A farewell to the El Salvador Gastronomad Experience

There's no denying that the world feels heavy right now. The political climate at home and abroad touches all of us, no matter where we live or where our journeys take us.

Recently, I received heartfelt messages from two cherished members of our community who expressed concern about future El Salvador Gastronomad Experiences. Despite being a beautiful country populated by kind and gentle people, El Salvador has unfortunately become associated in recent weeks with dark trends in geopolitics. When people think of El Salvador now, they think of the prisons where gang members and others are held without due process, as well as our own government's actions in sending people to those same prisons, also without due process.

It feels like having Gastronomad Experiences in El Salvador — the fun, the parties, the quality beach time, the enjoyment of that country's food, climate, and atmosphere — ignores the problems there.

After deep reflection, I've made the difficult decision to cancel future El Salvador Gastronomad Experiences. In nearly 10 years, this is the first time we've ever had to cancel a Gastronomad Experience, and it pains me more than I can say.

For those already signed up, we provided alternative options—allowing guests to join other, even more expensive, Experiences at no additional cost.

This is not a decision I take lightly—either personally or professionally. El Salvador is my birthplace, and it's also where my mother—who passed away in 2023—was born. I created this experience to honor her and her love for her homeland.

The Gastronomad Experience has always been about so much more than travel or politics. It's about living fully, forging genuine connections, and supporting the people who give a place its soul. Our journeys are a celebration of the joy of living, gathering around the table, sharing meals, and building friendships that last a lifetime.

At the heart of every Gastronomad Experience are the food artisans, farmers, chefs, and producers who pour their passion and heritage into everything they create. These are people who make food—they share their stories, their land, and their way of life. Our guests are welcomed not as tourists but as friends and family, invited into kitchens, vineyards, markets, and homes to experience authentic flavors and traditions you simply can't find anywhere else.

Still, our actions must be guided by integrity and our shared values. It's essential to honor the feelings and concerns of our Gastronomad family—even when it means making hard decisions that come at a personal and professional cost. These choices are not only financially hurtful but also deeply cut into my heart and soul.

We care deeply about this community. When a member expresses concern, we do our best to listen—no matter the impact.

Cultivating community and connection is essential now more than ever. We need to come together, foster a sense of unity, and continue to celebrate the joy of travel, food, and, above all, human connection.

Thank you for being part of the Gastronomad family. Let’s connect. Drop me a line, share your thoughts, and let me know how you are doing.

With heartfelt gratitude and wishes for joy, adventure, and peace.

And now I leave you with pictures of the real El Salvador.

Amira

It’s time for something extraordinary

Right now, we’re in Italy, spending meaningful days with family. Not far from Milan, we took a detour into the countryside for a reunion that’s been decades in the making. I met up with one of my two brothers on my father’s side—a brother I hadn’t seen or even spoken to in more than forty years. He and his wife made the trip down from Norway, where they live, while we flew in from California. We’ve spent our time sharing stories from when we were kids and filling each other in on all that’s happened since. The experience has been a clear reminder of just how valuable these moments of reconnection can be.

Traveling the world and seeking adventure is a privilege I never take for granted. I know life can feel heavy and challenging—it certainly does for me, too. But experiences like this remind me how fleeting and precious our days on this beautiful planet really are. Every sunrise is another chance to make the most of our time, to explore, to connect, and to celebrate the gift of being alive.

Each day, I feel deep gratitude for the Gastronomad community we’ve created—a group of curious, open-minded people who love exploring new places and sharing meals together. The Gastronomad Experience continues to inspire me and reminds me why it’s so important to seek out joy, purpose, and real connections no matter where we find ourselves. In the end, those are the things that give life its true meaning.

The Gastronomad Experience goes far beyond just eating some of the world's greatest food. While there’s no shortage of unforgettable dishes and excellent wines, what truly sets it apart is the people you meet along the way. We come together in remarkable places, sometimes in the heart of a bustling city, sometimes tucked away in a quiet village, and we share stories over the table. These gatherings aren’t just about what’s on the plate—they’re about the conversations, the laughter, and the sense of connection that stays with you long after the meal ends.

Every time we meet, something unexpected happens, and those moments become the memories we carry forward. It’s these shared experiences that turn an ordinary trip into something you remember for years.

In Sicily, this magic will soon come alive in the awesome presence of Mount Etna, where ancient history and vibrant traditions shape every meal and every moment. Picture secret gatherings in sun-drenched vineyards, feasts in charming villages, and endless surprises that reveal the true soul of Sicily.

Each Gastronomad Experience is designed with care to bring you right into the heart of a place’s real culture. You meet remarkable people, try flavors you won’t find anywhere else, and get a genuine sense of what makes each destination unique. It’s a thoughtful approach to travel and food that reshapes how you see the world and how you connect with others.

If you’re searching for more than just another trip—if you want to take part in something truly different and transcending—consider joining us for a Gastronomad Experience. Together, we’ll build memories that stay with you and bring lasting meaning to the journey of life.

With love, joy and adventure,

-Amira

Inside the Sophisticated World of Mexico City’s Haute Cuisine

It’s slowly dawning on global super-foodies that Mexico City is one of the world’s greatest culinary destinations for high-end gastronomy. And not just restaurants, but food producers, wine experiences and even farming.

But, yeah, the restaurants are great. Mexico City's restaurants are consistently earning spots on prestigious global rankings. The city has become a place where chefs express their artistic vision through food, creating dishes that are both deeply rooted in Mexican culinary heritage and incredibly innovative.

We love "Alta Cocina Mexicana," Mexico's haute cuisine movement that you can find in the city's upscale neighborhoods. These next-generation chefs are following the latest international cooking techniques and trends while working with traditional Mexican products and ingredients. They create dishes that appeal to modern diners while still preserving the food traditions of their ancestors.

It's this commitment to authentic ingredients and techniques, combined with modern culinary vision, that makes Mexico City's fine dining scene so magnificent. The city offers a rare window into a cuisine that balances robust flavors, artistic presentation, and cultural heritage in a way few other cities can match.

During our Mexico City Gastronomad Experience, we take you inside with exclusive access to the magnificent world of Mexico City fine dining, with our amazing friends there. These friends include the city’s top chefs, wine experts, chocolate makers, farmers and many others.

Mexico City is a fine dining destination like no other. And the Gastronomad Experience is an unparalleled way to explore this city of culinary sophistication, innovation and wonder. - Amira

Why Oaxaca feels like a dream

We've got great news for those of you asking for another Oaxaca Gastronomad Experience this year: We've added one in December by request! The newest and next Oaxaca Gastronomad Experience takes place December 7 - 13, 2024. Sign up fast to grab your spot!

Oaxaca is such an amazing and singular city that we talk about it all the time to people we meet. And we've found that around one third are familiar with Oaxaca, a third have heard of it but don't know much, and a third never heard of it.

For the last two years that Travel & Leisure readers rated all cities in the world together in one ranking (2022 and 2023), Oaxaca was ranked the number-one city in the entire world to visit.

That’s quite a statement. But for us, Oaxaca is a truly special, wonderful place.

Why? Well, so many reasons. First, the food is legendary. Oaxacan food dominates the highest rated restaurants in Mexico City (both Pujol and Quintonil feature Oaxacan ingredients and dishes). And some of the hottest new restaurants in New York and Los Angeles are Oaxacan restaurants. (Brooklyn's Sobre Masa, which we tried last month, is excellent. Full disclosure: We’re friends with the chef’s father.) And during the Oaxaca Gastronomad Experience, we give you exclusive access to the greatest food, chefs and food producers in Oaxaca.

Oaxacan food isn’t “Mexican food,” for the most part. It uses the most traditional methods, including wood-fired comales, unique ingredients (herbs like hoja santa) and comes in forms most Americans have never encountered (tlayudas, memelas and tetelas). Some foods and drinks that many consider Mexican, generally, are Oaxacan, specifically — mole, for example, and mezcal. There's also an elegant, refined side of Oaxacan food, especially when prepared by the city’s top chefs (who happen to be our personal friends).

The weather is amazing. In December, when parts of North America are below zero, Oaxaca is in the 70s. Oaxaca almost always has clean, clear blue skies with puffy white clouds rolling by.

Half the population of the state of Oaxaca is indigenous peoples, who maintain Oaxaca's legendary traditions of beautiful wool weaving, black pottery, wood carving, basket making and others. Indigenous Zapotecs, Mixtecs and other groups are also responsible for the brilliant food culture, most of which predates the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas.

And the best thing about Oaxaca is the people, who tend to be warm, friendly and extremely talented at whatever they do — especially in the realm of food, mezcal, arts and crafts.

But there's another truly special and unique dimension to Oaxaca, something we call the Oaxaca aesthetic. Oaxacan places and objects and clothing and buildings and crafts are created with an exquisite Oaxacan style that exists nowhere else. That style is about natural elements, super bright colors, mesoamerican iconography, fire smoke, geographical oddities from the Oaxaca Valley and always a human touch.

