All language subtitles for eva6

- Around 400 years ago,
a Spanish nobleman

set sail for the New World.

His name--Lorenzo Longoria.

My ancestor's arrival
in the Port of Veracruz,

along with millions of others
through the centuries,

changed history,
creating modern Mexico,

and a gateway between it
and the rest of the world.

This is the cradle of Mexico.
Everything started here.

It's also the cradle
of Mexican gastronomy

because all ingredients
landed in this spot.

And all the ingredients
from Mexico left from here--

chocolate, vanilla,
the tomato.

Can you imagine Italian
cuisine without the tomato

or French pastries without
chocolate and vanilla?

Impossible.

[upbeat music]

The people of Veracruz
took this treasure trove

of ingredients passing
in and out of the port

and created
a whole new cuisine.

Wow.

I'm Eva Longoria,
born and bred in Texas

with Mexican-American roots,
which makes me a Texican.

I'm exploring Mexico to see
how the people, their lands,

and their past have shaped
a culinary tradition

as diverse as its 32 states.

The port's
strategic position saw

Veracruzanos fight off
repeated invasions

right into the 20th century.

But this history of conflict,

from Indigenous power
struggles to African slavery,

created a cultural Big Bang...

With a legacy
of strong flavors...

Oh, my God.

Pioneered by strong women.

I will.
[laughs]

Veracruzanos are famous
for their defiant spirit.

- We're known as...

- Matched only
by a lust for life.

Oh, so don't forget to pack
your dancing shoes.

[cheers and applause]

[steady music]

♪ ♪

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

This is the exact spot my
13th great-grandfather landed,

right here in the
Port of Veracruz from Spain.

He was 11 years old,

so it's kind of amazing

I'm walking in his
footsteps right now.

And I'm going to discover
the diversity

that Veracruz has to offer.

Only 60 miles wide,
Veracruz stretches

some 400 miles
along the Gulf Coast.

These warm waters are home
to around 120 species of fish.

But fishermen have been
selling just five of them,

bringing them close
to extinction.

Now an award-winning chef
is campaigning

to cast the net wider.

Hola!
- Eva, ¿cómo estás?

- Muy bien.

Gracias.

This is a beautiful restaurant.

Erick Guerrero left

Mexico City's world-famous
Pujol restaurant

to return home
on a one-man mission

to transform the fishing
industry in Veracruz.

So this was caught
this morning?

And what
type of fish is this?

Okay.

I know it's not
the prettiest thing,

but Erick's not one to judge
by appearances.

- Okay...

- It's a lazy fish.
Flojo, muy flojo.

[laughs]

Yeah.

Why do you care so much...

What are we going to make
with the fish?

- Un ceviche.

- Oh, I love ceviche.

What's the name?
- Boquilla.

- Boquilla.
- Boquilla.

- Of course,
for his mouth.

Also known as sailor's grunt,

this guy might not be
an obvious choice for ceviche,

but it's got Erick's vote.

Look at that.
That's beautiful.

It doesn't even smell
like fish.

Yep.

A little onion and jicama...

I love jicama 'cause
it gives a good crunch.

Okay.

A drizzle of lemon oil...

What?

I love frijoles in anything!

But are they hot?

Uh-huh.

Some avocado and dressing...

¿Así?

Oh, that's so beautiful!

Okay.

And we're done.

Do I just scoop it,
or what happens?

- Exacto.

Mmm.

Oh, my God.

This has changed my life.

I'm now going to make
ceviche with frijoles forever.

This is amazing.

For me, the contrast
of hot beans with cold ceviche

is a revelation.

And who would have thought
those ugly fish

could taste so exquisite?

But apparently there's more.

These are soft-shell crabs?

Uh-huh.

But this is the most popular.
[chuckles]

These blue crabs
must be caught

just before they shed
their exoskeleton

and then cooked straight after
while they're still soft.

[oil bubbling]

Oh, my God.

Oh, look at that.
That's gorgeous.

- So the tamarindo goes first?
- Exacto.

- Soft-shell crabs thrive
in warm waters of the Gulf,

making them an easy catch--

not a bad thing
from where I'm standing.

Uh-huh.

[laughs]

Ooh, purple onion.

Chile.

It wouldn't be Mexican
if there wasn't chile y limón.

- Ahí vamos. Ahí vamos.
- Ahí vamos.

It's so crispy.

Wow.

That's a great combination--
the tamarindo with the crab.

So refreshing.

- No.

- What do you
want the world to know

about the cuisine of Veracruz?

- [laughing]
Eso.

