North America

Arthropods, Chili, and Lime: an Exploration into Mexico’s Tasty Insects

Photography by Samantha Demangate “If it flies, jumps, or crawls, throw it in a pan!” We heard these words a lot while in Mexico. The country’s traditional cuisine revolves around sustainability and practices such as growing the mutually beneficial staples of corn, beans, and squash together have been utilized for centuries. One ancient food practice seems to be ahead of its time: entomophagy, aka the consumption of insects. As the world’s population increases and resources…

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North America

Pirate Lore in the Yucatan Peninsula’s “Bride of the Sea”

Photography by Samantha Demangate Campeche, Mexico, remains a relatively quiet colonial city in the Yucatan’s west coast. The city is alive with architecture that harkens to its Spanish past, Mayan culture, and is home to Mexico’s oldest celebration of Carnival. But besides its peaceful and scenic streets are the legendary pirate battles that forever altered naval history.  After a short bus ride from Merida, we arrived on a searing December morning. Campeche was a city…

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North America

Pyramids and Maize: Mexico’s Heartland and its Impact on Global Food Culture

Photography by Samantha Demangate Amongst the pyramids and ruins of Mexico’s heartland, is a culinary story that has taken on the world and changed it forever.   “How many degrees is this building tilting?” I asked the museum curator in Mexico City’s Palacio de la Autonomía de la UNAM museum. “A little, the city was built on a lake and now it’s sinking.” The lake she was talking about was Lake Texcoco, a vast body of…

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North America

The Other Little Tokyo and Where it’s Taking Mexico City

All photos by Samantha Demangate On a cool evening in November, my girlfriend and I set off on a food bender. We gorged our faces with deep bowls of piping hot ramen that had the richest katsuo and miso based broth, topped with a perfectly cured runny egg and Japanese mountain vegetables. Next up on our list was the Japanese market close by, where we loaded up on our favorite Japanese candies and even filled…

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North America

Falling in Love with Mexico City’s Taco Scene

  All photos by Samantha Demangate What is Mexico City without tacos? Food cannot define a place, but tacos do their best. Global cities around the world take pride in their local working class delicacies and Mexico’s capital is no exception. From savory Suadero, to the Lebanese inspired tacos Al Pastor, anyone can satisfy their cravings no matter which neighborhood you’re in.  Mexico City is a sprawling megalopolis of over nine million people with a…

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