It all adds up to a state of mind that feels like a happy dream. And when you join a Oaxaca Gastronomad Experience, you’ll be transported into the soul of Oaxaca. It transcends ordinary travel. And it’s magical.

Feel it for yourself this December.

What Sicily's volcano brings to the table

(We have wonderful news: Based on our mad love for Sicily and its gastronomy, we're adding The Sicily Gastronomad Experience! If you want to experience the true, authentic Sicily, please join us!)

Sicily has a volcano. A giant, beautiful, majestic volcano. And it's still active — the largest and only “active” volcano in Europe.

Mount Etna is nearly triple of the size of Vesuvius, which destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae in the year 79 A.D.

But Etna doesn't destroy. (Or, rather, hasn't done since 1669.) It’s a happy, gentle volcano that nourishes the surrounding area with countless, glorious gifts of gastronomy.

Wherever you go in Northeastern Sicily, you can always see titanic Etna, with smoke steadily billowing from its peak. You gaze at the vineyards — there's Etna. You look up from the beaches — there's Etna. A village church bell rings, you look at the belfry and Etna looms over the scene. Try to drive away, and Etna dominates your rear view mirror. It's the inescapable geographic landmark of Eastern Sicily.

In this part of Sicily, you exist in the volcano's world. You stand on its ancient ejecta. And every local thing you ingest is a gift of the volcano. Let's start with the wine. Oh, my God, the wine.

The Etna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wine appellation spans the north, east, and south slopes of Mount Etna. Imagine a vast geographic half-circle 27 miles from the top Northern point to the bottom Southern point on the Eastern side of the volcano, from 450 meters above sea level to over 1,200 meters — some of the highest wine grape-growing altitudes in the world. The Etna DOC has 289 wineries, some of extraordinary quality.

Etna’s volcanic soil is crazy-rich in iron, copper, phosphorus, and magnesium, formed from decomposed lava, ash and sand, giving the wines a gently acidic, pleasantly mineral aspect. Cabernet? Merlot? Chardonnay? Tempranillo? Oh, no. Around here, you can enjoy indigenous varieties you probably haven't heard of. Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, Trebbiano, Minnella and others. Grape varieties here are accounted for in Greek mythology, going back millenia.

Etna vineyards bask in the sun in ancient lava-enriched soil, which is dark and acidic and nutrient-rich. And the vineyards are often terraced using large, black blocks of volcanic stone. (Sicilians use volcanic stone not just for terracing, but also for roads, buildings and palmentos.)

Wait, what's a "palmento"?

Until the 1960s, Sicilian wineries used lava stone to make wine in special cellars called palmentos.

A palmento is an old, spectacularly Etna-centric technology for making wine. Imagine a large building 300 years ago, with steps (made from volcanic stone, of course) rising to a second-story trough (also made of volcanic stone) inside a wine cellar. Once the grapes were deposited by workers carrying baskets of grapes up the steps, women crushed the grapes with their feet in a high lava stone trough called a pista. When they were done crushing, the juice and must sat in place to vinify. Once it became wine, the smaller palmentos used flat circular woven-reed mats workers stood on to squeeze the last juice out of the must. Larger palmentos used enormous wooden circular flat plates to squeeze out the juice with huge wooden screws. The wine was transferred via carved lava stone channels (called cannedda) which directed the juice into stone vats below call ricivitùri, using gravity, rather than pumps. And there it sat until it was ready to be transferred to barrels for aging.

In other words, they used lava stone instead of crushers, pipes and tanks.

The palmento system ended in the mid-20th Century. But the palmentos are everywhere in the Etna region of Sicily.

Many modern Sicilian wineries make their wine in old palmentos, with the modern equipment sitting side by side with the centuries-old lava stone structures.

And Sicilian wine has strong minerality, but not saltiness, and it’s acidic without being lemoney. The unique characteristics of Sicilian wine are all about the volcanic soil.

Sicilian cellars are often surprisingly cold because they're carved into underground lava stone deposits. The lava chills the entire cellar like air conditioning.

The slopes of Mount Etna create a unique microclimate that's great for agriculture of all kinds. The altitude and the volcanic activity contribute to temperature variations and a specific humidity level, which are favorable for crops, especially wine grapes but also all kinds of produce.

On the slopes of the volcano, plants grow like crazy, like a rain-forest. And the local cuisine is characterized by its simplicity and the use of high-quality, fresh produce, including tomatoes, eggplants and citrus fruits. The region is also known for its specialty products, such as pistachios from Bronte, which are considered some of the best in the world. The volcanic soil contributes to the unique flavor and quality of these foods.

Traditional Sicilian dishes, such as pasta alla Norma (pasta with eggplant and ricotta salata) and arancini (stuffed rice balls), often incorporate ingredients grown in the fertile volcanic soil. The local culinary traditions are entirely dependent on the agricultural bounty provided by Mount Etna. And everything is delicious as a result.

Food and wine in Sicily is all about the volcano, the ancient Sicilian gift that keeps on giving. Come join us on the new Sicily Gastronomad Experience and taste the incredible bounty of Mount Etna.

-Mike

Sleepless in Spain

Surrounded by picture-perfect vineyards and ancient olive groves in Spain's Cava wine country, I'm feeling a familiar mixture of joy and… jet lag.

This wine region, which has been a major wine producer since at least the 7th Century B.C., is found in Southern Catalonia in the Penedes region just a short drive from Barcelona.

We arrived from San Francisco nearly two weeks ago and I'm still not shaking the jet lag.

After almost two decades of nearly full time travel, I've learned to accept my body's sensitivity to time zone changes. Tonight, I succumbed to an early slumber at 6pm and woke up five hours later. So, here I am, wide awake. At midnight.

Naturally, I take my laptop and start writing this Gastronomad Journal because. It's what one does at midnight, caught between today and yesterday.

I've experimented over the years with various remedies and practical approaches to fighting jet lag, without success. Now, I've adopted a more relaxed, natural approach and just try to go with the flow. I try allowing my body to gradually adjust to the new time zone at its own pace. I'm hopeful that my internal clock will synchronize with the new local rhythm before our next Experience (which isn't here, but in Italy — the upcoming Prosecco Hills & Venice Gastronomad Experience).

I spent Mother's Day in Sitges, away from my kids again, and as it's become an unwelcome recurrence. I can't remember the last time I got to be with my kids on Mother's Day. It's one of the many tradeoffs our lifestyle demands. I found myself shedding some tears, reminiscing about my sons when they were little (you may have seen my Instagram post if you follow my personal profile). I also cried because I miss my mom and Mike's mom, both of whom are gone now but whom I love dearly.

Despite my sadness, I tried to embrace the weekend to the fullest. We enjoyed brunch amidst vineyards in the cava wine country. We indulged in a serene sail on the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea as the sun was setting. We savored a delightful beachside dinner. Afterwards, we strolled back to the apartment where I had another sleepless night and Mike stayed up doing the TWiT podcast hosted by our dear friend, Leo Laporte.

Missing the people I love is a bittersweet experience. It reminds me of the depth of our relationships and the incredible bond we all share. It is a testament to the strength of our global community and the power of love to bring us together, even when we are physically apart.

While holidays are the hardest times to be away from family, I still felt loved on Mother's Day as I received many messages and calls from my beloved kids, family and dear friends. I was reminded of the closeness we can share with those we love across the globe, transcending physical distance and international borders.

We're here preparing a very special Barcelona & Cava Wine Country Gastronomad Experience taking place this September. As always, we have all kinds of new and epic wine and culinary adventures in store for our lovely guests (each and every Gastronomad Experience is unique and bespoke).

While I can't give away the secret surprises, let's just say that our guests are in for a wonderful treat during the grape harvest season, including a visit to a cellar that goes back 1,000 years. The rich history and charm of the region continue to captive and inspire us.

The profound beauty of the world and the creativity of our talented friends across the globe serve as constant sources of wonder and inspiration, enriching our journey with each new encounter and serendipitous discovery. Even when I can’t sleep.

Joy and adventure,

Amira

Living a life of adventure, discovery and purpose

Hosting The Gastronomad Experience in different countries around the world is an honor and privilege for me and Mike. From envisioning and crafting once-in-a-lifetime culinary adventures to welcoming and hosting our guests, to meticulously choosing our welcome gifts, we pour our hearts and souls into every aspect of creating an unforgettable experience for all.

It’s hard to envision a life any different from the one Mike and I chose 18 years ago. Our decision to live around the world was driven by a deep-seated yearning to experience life more profoundly by embracing a nomadic life of global exploration.

We had no idea of how incredibly rewarding and fulfilling our global lifestyle would be. In the process, we serendipitously discovered an amazing world of community and connection, which unintentionally created a path to The Gastronomad Experience.

