So next time you visit Mexico watch
out from early evening, as the trompos
start rolling and tacos al pastor are
served until early morning for those
heading home after a night out. Yes, just
like kebabs, but way tastier. Try them
with the salsa “de la casa” and wash
them down with your favourite Mexican
beer. You won’t be sorry.
wahaca.co.uk
Mexican market eating
I’ll never forget the first time I set off for
Mexico many years ago. It was winter
in Denmark, I was worn out from work,
and I needed a beach. As I sat there on
the long plane ride over, I couldn’t help
but dread the fact that I was going to
have to eat the food. You see, what we
have here is a type of Tex-Mex, a tradition
born in the U.S. that certainly has its rare
pleasures. But imagine that variant being
sent through a game of intercontinental
Chinese whispers: what ends up here in
Scandinavia is so far from its origins that
it’s downright sad. I foolishly thought it
would be the same in Mexico. “What the
heck, you have your books & the beach,”
I reassured myself. “Just live off fruit.”
We landed fairly late in Mérida, at
about 11:30 in the evening, and we were
starving. I asked our host for something to
eat. Stupid as I was, I requested pizza. He
looked at me funny. I could almost hear
him thinking “Stupid gringo.” We drove
a good thirty minutes from the airport
before stopping at a nondescript, overlit
restaurant. There was outdoor seating,
all covered in plastic and soft drink logos.
“This is it,” he said as we pulled over.
WE DROVE A GOOD
THIRTY MINUTES
FROM THE AIRPORT
BEFORE STOPPING AT A
NONDESCRIPT, OVERLIT
RESTAURANT
TACOS AL PASTOR
HAVE FAST BECOME
MEXICO CITY’S
MOST FAMOUS TACO
Watch out for trials of our own pastor
grill being installed in Wahaca
Charlotte Street as part of the Year of
the Taco.
Ahead of embarking on our 12 month
tour of tortilla filled tasty, we checked in
on what some of our taco loving friends
are saying about this most mouthwatering of street food dishes. Here’s
how René Redzepi, head chef at twoMichelin star restaurant Noma, recalls
his first experience of real tacos in his
introduction to Tacopedia.
Year of the Taco
Profile image by Peter Brinch
(courtesy of Phaidon)
wahaca.co.uk
Mexican market eating
7
COCKTAILS TEQUILA
WAHACA MARGARITAS
SERVED ON THE ROCKS WITH A DOUBLE
SHOT OF 100% AGAVE OLMECA ALTOS
TEQUILA & ORGANIC AGAVE SYRUP
Classic £6.95
Freshly squeezed lime with a hint
of agave
Tamarind £6.95
Refreshing sweet-sour fruit,
a Mexican favourite
Hibiscus £6.95
Intense cranberry-flavoured
Mexican flower
Passion fruit £6.95
A tropical twisted margarita
TWISTED CLASSICS
SERVED WITH OLMECA ALTOS TEQUILA,
HAVANA CLUB A EJO ESPECIAL RUM,
WYBOROWA VODKA, OR BEEFEATER GIN
Mojito DF £6.50
Golden rum, mint, lime & apples
Twisted pear £6.95 NEW
Vodka, William Pear, lime, freshly
juiced ginger
Passion fruit vanilla mojito £6.50
Golden rum, passion fruit, mint
& vanilla
Wahaca Mule £6.50
Ginger beer, fresh lime juice & tequila
Hibiscus gin & tonic £6.95 NEW
Fresh cucumber, hibiscus & a hint
of black pepper
Wahaca Colada £7.25
Golden rum with pineapple & coconut
Mexican gin bramble £6.95 NEW
Gin, blackberry, fresh lime
Spiced daiquiri £6.95 NEW
Golden rum, winter spices, fresh lime
Mexpresso Martini £6.95
Vodka shaken with Kahlúa & a fresh
shot of espresso
T“ EQUILA” MUST CONTAIN AT LEAST 51%
BLUE AGAVE. WAHACA SERVES ONLY DOUBLE
DISTILLED, 100% BLUE AGAVE, THE PUREST
AND MOST DELICIOUS
REPOSADO (RESTED)
RED WINE
SERVED WITH OUR HOME MADE SANGRITA
Jose Cuervo Tradicional £3.85
Nutmeg, cinnamon,vanilla
Altos £3.95
Vanilla, agave, light wood
Calle 23 £3.95
Light, woody spices
Herradura £5.05
Caramel, oak, vanilla
A EJO (AGED)
SERVED AMBIENT. ENJOY LIKE MALT WHISKY
Calle 23 £4.05
Oak, vanilla, coffee
Don Alvaro organic £4.85 (extra añejo)
Roasted coconut, sweet caramel
Gran Centenario £5.05
Toasted oak, subtle spice, nutty notes
Don Julio £5.50
Butterscotch, grapefruit, wild honey
MEZCAL
FAMOUS TO OAXACA AND CONSIDERED
THE S“ UPERIOR” AGAVE SPIRIT
Corona Extra 4.5%
Pacifico Clara 4.5%
Modelo Especial 4.5%
Negra Modelo 5.4%
NON ALCOHOLIC
Any beer in a glass with lime juice
& salt rim
MICHELADA +65P
Any beer in a glass with lime juice,
& assorted sauces, spices & peppers
with a salt rim.