It’s been an incredible 18-year journey so far, filled with extremes, from the most mundane moments to the most awe-inspiring adventures. There have been times of pure elation and wonder, but also long periods of profound sadness, challenge and hardship.

This span of time has encompassed the full spectrum of human existence: the ordinary and the extraordinary, the heartbreaking and the exhilarating. It has been a period of immense personal growth, discovery and transformation.

Exploring this magnificent planet and gaining a deeper understanding of the world around us has been profoundly inspiring, meaningful and rewarding. We never imagined how much it would change us.

But it all began with just a dream that required walking away from a job (which I mostly enjoyed and and which paid very well) for a life of adventure, roaming the world. It was a leap of faith. Mike and I had decided to pursue a life of nomadic living without any idea what the future held for us. Looking back, we were probably naive, maybe even reckless, but we knew this is what we wanted more than anything else; more than the stability of a permanent home and a permanent job or the allure of material possessions.

We weren't afraid to trade convenience and stability for freedom and excitement. It involved an uncertain future, but we did it to fulfill the promise we once made to each other to travel full time.

We were willing to step outside of our comfort zones for the experiences we could gain from embracing the unknown.

Even now, the more we travel, the more we understand the sheer vastness and complexity of the world we inhabit. And yet, as we’ve wandered this wondrous planet nearly full-time, we’ve come to realize just how little we truly know.

With each passing year, our appreciation for the breathtaking beauty of this planet, its diverse landscapes, its fascinating cultures and even the awareness of our ignorance only continues to grow. It is both humbling and grounding in the most beautiful and meaningful way. We are driven by a sense of curiosity and passion for travel and the alluring beauty of other countries and their landscapes, culture, architecture, traditions and cuisine.

My words can't express the profound gratitude that fills my heart so fully and completely. Every morning when I wake up, I feel immense gratitude for the privilege of living the life of my dreams with the man I love and also for the honor of doing work that I’m truly passionate about.

That’s not to say that our life is perfect, simple or easy or without its challenges and difficulties — far from it. And our lifestyle is certainly not for everyone, but it’s pretty darn great for us within the context of our own circumstances.

Life and work are one and the same for me. My life is my work and my work is my life. It fills me with a profound sense of purpose. It’s the essence of how I choose to live.

I feel deeply inspired by my work and our way of life. Every Gastronomad Experience is a wellspring of inspiration for me. I cherish every single day we get to wander someplace far from our roots.

Each new culinary adventure, each encounter with local cultures and traditions, is a source of creative energy. The very act of exploring the world, of meandering through diverse landscapes experiencing the richness of global cultures, is a gift that I treasure wholeheartedly.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to do what I love — to learn and grow with every new culinary travel adventure. I feel incredibly fortunate and thankful for the privilege of having your trust to share the beauty of our world with you through the lens of The Gastronomad Experience.

With love and adventure,

Amira

Eat and drink only the very best chocolate. Here’s why.

No other food in this world is more popular, more sensuous, more happiness inducing or arguably more delicious than chocolate — and I mean real artisanal handmade chocolate made from the highest quality cacao beans.

Everywhere we travel, I’m always on a mission to discover and drink the best cup of hot chocolate I can find. There’s nothing more sumptuous and decadent than drinking a delicious cup of well made hot chocolate with, perhaps, a delicious pastry. It’s a match made in heaven for me. My mouth waters just thinking of it. So I just asked Mike to make me a cup of hot chocolate with the chocolate we just brought from Oaxaca. Truth be told, I have a collection of all kinds of chocolate from Oaxaca, Mexico City and El Salvador at my son’s and daughter-in-law’s house. And I usually enjoy a cup of hot chocolate every morning. Lucky for me, Mike makes a mean cup of hot chocolate!

Great chocolate is delicious — especially when it comes in the form of hot chocolate. Or a great chocolate bar. Or chocolate cake. Or chocolate anything, really.

During our Gastronomad Experiences we seek out sustainable, organic, natural foods and drinks that support traditional communities. And for our Latin American Experiences (Mexico City, Oaxaca and El Salvador), we explore the amazing world of chocolate. Southern Mexico and Central America are chocolate heaven!

We associate chocolate with love and romance for good reasons. Unfortunately, in the modern world of chocolate, it's not all rainbows and roses. The world of cacao is in crisis. And most people are unaware of the dire situation that surrounds chocolate production and the cultivation of cacao. If you’re a chocolate lover, or love someone who is, then read on.

There are two markets for cacao: The “bulk” or commodity market, where quality doesn’t matter, and the “boutique” or premium market, where quality is everything.

It may surprise you to know that most chocolate you find in the world is the bad kind. West African nations — especially Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon — produce 60-70 percent of the world's cacao, nearly all of it low-quality commodity beans filled with pesticides destined for industrial junk food. The farming is controlled by giant agribusinesses like Olam, Cargill, and Barry Callebaut. These poorly and unethically produced cacao beans are made into chocolate in huge factories and sold on the global consumer market by companies like Hershey’s, Mars, and Nestlé.

These African cacao-producing regions have no history of cacao culture. Africans continentwide consume only 4% of the world's chocolate. Most cacao agricultural workers in Africa have never even tried chocolate. They grow cacao, but have no idea what chocolate tastes like or the role it plays in the human diet or the history and origin of it. The cacao industry in West Africa clearcuts forests to plant cacao as a monoculture, accelerating massive deforestation, destroying biodiversity and depleting the soil. Farmers typically make less than 10% of the retail price. The industry in Africa is plagued by forced child labor, unsafe working conditions, human trafficking and even slavery. The number of children working on West African farms has increased by more than 20% in the past seven years, and is now well over 2 million children, some as young as five years old.

And then there's the other kind of chocolate — the kind produced in Southern Mexico and Central America. In this region, cacao has been grown and enjoyed for thousands of years.

Botanically, cacao originates in the Amazon rain forest. Recent archeological evidence points to the likely first use of cacao some 5,300 years ago in what is now Ecuador.

In a recent study, researchers tested 352 ceramic items from 19 pre-Columbian cultures in present-day Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Belize, and Panama spanning around 6,000 years. Nearly a third of them “tested positive'' for cacao (traces of cacao DNA and telltale chemicals). Through this process, they could track the spread of cacao use, starting in Ecuador in around 3,300 B.C. by the Mayo-Chinchipe civilization and spreading North via trade routes along the Pacific coast to Central America and Southern Mexico over the next 1,500 years, where it was fully domesticated by the Olmec and Maya civilizations.

Over those millenia, cacao culture has thrived. Among indigenous communities in Oaxaca today, cacao drinking symbolizes unity and is part of special occasions like Day of the Dead, as well as births, weddings and funerals. But chocolate is also enjoyed as a drink (usually made with water, not milk) by millions of Mexicans and Central Americans as just a normal part of their diet.

And this part of the cacao world is the direct opposite of West Africa. Many cacao farmers are restoring forests and saving communities, enabling families to stay together instead of the young people moving to cities or the United States to find work. El Salvador is a great example of how cacao is making everything better and, generally, doing a lot of good for the communities and the environment.

As someone born in El Salvador and a devout chocolate lover, a true chocoholic, you might say, I’m proud of what El Salvador is doing for the world of cacao there. And this is where romanticizing the notion of chocolate is perfectly appropriate and justified. Where you can be a hopeless romantic and fall in love with a food that goes back thousands of years.

The return of cacao culture to El Salvador

While ancient Mayan cacao farmers on the Yucatan Peninsula often had to grow cacao in sinkholes, the edge of the Mayan empire in present-day El Salvador offered vast forests ideal for growing cacao. So El Salvador was a major cacao growing region for the Maya.

When the Spanish invaded the area and a Spanish aristocracy was established, the first thing they did was take control of the cacao plantations as a source of revenue for themselves. Centuries later, at the turn of the 19th Century, the country moved away from cacao production and made indigo the major export product. In the 20th Century, they moved to coffee growing.

Now, climate change, disease (specifically, a coffee leaf rust disease known as roya, which devastated crops over the past four years) and market changes threatens the coffee industry in El Salvador. So the country is looking to return to its roots by specializing once again in a more profitable and sustainable product: cacao.

In Southern Mexico, El Salvador and some other locations in Southern North America, new plantations are embracing agroforestry, where cacao is planted among other plants and trees, which is sustainable and produces far higher-quality cacao. This kind of agriculture produces lower cacao yields, but enables farmers to grow and sell other crops from trees that shade the cacao, such as papayas, bananas, coconuts and others. Farming with biological diversity to produce a range of crops isn't something that can be done on an industrial scale. It requires small, family-owned farms.

Because growing great cacao requires the crop to be grown in a forest, with shade from other trees and biological diversity, El Salvador is looking to the expansion of its cacao industry as a solution to historic deforestation and rising climate-change driven environmental problems.

Meanwhile, as coffee futures drop and cacao futures rise, there’s a qualitative aspect to both that favors cacao. Lower-altitude coffee is lower quality, and the international market increasingly rejects it. By converting low-altitude coffee plantations to cacao production, historic coffee growers can look forward to a much better livelihood in the future.

And, it turns out, El Salvador makes extremely high-quality cacao, which has been winning awards lately in international competitions. (During our El Salvador Gastronomad Experience, we spend some quality time with an organic cacao farmer and producer who is winning some of those awards for quality, someone who happens to be a distant relative.)

In fact, in Central America, generally, we’ll see coffee decline and cacao rise over the coming decades. Climate change is making the region too hot for coffee. But cacao loves the heat.

El Salvador was a major cacao producer for 3,000 years. And now it’s back.

A similar trend is taking hold in Mexico, where agroforest cacao is on the rise, improving the local environment and saving communities economically and socially. Nearly all of Mexico’s cacao production takes place in the relatively poor Southern states of Tabasco and Chiapas. Tiny amounts are also grown in Oaxaca, Guerrero and Veracruz. The growth of cacao in these regions provides healthy jobs, restored forests and the opportunity to make a living the way their ancestors did.

Two kinds of chocolate — good and bad

In commodity cacao production in West Africa, forests are clear-cut, and cacao is planted as a low-quality monocrop. When you buy commodity chocolate, you're probably contributing to environmental destruction in Africa and the destruction of local communities — possibly even slavery and child labor.

But when you buy bean-to-bar chocolate from Mexico or Central America, you're probably contributing to the opposite — to the restoration of forests and to the preservation of communities and the environment — and a sustainable way of life. Look for direct trade (where the seller knows the origin and the farmer, as well as their growing methods), fair trade and organic cacao, where there’s transparency every step of the way.

Some of Mexico's best chocolate sellers, including our friends in Mexico City and Oaxaca, are very young and innovative, producing, in our opinion, the world’s best, most delicious and healthiest chocolate. They know exactly who grows their cacao and how they do it, what their labor practices are and they visit those farmers frequently. That's the kind of people you should buy chocolate from.

During The El Salvador Gastronomad Experience, we do a deep dive into the wonderful world of sustainable cacao farming with “the Willy Wonka of El Salvador” who makes my most favorite chocolate bars in the world.

You may have heard that chocolate makes you happy — and it does so in more ways than you think. Flavonoids in cacao are antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect brain cells. Theobromine is an alkaloid that stimulates the central nervous system and can increase energy levels and mental alertness. And the phenylethylamine in cacao is a natural mood enhancer that stimulates the release of endorphins in the brain.

But now you know that not all cacao is produced the same and not all chocolate is made equal. For true health and happiness, choose direct-trade, fair trade, organic chocolate. To truly experience the joy and happiness that chocolate promises, only buy the best kind.

Like great chocolate, Gastronomad Experiences are also fair trade and organic and also designed to bring you joy and happiness.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll enjoy my cup of hot chocolate on the table beside me. -Amira

The surprising joy of joyful surprises

Gastronomad Experiences are exceptional in so many ways. We avoid tourism and instead immerse ourselves in authentic culture. We embrace organic foods and natural wines, supporting local food producers who take responsibility as stewards of the natural environment. And we have the help and support of wonderful friends in every location — chefs, winemakers, farmers and food artisans of every description — and these friends greet our guests like family. There's literally nothing else like Gastronomad Experiences.

Here's another big difference: Everything you do, everywhere you go and everyone you meet is a secret surprise so we can delight and enchant you!

We tell our guests what time we're leaving or gathering, with guidance on what to wear based on what we're doing. But they don't find out what we're going to do until we're doing it!

This element of surprise began during our very first Experience in Barcelona years ago. Our guests spontaneously told us they didn't want to know anything about our activities. So that became our policy. And everyone loves the way we do surprises.

Besides being fun, secrecy also changes your mindset. It creates a kind of knowledge-free, decision-free bliss, letting you escape from the normal daily condition of dealing with hundreds of things and making a hundred decisions. We also take professional-quality photographs of everything you do, so you can (if you choose) put your phone away and fully and directly experience the stunning landscapes, exquisite food, beautiful tables and every other magical thing. The result of all this is that Gastronomad Experiences let you be in the moment, worry about nothing, decide nothing and just enjoy the wonderful, exceptional, awe-inspiring, mouth-watering gatherings and activities we have lovingly created for you.

We have many Gastronomad guests who have done not only multiple experiences, but have repeated specific locations. And they're still surprised by almost everything we do because each Experience is unique.

Our practice of keeping everything a secret surprise is fun and joyful. But it takes trust on your part. And we thank you for your trust. In fact, it's your trust that enables us to make our Gastronomad Experiences what they are.

Keeping secrets and surprises, however, makes it challenging for this newsletter. We can't communicate to you about Experiences by telling you what we're going to do. And we keep the best pictures of our Experiences private only for the guests who were there.

All we can tell you is that if you do a Gastronomad Experience, you will be thrilled. You will be delighted. You will be amazed. And, oh yes, you will be surprised!

On the wonder and beauty of pulque, the Mexican drink that’s always local

We're Gastronomads because: The only way to enjoy the world's greatest foods and drinks is to travel. And this is especially true of pulque. If you want to drink good pulque, you have to go to Mexico. It's literally unavailable everywhere else. There's nothing more Mexican than pulque.

Pulque is a milky-white alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the agave plant. It can taste sour or sweet, viscous or watery and flat or fizzy, all depending on the agave used, length of fermentation and flavorings, if any, added by the curator.

Pulque is a delicate, fermented drink with a very short shelf life. And transporting pulque ruins it, so good pulque can't be transported. (In recent years, some makers have figured out how to sell it canned or bottled, but the stuff is nowhere near as good as fresh.)

Where pulque comes from

Only a few agave species are good for making pulque. In Oaxaca, the agaves are called pulqueros. The plants grow for 12 years, give or take a few, depending on the species. When their lifespan is almost done, they shoot a tall seeding stalk out of the top of the plant called quiote. Pulque growers chop this off from the very bottom of the plant, leaving a cylindrical hole in the middle or heart of the plant, called a cajete, which naturally fills with watery sap, called aguamiel (honey water).

This sweet and delicious liquid starts to ferment immediately, because of the yeast and bacteria naturally present on the plant and in the air — and because of the sugar content of the liquid. Pulque makers remove the aguamiel, then allow the fermentation to continue in tanks, clay ceramic vessels or barrels. Aguamiel is typically harvested twice a day, at dawn and dusk. They extract the aguamiel using a jicara (a bowl made from a round gourd) or, when the cajete gets deep, by using a long dried gourd called an acocote, which they use for siphoning.

The person who collects and manages the aguamiel, called a tlachiquero, has to be careful to fully cover and seal the top with rocks and agave leaves (which are very sturdy) because rodents and bugs love aguamiel as much as people do. Some agave plants produce up to 15 pints of aguamiel per day until the plant dies months later (usually 3 to 4 months depending on the species of the agave). After removing the aguamiel each time, the tlachiquero needs to reach into the hole and scrape the sides to keep the plant producing.

It takes one to a few days for pulque to ferment depending on the climate, achieving between 3 and 7 percent alcohol (typically 5 or 6 percent, roughly similar in alcohol content to a standard beer). The ferment is often fortified using a standard "backslopping" method of adding already fermented pulque to the freshly harvested aguamiel.

Pulque sellers add flavors, like fruit juice or nuts. And oftentimes it's sold plain (natural) with nothing added, which is our favorite. In fact, the addition of flavorings is the only part that's "made." Plain pulque is just the sap that's been allowed to ferment.

A brief history of pulque

The origin of pulque consumption is unknown, but goes back at least 3,000 years, based on archeological evidence. This is different from Mexico's other agave drink, mezcal (including tequila), which originated after the Spanish arrived.

Various Mexican indigenous cultures have pulque origin stories, and they're mostly related to human origin stories and they're all highly complex and involved. Most of these stories involve "Mayahuel," who is depicted as either a goddess or a mortal woman. In the stories where "Mayahuel" is a goddess, the aguamiel is said to be her blood.

The Mexica (the Aztecs who ruled parts of Mexico from what is now Mexico City) had strict rules for pulque consumption. It was used by elites for ceremonies, by pregnant and lactating women for nutrition and the elderly, who were allowed to get drunk as long as they didn't do it in public. Other groups had their own restrictions. But because pulque was sacred (and represented the connection between the human, divine and natural worlds) it was almost never consumed recreationally.

Most restrictions were lifted under Spanish rule. Pulque bars, called pulquerias, became ubiquitous and developed their own unique culture. Pulque became highly and almost exclusively recreational.

In the late 16th Century, Jesuits bought land around Mexico City and started growing and making pulque on an industrial level. When the Jesuits were expelled from Mexico in 1767, their operations were taken over by locals or by the Spanish crown.