FOR OUR FULL
FOOD MENU VISIT
WAHACA.CO.UK/menu
WHITE WINE
Altos £3.75
Cooked agave sweetness & citrus
Calle 23 £3.80
Hints of citrus & apples
Don Alvaro organic £4.40
Fresh, crisp, spicy smooth finish
Don Julio £4.75
Fresh agave, crisp, light peppers
BLANCO (WHITE)
SERVED WITH OUR HOME MADE SANGRITA
MEXICAN BEER
CLASSIC CHELADA +50P
175ML / 500ML / 750ML
Wahaca Blanco (Spain, Rey Viejo)
£4.40 / £10.65 / £15.10
Light, refreshing, appley
Inzolia (Sicily, Legato)
£4.85 / £11.65 / £16.40
Round, juicy, apricot fruit
Pinot Grigio (Hungary, Moonriver)
£5.75 / £13.25 / £18.85
Crisp, elegant, lemony
Sauvignon Blanc (Chile, San Abello)
£5.85 / £14.35 / £19.85
Dry, zesty, citrus
El Recuerdo de Oaxaca Blanco £3.50
Smoky, slightly salty & ripe tropical fruits
Del Maguey - Vida £4.60
Aromatic & spicy with a smooth, fruity &
smoky end
£3.85
£3.95
£4.15
£4.25
WINE
SOFT DRINKS
Hibiscus flower £1.95
Cranberry flavoured Mexican flower
cordial served with a squeeze of lime]
Horchata £1.95
A refreshing almond & rice
milk with a touch of cinnamon
Citrus Fizz £1.95
Freshly crushed lime, torn mint,
sparkling water & a hint of sweetness
Raw Fiyah ginger beer £3.00
Handmade in Dalston the old
fashioned way
Coke; Diet Coke; Sprite; Appletiser £2.50
Belu sparkling water (750ml) £3.50
Belu still water (750ml) £3.50
Filtered still water It's on us, just ask
Wahaca Tinto (Spain, Rey Viejo)
£4.40 / £10.65 / £15.10
Juicy, smooth, bramble fruit
Shiraz (Australia, Old Press)
£4.90 / £11.95 / £16.55
Rich, round, blackcurrants
Tempranillo
(Spain, Monte Clavijo Rioja Joven)
£5.70 / £13.25 / £18.85
Juicy, cherry fruit, spice
Merlot (California, Stone Barn)
£5.85 / 14.05 / 19.85
Smooth, raspberries, plum
ROS
Grenache Rosé (France, Petit Papillon)
£5.65 / £13.95 / £18.80
Crisp, refreshing, pale fruit
SOMETHING SPECIAL
Prosecco (Italy, Bel Star) Bottle
£28.50
Fabulous bubbly bursting with delicious
juicy fruit flavours & just a hint of citrus
Champagne
(G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge NV)
£45.00
Soft, crisp and creamy with a long
fresh finish
FRESH JUICES
Green & lean £3.75
Apples, cucumber, mint, lime
Vampiro £3.75
Carrots, beetroot, ginger Raw soul £3.75
Carrot, celery, apple, cucumber
Just apple £3.25
Apples and apples
MOCKTAILS
NON-ALCOHOLIC FRESH COCKTAILS
Virgin mojito £3.25
Fresh lime and mint muddled
with apples, served tall
Passion fruit & hibiscus cooler £3.25
Served tall on ice with bubbles
Virgin Maria £3.25
Pure tomato juice, with orange,
pomegranate & spice
Mockolada £3.25
If you like piña coladas…
Pineapple & coconut without the rum