When late nineteenth Century trains connected rural agave-growing areas (mostly Hidalgo and Tlaxcala) to the major cities, the pulque flowed like wine. Pulque making haciendas became rich, like oil barons. Pulque was Mexico's top drink and one of its biggest agricultural products, some calling it "white gold."

By the turn of the 20th Century, there were more than 1,000 pulque bars, called pulquerias, in Mexico City alone. Even small towns had pulquerias, and pulque was the main alcohol drink of the Mexico people. But this changed when European immigrants started mass-producing and mass-marketing beer during the 20th Century. Some Mexican leaders encouraged beer over mezcal because it was more sanitary, modern and easier to tax.

The new world of pulque

During the 19th and early 20th Centuries, pulque was associated with drunkenness, criminality and antisocial behavior. Even today, many pulquerias are places where regulars get completely drunk.

Side by side with the traditional pulque culture and old pulquerias, the drink is currently becoming popular with young, urban hipsters, and its popularity is growing.

We've sampled pulque in Mexico City, Yucatan and Oaxaca. And the best we've tried is in the Oaxaca valley. The multi-generational families ferment and sell pulque in the same place. These are typically small producers who have just a few agave pulqueros producing at a time, which they visit at dawn and at dusk to collect the aguamiel and they store in red clay ceramic vessels. They neither transport it after fermentation nor over-ferment it, and the quality of both aguamiel and the pulque is very high.

Exploring the world of pulque and mezcal in Oaxaca is perhaps one of the most profound foodie experiences we offer in this part of the world, and something we are personally passionate about.

Drinking "white gold" in a pulqueria typically visited only by locals in a little village surrounded by agave fields is incredibly beautiful and poignant. Drinking freshly harvested aguamiel from a jicara handed to you directly from the tlachiquero in the middle of agave fields as the sun goes down behind the Oxacan mountains is a life-changing experience. It’s a reminder of the simple pleasures that make life beautiful and joyful.

If you want to try the world's most amazing drinks and foods, you have to travel. And if you want to try good pulque, you have to travel to Mexico. But if you want to drink pulque in the presence of Mayahuel herself in the Oaxaca Valley, you really should join us on The Oaxaca Gastronomad Experience.

Why Mexico City loves Oaxaca!

Americans love Mexico City. And people in Mexico City love Oaxaca.

We just concluded an extraordinary and enchanting Mexico City Gastronomad Experience, where we delighted our palates with some of the world’s best cuisine created by some of Mexico City’s most talented chefs. It was an unforgettable and delicious week filled with meticulously curated culinary travel delights to highlight the very best gastronomy Mexico City has to offer.

It may surprise you to know that during our Mexico City Gastronomad Experiences, Oaxaca comes up again and again.

Mexico City is a culinary treasure that offers something truly unique: The complete, nationwide spectrum of regional Mexican cuisines in perfectly authentic form, all available in dizzying variety in one location. The cuisine of Mexico combines pre-Hispanic foods — the legacy of food domestication and farming practices that goes back thousands of years — with global foods brought by the Spanish.

If there’s a type of food available in Mexico, you can be sure it’s also available in Mexico City. From the barbecue of Monterey and the seafood culture of Baja to the Mayan and Caribbean flavors of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico City is an unrivaled gastronomic heaven. (Even Los Angeles, California, is considered a distinct region for Mexican food.)

However, as great as all the regional cuisines authentically represented in Mexico City are, there’s no question in the minds of Mexico City chefs that Oaxaca reigns supreme. Oaxaca is Mexico's top food culture.

During our Mexico City Gastronomad Experience, the city’s greatest chefs served us tiny tlayudas — the iconic (and delicious) Oaxaca street food staple. Our dishes were graced with Oaxacas cheese, Oaxacan herbs (like hoja santa), heirloom blue corn from Oaxaca, coffee that grows well only in the mountains of Oaxaca and rare Oaxacan chilis like the chilhuacle. We enjoyed mind-blowing Oaxaca-style black mole. And, of course, all the exquisite mezcals we enjoyed during our Mexico City Gastronomad Experience were made in Oaxaca.

In fact, the two highest-rated restaurants in the Americas are both Mexico City restaurants that feature Oaxacan ingredients, dishes and cooking techniques: The legendary Pujol and Quintonil.

And it’s no surprise. Oaxaca is the greatest food region in one of the greatest food countries in the world.

You can join our Mexico City Gastronomad Experience and taste for yourself the most exquisite Mexican cuisine and wine and drinks, (including that city’s sophisticated take on Oaxacan cuisine). And you can also join our Oaxaca Gastronomad Experience. We’ll introduce you to the chef who taught Mexico City how to make Oaxacan food. We’ll take you to the Oaxacan mezcal country to taste the greatest mezcals ever made. Best of all, we’ll introduce you to the indigenous people keeping these food traditions alive and making the most authentic expression of them.

-Amira

Wine is a journey. Literally!

Wine is a journey of discovery. A journey into culture, farming, winemaking and nature. And an endless discovery of yourself, your tastes and your preferences.

The supermarket is the wrong place for this journey. Yet this is where most wine lovers choose wine.

Facing a grocery-store wall of wine, or multiple shelves, the criteria for choice are criteria of desperation or limitation. Drawing on past happy wine memories, shoppers choose based on this grape variety or that region or an attractive label. It’s a boring, costly and usually unsuccessful way to discover great wines.

Buying wine used to be simpler and far more satisfying. A century ago, wine didn’t usually travel that far. If you were lucky enough to live near a wine region, you could drive around, visit wineries and taste. “Shopping” for wine meant rolling up to a winery and asking the winemaker to try whatever was available. They would drop whatever they were doing and pour some wine. You could see the vines, explore the cellar and chat with the winemaker, learning their methods, aspirations and struggles.

And sometimes, magic happened. Once in a while, you’d love the wine, relate to its maker and experience something truly special, something unforgettable. And so you’d buy a case. Maybe two. And then visit that winery at every opportunity, developing a relationship. You would follow the evolution of the winemaker, and participate in the fortune and misfortune of this great vintage and that not-so-great one. You could grow an intuition about the connection between the randomness of the weather and the quality in your glass. Over years and decades, you might learn to actually taste drought and early frost.

Your cellar became dominated by those favored wines, and defined who you were as a wine enthusiast… who you are as a person. In a local restaurant, you’d order wine and go through the restaurant tasting ritual, and it was based on your existing knowledge of the wines.

And when the Big Events happened in your life — the death of a favorite uncle, a birthday milestone or the engagement of your child — you’d know exactly which bottle to snatch from the cellar for the occasion. And you realized how important wine tasting is to the bigger story of your life.

The supermarket is not the right place for the journey of wine.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret. The journey of wine can be far better now than it has ever been. And the reason is that now more than ever before we can travel the world.

To us, there is no separating the journey of wine with, well, journey. With travel. And there’s one very simple reason for that: Most great wine is never exported. The truly best wine or most special wine never makes it much further than the region where the grapes are grown.

Wine in the supermarket, and even the specialty shops, come not from the best winemakers, but from those with the resources and inclination to find an exporter, create destination-specific labels and jump through all the hoops necessary to export wine. And most wine exportation is regional — for example, most European wine exporting is sent only to other places in Europe.

Exporting wine is expensive, time consuming and difficult for wine producers. And even when they find a distributor willing to take them on, each distributor tends to specialize in a local area. There is no wine distributor who distributes in all 50 US states, for example. Many wine producers abroad who export to the US do so only with one distributor in California and maybe another in New York. To cover the majority of the country they’d need a dozen or so distributors, but only the larger wineries can do that. And even this larger, better financed wineries that export only send a tiny fraction of their wines abroad, and usually not their best.

Meanwhile, gems abound. Tiny producers — even fairly major producers — have no need to export. They sell locally, and even struggle to supply local demand. You can visit small, exquisite towns all over France and Italy and Spain where tiny restaurants serve locally produced wines and both the food and the wine is truly extraordinary, but experience is totally unknown and unavailable to everyone but the locals. And the gastronomads — the few of us who travel in our search for great food and wine.

And that’s why we endeavor to be temporary locals or, more accurately, occasional locals in some of our favorite wine regions. Because we travel full time, and usually to wine countries, we take the time to taste everything the old fashioned way — one winery at a time, with repeat visits to our favorites. (We narrow our gaze to only natural wine producers.) Over the years, we develop wonderful relationships with our very favorite winemakers because of the countless hours we’ve spent with them, talking about wine, food and life!

And during Experiences, we introduce our guests to these wine-making friends and taste in their cellars, vineyards and homes.

Our Gastronomad guests drink only the very best of the best in each Experience location. We’ve been tasting locally for many years, have gotten to know all the natural wine producers, and know which are the most excellent. (Knowing the best wines in a region takes time and work. But we have taken that time and done that work, and you just get the wine.)

Last week we went wine tasting in Tasmania. We happened to be in the area with our wine-loving friends on the one day of the year when tiny wineries open their doors to the public (the first weekend of March). Out of the several we visited, one winery in the Derwent Valley near the city of Hobart, called Viridian, stood out. Owned and run by a family, the operation produced only Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling wines. But while we were tasting, they rolled out many vintages for each wine, and we got to taste how the same organically grown vines were producing very different wines over the years. They kept telling us, “Oh, since you like the 2021, 2019, and 2016, you’re going to LOVE the 2012.”

We talked wine with the winemakers for what seemed like more than two hours, marveled at the view across their vineyards and petted their old labradors. It was an incredible experience, and some of the wines were great. But you can never find their wines outside of Tasmania.

Wineries and vineyards are where you really learn about wine, wine-making, grape growing, farming and even climate change. You learn about the journey to wine-making for the family, or even generations of family. Barrel tasting in the cellar teaches you about how wine tastes when its still in the process of becoming wine.

Traveling to taste wine is a singular joy. We’re treasure hunters, looking for nuggets of gold in the world of wine. And we’ve discovered countless excellent local wineries in Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Morocco and California — which is to say we’ve barely scratched the surface.

For us, to travel is to taste and discover great wines and winemakers. And to discover great wine is to travel. Because the best wine is never exported. And the best wine experiences don’t start in a supermarket. They happen in wineries, cellars and vineyards. -Mike

When Travel Becomes Time Travel

We travel the world in search of the most incredible food, wine, human connection and other joys of the table. Along the way, we find ourselves transported — spiritually, emotionally and even transported in time.

Our Gastronomad Experiences always bring us to a thrilling state of mind, a feeling of being cast back into centuries past. Sometimes the modern world, with its technology and stress and industrialism is suddenly…. nowhere to be found. We can’t see it. And we can’t even feel it. And we ask ourselves: What century is this?

We like to escape the crowded touristy areas of Venice, and explore some of the many beautiful old neighborhoods where tourists never go. In the silence, looking at the exquisite Venetian architecture, you can forget that you're not living in the Middle Ages. That’s also true when we dine in an 800-year-old palace on the Grand Canal.

We stay in a 400-year-old farmhouse in one European country that feels extremely modern inside, but very old on the outside. In other places in Europe and Morocco, we stay in homes that are technically modern, with all the comforts of your own home, but with walls and stairs and ceiling beams that make them look and feel as ancient as they are.

In one location, we actually stay in the centuries-old private home of one of the most famous people in human history.

The city of Fez in Morocco is a place where our Gastronomad group steps out of a 600-year-old house and into a 1200-year-old city. Not only is the city very old, but the way people live there has remained unchanged for centuries. Artisans hand-make everything from scratch. Locals often wear traditional Moroccan clothing. And goods to be sold are delivered by donkey.

Elsewhere in Morocco we shop at a marketplace that has been open for business every single day for the last thousand years, and where the ancient arts of storytelling, snake charming and street acrobatics are still practiced.

In Mexico, some of the spectacularly delicious foods we enjoy are unchanged entirely from how the Aztecs, Mayans, Zapotecs and other ancient cultures made them.

Real authentic culinary travel — the Gastronomad way — always comes with a beautiful and unexpected experience: time travel. By connecting with the food, we connect with the culture. In connecting with the culture we connect with its history. And suddenly, we find ourselves transported back in time.

There's really nothing like it.

A quick note: Our Gastronomad Experiences are getting filled up fast this year. In fact, all the 2024 Experiences, with the exception of Oaxaca in December, are either sold out or have just one room available. If you want to join us, please sign up right away to reserve your spot!

-Mike

What Makes The Gastronomad Experience So Special?

I'm writing this while sitting in the living room of our friends' home in Sydney, Australia. Mike and I feel so blessed for getting to meet so many incredibly genuine, intelligent, kind and beautiful human beings during each and every Gastronomad Experience. In fact, that's where we met our friends hosting us here in Australia.

Those of you who have joined us on a Gastronomad Experience know exactly what I'm talking about. You encounter wonderful people and forge deep and genuine friendships that will last a lifetime. Our family of friends keeps growing. And we're overwhelmed with gratitude for this remarkable and exceptional Gastronomad community.

The good fortune to meet so many kindred spirits who share the same passion for delicious food, exquisite wine, real culture and unique culinary travel adventures is the best kind of serendipity. That is the common thread of our connection during every Gastronomad Experience.

The gift of these friendships is not our doing, but yours. You're the gift to us — and to each other. The Gastronomad Experiences' guests are self-selected, and always turn out to be kindred spirits.

To sign up for a culinary travel experience, where the details are kept secret and every activity is a surprise, on the other side of the world takes a rare combination of courage, trust and a driving obsession with good food and wine.

Your trust in us and in our secret itineraries speaks volumes about your open mind, trusting soul and true sense of adventure. And your passion for gastronomic discovery is what inspires us to create the most beautiful, delicious, dreamy and enchanting culinary travel experiences in the world. It's a true honor for us to welcome you as friends in our most favorite corners of the world where we feel proud to introduce you to our local visionary artisan friends who also become your friends.

And as I return to finish writing this journal, we're now in Tasmania where we're glowing from all the natural beauty, textures, scents and tastes we've enjoyed thanks to the hospitality of our wonderful friends.

Having seen a bit of Australia and some of Tasmania, I can unequivocally say that I find myself enamored of the warmth of the people we've met and the natural beauty of these landscapes.

Traveling to new and unique places fill us with awe and wonder. It drives us to create ever more magical experiences that foster human connection, inspire joy and nourish the soul.

When we gather around a table in a beautiful place to celebrate the joy of living, enjoying delicious food and exquisite wine with kindred spirits — that's when we understand and discover how good and sweet life can be. It’s you and your trusting nature that makes The Gastronomad Experience extraordinary!

Whether you’re one of our Gastronomad friends, or a future Gastronomad, please let me know if you'd like to join us for one of our Gastronomad Experiences in 2024. We have a handful of spots available this year. You’re always welcome at our table!

Joy and adventure,

Amira

Mexico City, Oaxaca or El Salvador? (The answer is: Yes!)

The greatest and most consequential event in all human history was the “discovery” of the Americas by Europeans.

While Polynesians, Vikings and other outsiders beat the Europeans to the Americas, their cultural impact was nil. They changed nothing.

But the cultural impact of Christopher Columbus discovering, well, the Bahamas on October 12, 1492 was global and total.

Before that day, Asia, Africa and Europe constituted one world, and North and South America constituted another.

The Americas were populated by a few thousand stone-age wanderers from Siberia whose overachieving descendants would (independent of external innovations) invent the wheel, the abacus, the concept of zero, the calendar and the pyramid.

The arrival of Columbus was the first event in the “Columbian Exchange” — where people, ideas, diseases, animals and plants from each world flooded the other.

And food!

The so-called “old world” gave the “new world” foods it never encountered before: rice, sugar, wheat, citrus fruits, bananas, apples, yams, onions, chicken, beef, cheese, coconuts, grapes and hundreds of other foods.

In return, the Americas gave the rest of the world chocolate, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, avocados, chiles, pineapples, pumpkins, cranberries, green beans, maple syrup, papayas, peanuts, turkeys and vanilla.

The Columbian Exchange made possible countless foods and dishes worldwide. We don’t think of Italian tomato sauce as Mayan food, or Swiss Chocolates as Mayan food or Korean kimchi being spicy because of Mayan food. It's all Mayan food.

Not so in Latin America. There, the Columbian Exchange is real and conspicuous. But the expression of this fusion between the old world and new world varies wildly from place to place.

That’s why we love exploring Columbian Exchange fusion culture in Mexico City, Oaxaca and El Salvador during our Gastronomad Experiences. These three locations represent the extremes of food culture within the world of Spanish North America.

What this extraordinary trio have in common is that they were all part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain for 300 years (from 1521 to 1821). During those centuries, the mighty Spanish empire held territories throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, and served as a global conduit for people, ideas, technologies and food. And the impact is still present.

Mexico City, the biggest (and best) city in the Americas is a gastronomic paradise, where you can find foods from all regions of Mexico and the world expressed in exquisite and singular form. I hope you read our post on why Mexico City is the center of the chocolate world, but that’s one example of why CDMX is a mind-blowingly great food city. (And don’t even get me started about the cocktails.)

We know some of that city’s greatest chefs, chocolate makers, wine specialists and ultra-foodies, and the Mexico City Gastronomad Experience is a life-changing, top of the bucket list adventure.

Funny thing about those Mexico City chefs — they love Oaxaca. The greatest fine-dining restaurants in the city, such as Pujol, obsess over their Oaxacan ingredients and influences.

Oaxaca is unique in Mexico because of the influence of indigenous culture there. Around half the population of the state of Oaxaca is indigenous peoples, many of whom don’t even consider themselves part of Mexico, but their own unconquered nations. The food in Oaxaca is incredible — unlike anywhere else on Earth.

And the cuisine of El Salvador shatters expectations. It’s a tropical paradise where we can have it all, the softest black sand beaches, magnificent scenery including majestic volcanoes and stunning lakes, the unparalleled cuisine -- and coffee and cacao farms!

The country is largely devoid of fully indigenous communities, but goes totally old-school on basics like tortillas — always made purely by hand and never with tortilla presses — and its famous pupusas, which the pre-hispanic Lenca and Pipil people would recognize in every way but the cheese. In some ways, El Salvador is more modern — more American, actually — than Mexico City. But in other ways, more indigenous than even Oaxaca.

Our Gastronomad community craving Latin America’s delicious food cultures often ask us: Which of these experiences do you recommend? Which is best? Which to choose?

Impossible questions. We cannot choose, and we love them all. Flip a coin. You can’t go wrong. We promise you will love them all as much as we do!

2023: The Good, the Sad and the Beautiful

Reflecting on the state of the world in general and my life in particular (as one is often inclined to do this time of the year) I have to say that 2023 has been a year of extremes — extremely joyful and extremely sad.

I’m still grieving the loss of my mother, whom I lost in January. I feel heartbroken for the inordinate suffering by those I love. I cry tears of sadness when I see people on the streets without a home, without privacy or dignity or even heat to keep them warm. I feel distraught over the many innocent children, women and men around the world who suffer because of the actions of terrible people who make war and commit unspeakable crimes against others. I feel terrible for people killed and those affected by the devastation of the natural disasters that occurred this year around the world. I worry about the planet that our younger generations will inherit after all the damage we continue to do. It’s been sad to witness the many negative changes in the world and in our humanity since Covid.

There are endless things to feel sad and worry about. But there are also endless reasons to celebrate life and culture and the beauty we can find all around the world.

I feel profoundly grateful and beyond lucky that Mike and I get to live an adventurous and meaningful life doing our favorite things. My heart rejoices deeply for all the magical travel adventures and the enormous privilege of doing work that doesn't feel like work and the infinite joy of loving and being loved unconditionally by my favorite people. And I’m endlessly grateful that all the joy I get to experience nourishes my heart and soul so profoundly that, in spite of the sadness I carry with me, I continue to feel hopeful for a brighter future.

And with another year about to end, I’m reminded that our time on this planet is not only finite but brief. The present moment is the only time that truly counts. It’s the reason I try to enjoy the experience of living each and every day as if it were my last.

I know that I cannot let the troubles of the world consume my life. And I know that I cannot fix them personally. But I believe that we can make a difference by each doing our part as individuals within our families, our communities and wherever in the world we find ourselves.

And with this last Gastronomad Journal of 2023, Mike and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining us on this journey — whether you’ve done it in person or vicariously by following us through our writings and photos. We appreciate your support and trust more than words can say.

Sending you and yours our heartfelt wishes for joy, love, health, prosperity and peace on Earth in the new year.

Joy and adventure,

Amira

Merry Everything!

Mike and I would like to express our deepest gratitude for your trust and support this year. We are grateful to have you as part of our gastronomad family of friends. Thank you!

For those of you who joined us this year: Our shared travel adventures and culinary gatherings, along with the memories we've created together, have made this past year a very happy one for us.

May this Christmas and holiday season fill your home with light, peace, love, laughter, delicious food, joy and cherished moments.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season, and looking forward to new culinary adventures in the new year.

Love,

Amira and Mike

The beauty and meaning behind Moroccan tea

On a beautiful morning recently, we sat with our lovely guests and Moroccan friends during our recent Morocco Caravan Experience on the outdoor terrace of a Moroccan farmhouse sipping Moroccan mint tea. Surrounded by stony ground and argan trees, blue skies and white clouds, I was filled with awe by the beauty and perfection of it all.

We were learning about the artful ritual of making Moroccan mint tea in Morocco.

Though I can’t quite find the words to describe what the scene, the surroundings and the gathering evoke, I can tell you that it felt like magic. That feeling of overwhelming joy and wonderment that elevates the soul and uplifts the spirit.

There was something very sweet and heart-warming sitting on that terrace sipping on tea with that enticing and mouth-watering aroma of freshly made Moroccan mint tea. The ritual of serving mint tea is not only the art of tea perfected, but also an intentional act of kindness and hospitality.

But beyond that, what adds to the beauty of it all is the simple and aesthetically pleasing ceremony in the manner that the tea is made, presented and served. From the traditionally handcrafted and beautiful Berber tea pot to the traditional terracotta stand for holding the boiling water above coals, the serving tray and Moroccan-made glasses and even tea pot holder, the entire experience evokes old-world hospitality.

The tea ceremony and ritual require skill. Stretching the arm holding the tea pot as high as it can go, often while holding a tray and perfectly pouring tea with a constant and perfect stream of the golden tea without spilling any of it outside the glass. It’s always amazing to witness such skill, precision and grace.

Moroccans serve mint tea to their visitors not only as a gesture of warmth and hospitality but also kindness, appreciation and gratitude. There’s is so much beautiful intention and meaning behind it all.

Drinking mint tea is an essential part of Moroccan daily life. It has no boundaries. It’s not predicated by socio economic status and it’s as universal as drinking water, if not more prevalent. The serving of tea in Morocco always comes before business or social interaction and always at the end of a meal.

Humans need rituals and traditions. But our busy lives and packed schedules often convince us to sacrifice those rituals in place of practical expediency.

But the ritual of Moroccan tea is a great reminder that there are more important things in life than rushing around and getting down to business.

The ritual of serving Moroccan mint tea for every occasion of encounter in Morocco is the epitome of the warmth and beauty of Moroccan hospitality. It’s a wonderful and purposeful demonstration of the joy of gathering as you welcome visitors, friends or family into your space.

— Adventure and joy, Amira

How to experience timeless Morocco in the midst of change

(FROM THE NEWSLETTER): The world is changing faster than ever. And while all places evolve and adapt over time, Morocco’s pace of change is sudden and jarring.

I’ll admit that it’s odd to talk about change in Morocco when you’re sitting in a house that is centuries old in a city founded 1,200 hundred years ago.

The city is Fez, an ancient and awe-inspiring wonder in a country brimming with history, culture and other-worldly landscapes.

But lately, even Fez is changing. It's becoming a bit more like Marrakech, which is not necessarily good. Many of the changes are making Morocco harder to visit, especially for people looking to explore Morocco’s real food culture and ancient traditions.

We blame the pandemic. And the recent earthquake made things worse.

Learning to make traditional Moroccan food from our wonderful Berber friends in a remote village.

The Moroccan government declared a covid State of Health Emergency on March 19, 2020, and imposed some of the most severe lockdown rules in Africa (often enforced by armored vehicles) until it ended on February 28, 2023. During that time, the government imposed on again, off again curfews, restrictions of movement not only into and out of the country, but between cities.

Tourism represents 7% of the Moroccan economy and employs 5% of its workers. All that economic activity stopped. Workers stayed home and tourist business owners suffered catastrophic losses.

A huge number of workers outside the tourism industry also couldn't work for months. Businesses downsized or closed. The unemployment rate skyrocketed.

The loss of income sent a ripple through the Moroccan population, driving up debt and causing other financial problems.

As the pandemic waned, tourism started crawling back. But then a 6.9 level earthquake struck on September 8 in the Atlas Mountains fairly close to Marrakech. Visitors canceled their plans and many buildings were damaged.

And since we arrived in Morocco a month ago, war broke out in between Hamas and Israel. And more people canceled their trips to Morocco.

In Fez, they still process leather the old fashioned way.

During The Morocco Caravan Experience, we got to spend a night in a remote ancient village in an old rammed earth house built in the 17th Century. Although that house was safe for our stay, it suffered superficial damage. Our initially intended riad in Marrakech was damaged as well, and we found an alternate (and equally stunning) accommodation. Buildings all over Marrakech were destroyed or damaged and currently many are scaffolded or walled off. Beyond even the human toll, the earthquake delayed Morocco's hopes for recovery.

The pandemic and earthquake accelerated negative trends already in progress in the country, including the replacement of local crafts by cheap, made-in-China knockoffs, adulterated argan oil and fake honey as well as the further industrialization of the food supply. Street merchants are selling more aggressively than ever. Goods for sale are much lower quality, and prices much higher, in general. Prices are soaring. Lodging, transportation, food and other traveler expenses have doubled or tripled in some instances. Local businesses are desperate to pay off their pandemic debts, and are trying to gouge their way to solvency.

ATM withdrawals limits have been lowered for locals and tourists alike, while more sellers and service providers are insisting on cash. And so visitors often can’t get enough money to buy the things they want to buy, further reducing income for Moroccans.

And there's construction everywhere.

And added to all this, there’s greater government controls throughout the country, including police checkpoints.

Some experienced, skilled people in hospitality have left the industry, and young, new and inexperienced people have taken their place. Many of the better conventional tourist activities and cooking classes and day trips have been replaced by the herding of busloads of tourists into rushed, soulless, cookie-cutter "experiences" that are rampant all over Morocco.

Damage to buildings and construction materials are visible all over Marrakech.

Our signature exclusive bespoke and totally authentic gastronomad experiences are still possible, but only because of our deep, long-standing relationships with the local chefs, winemakers, artisans and others who enable them.

Before the pandemic, The Morocco Caravan Experience was the only way we're aware of to experience the true, authentic, best version of Morocco's exquisite food culture and traditions. Now, in the aftermath, that's truer than ever before.

It’s not all bad news. Positive changes abound as well: A few promising new restaurants have popped up here and there. A very small number of holdouts are still selling better traditional objects, fabrics and clothing in the Medinas. Internet connectivity is faster and more ubiquitous. The road through the Atlas Mountains, which had been under construction for years, is mostly finished and is now smoother and safer. The government is sprucing up some areas with landscaping and other improvements in major cities.

It’s clear that Morocco is making a big effort to build the country’s infrastructure to attract mass tourism as a way to provide more jobs and increase revenue. But there are always unintended consequences to the rapid growth and changes caused by mass tourism. Something that’s more evident and palpable this year than ever before.

Real Moroccan food is gloriously delicious.

We love Morocco, and believe in the Moroccan people. But it has become a more challenging and less rewarding country for nearly all tourists, and also the locals who have to endure the overly crowded medina streets, soaring prices and loss of income because of the pandemic, earthquake and war in the Middle East.

Now more than ever, The Morocco Caravan Experience represents the antithesis to the mass and rapidly increasing industrial tourism spreading in Morocco. We take you outside of the ordinary tourist bubble saturated with run-of-the-mill activities. Instead, we immerse you in the true Moroccan culture with the extraordinary warmth of genuine Moroccan hospitality in the most remarkable places.

During our Moroccan Caravan Experience you enjoy the warm embrace of our local Moroccan friends as we gather and break bread around the table. We transport you right into the heart of authentic hospitality while enjoying the most exquisite and exceptional food and wine through magical culinary gatherings.

Our goal is that you can enjoy one-of-a-kind unforgettable travel adventures that are meaningful and transformative, creating memories you can cherish for a lifetime.

— Adventure and joy, Amira

Come home with me to El Salvador, the undiscovered gem

(FROM THE NEWSLETTER): I've lived in different countries around the world for the past 17 years. This experience has been meaningful and deeply gratifying. It has also given me a profound sense of belonging in all the places I've spent a lot of time. Ironically, I didn't have this sense of belonging in the country where I was born. But something has changed. Now I feel like I've come full circle and have that sense of belonging in my home country, too.

I fled El Salvador because of the civil war. And I returned many times since to a country beset by crime. That war and that crime mostly kept travelers from discovering one of the most beautiful and traditional countries in the world.

But now everything is different. Because of a large and controversial crackdown on crime in the last five years and on gangs in the past year (called the "State of Exception," where due process has been suspended for anyone with gang tattoos), El Salvador has transitioned from the "murder capital of the world" to the safest country in Latin America. Salvadorans are generally ecstatic about the change, and can walk in their own neighborhoods without fear for the first time since the 1970s.

I have visited El Salvador three times just this year, and have another trip there planned in the very near future. And I can tell you, it's an entirely new place. For the first time since my childhood, I feel more than just safe, but a real sense of freedom in the country where I was born. Rediscovering El Salvador has been a transformative experience for me.

My childhood in El Salvador was wonderful. I was very lucky to have had a paternal grandmother who was a formidable woman and role model. Her name was Lucia Serrano (or: Doña Lucía Montoya de Serrano Piche). I called her Mama Lucia. She was the first female mayor of her town of Zacatecoluca and the first female governor of her Department (which is like a US state) of La Paz. In fact, she was the first female to hold an official office of any kind in Latin America. She was also asked to run for President of El Salvador during the war, but declined the offer. (During a trip to Oaxaca this year, we met a well known German retired war correspondent who covered Latin America, and he knew my grandmother. It was surreal.)

Doña Lucía Montoya de Serrano Piche, my grandmother.

My grandmother was an ethical person with a big heart. She and I shared the same birthday and she always made me feel so loved and special. My grandmother was loved and admired by many. Her politics were famous for staunch anti-corruption policies. But she broke her own rule to never use her influence or power for her own benefit only once that I'm aware of — she pulled strings to rapidly get visas for me, my little brother and my mom to emigrate to the US legally as the civil war was getting out of control in 1980. Of the many grandchildren she had from her 5 children, she bestowed this gift upon me and my family. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

My grandmother as Mayor in 1956, with her city council.

I have a theory as to why she did it: My grandmother lost her infant grandson (my dad's nine-month-old baby and my youngest half-brother) due to an accident by the child's nanny. Then she lost her son, my father, due to complications from alcoholism. He was 41.

In 1980, Bishop Óscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating mass at a church in San Salvador. Opposition guerrillas started forcibly recruiting both adults and children as soldiers. I was with my grandmother in her car when rebels tried to assassinate her. It was all going bad quickly, so my grandmother used her influence to get us visas fast. We flew to the United States where I became a citizen a few years after arriving.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been spared from that horrendous war. My grandmother probably saved my life, and definitely gave me a better life.

El Salvador’s Pacific coastline is truly stunning.

I have been lucky and feel blessed for my good fortune. Moving to the US is what many people in the world would love to do. Most of the lucky Americans born in the US might not realize how billions of people around the world would love nothing more than to visit and, preferably, live in the US for a chance to realize the American dream. I’m proud to be an American Citizen and I love the United States. I would never take for granted how lucky I am for all that the US has meant in my life.

Surprisingly, traveling around the world has made me even more appreciative of the United States. It’s a privilege to be an American Citizen. Talking with others around the planet and learning about their struggles and how they live is always eye opening. Although the US is far from perfect, I’ve gained an important perspective about how much freer and easier life is in the US generally, relatively speaking.

I have been traveling to El Salvador on and off since 1996 (when I first brought my kids to visit the place where I was born and meet my grandmother). But my realization of what I’ve been missing didn’t begin until 2019, during a family reunion there. I was embraced by loving relatives and began to unearth something beyond poignant family stories: my childhood identity.

In many ways, losing my mom early this year brought me back on a journey of literal discovery. We wanted to honor my mom by spreading her ashes on her favorite beach, in her beloved country. In the process of searching for my mom's roots and, subsequently, my own, I got back many memories I had forgotten and recovered a part of my life I had left behind that had remained mostly dormant.

My mom’s death this year has been challenging. But losing her well before she died due to Alzheimer’s left a huge void in my heart that I don’t think will ever close. But my mom left me with the gift of a newfound appreciation for my native land bringing me back full circle to the place I came from. I feel at home again in my beloved El Salvador.

Salvadorans, among them extended family, suffered through a deadly civil war and unspeakable gang violence for over four decades. But El Salvador is safe again and now being described as an undiscovered travel gem.

Kept unexplored by tourists due to 40 years of internal turmoil, El Salvador is a hidden tropical paradise. With soft black sandy beaches, warm Pacific waters, world renown surfing waves, lush nature, majestic volcanos, welcoming people, stunning lakes, charming colonial villages, ancient Mayan ruins, delicious food (including its famous pupusas), sopa de res, pan con pavo, nuegados y chilate, pan dulce, Salvadoran quesadilla, amazing dairy products, infinite types of delicious tropical fruit and incredible seafood. El Salvador is a travel destination marvel unlike any other!

The widely diverse Salvadoran cuisine is second to none in flavor, ingredients and uniqueness. And don’t even get me started with Salvadoran horchata! Made from a gourd seed called morro, Salvadoran horchata is exquisite.

El Salvador is also known for producing some of the finest coffee and cacao in Latin America and even the world — it’s a little piece of heaven for coffee and chocolate lovers!

Nothing in the world like the food in El Salvador.

I’m deeply excited to be hosting our first ever El Salvador Tropical Experience in January. I have so much gratitude for those of you who immediately signed up to attend. I appreciate your trust and support more than words can ever say.

Sharing my place of birth, the delicious cuisine I grew up with and the wonderful soft sandy beaches I ran on as a little girl in my beloved El Salvador with you is truly an honor and a dream come true. It will be an unforgettable journey of a lifetime filled with unparalleled adventures!

We have one last room available for this first and one-of-a-kind epic culinary tropical exploration! It will be an honor for me to welcome you in my native land.

Joy and adventure, Amira