Erick's passion for cooking
with every type of fish

from Veracruz makes him a hero
in my book,

and I'll drink to that.

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

- I love coffee.

And it came to Mexico
via, yep, Veracruz.

It arrived here from the
Caribbean in the 18th century

before passing on
throughout Latin America.

I enjoy it best with friends.

[screams]

Likemi amiga,
actress Ana de la Reguera.

- ¿Cómo estás?
How are you?

I know! I'm so excited
that you're here!

- I can't believe it.
This is a crazy-busy place.

La Parroquia, said to be
Mexico's oldest cafe,

is one of Ana's
favorite haunts.

So Veracruz
is super special to you.

Obviously, you're from here.
- Yes, I was born here.

And my family's still here.

- What does the rest of Mexico
think of Veracruz?

- We are known as...

- [laughs]

- Because I guess
we're prankers,

and we're always saying,
like...

So, okay.

So we are known because
of our sense of humor.

- Sense of humor.

- We're very good
also at dancing.

The danzónis from here.
Salsa.

- Everything started here.
- Exactly. Exactly.

A lot of first things
happened here.

You know, the conquis--

you know, the Spanish
came through Veracruz.

The coffee--that's why coffee,
the first place.

Hi!
- [speaking Spanish]

- Oh, my God.

- Okay.
- Perfecto.

- [tapping glass]
- Exactly!

- Yay!
- So...

- I'm a Veracruzana.
- There he is.

- Oh, that was fast.

¿Es leche?
- That's leche.

- Okay.

- You can tell him
how much milk that you have.

- Ya, ya, ya, ya.

- [tapping glass]

[light music]

♪ ♪

This is so fun.

Ringing the glass
with a spoon is a tradition

that started way back
in the late 19th century,

when tram drivers in the port
rang their bells

to order a coffee
as they passed.

Mmm.

- Is it good?
- Oh, my God.

- I really recommend you
to go to the coffee fields.

- Where are they?

In the mountains?
- In the mountains.

- No, I'm definitely going
to go see the coffee fields.

That's, like...
- Yes.

- Top of my list.

Well, you don't need
to tell me twice.

This is so beautiful.

After coffee arrived here,

Veracruzanos took it inland
to cultivate it,

where it flourished,

before exporting it back
to the rest of the world.

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

This landscape is amazing.

I don't feel like
I'm in Mexico.

I feel like I'm
in an Amazon rain forest.

Today Veracruz produces around
a quarter of Mexico's coffee,

which thrives in the shade
and altitude of mountain areas

like Coetzala.

The cooler temperatures
up here

slow the growth of the beans,

making them sweeter
and more dense,

and the denser the bean,
the better the flavor.

Hola.
- Hola.

Hi, Eva.
How are you?

- Muy bien.
Nice to meet you.

- Welcome to Coetzala.
- Thank you.

- And this is a coffee field.

- My guide, Itzel Mendoza,

is passionate
about these coffee fields

and supporting local women
in agriculture.

- This is the plant
of the coffee--look.

- Oh, my God, look at this.
Oh, is this a bean?

- Yes. That's a bean.
- Oh, I found one already.

- Yes.

- In the 1990s, coffee prices
plummeted,

driving farmers to the U.S.
in search of work

and leaving many women behind
to fend for themselves.

- A lot of men--
they went to the north,

and these coffee fields
were no--

- Abandoned.
- Yes, abandoned.

And then the "womens,"
they said, "What we do?

We go, or we stay in our land?"

We grew coffee.

And this kind of coffee
is very interesting

because we have, like,
a lot of flowers

that we're going to cook today.

- Oh, we can eat the flowers?
- Yes.

- Oh.
Okay.

- These are the flowers
of San Lorenzo.

- Oh, San Lorenzo.
- So maybe you can cut.

- Okay.
Oh, Lord.

Okay, I hate when it's, like--

the high pressure of, like,
there's one plant that grows.

How long does it take to grow?
- Like, one year.

- Oh, just a year.

Okay.
Down here?

- Yes, yes.
- Okay.

- Perfect.

- But the coffee
isn't the only thing

full of flavor around here.

Apparently these shade-grown
flowers are also delicious.

And we're going to cook them
in a stew.

[sizzling]

Yeah?
- Sí, sí.

- It might not seem
an obvious combination...

but as well as being packed
with vitamins,

the sweetness
of these izote petals

enhances the flavor

of the tomato,
onion, and garlic broth.

And dough balls
help thicken the stew.

Oh, that's beautiful.

The tesmole will be served
alongside a salsa

made with the San Lorenzo
flower I picked...

And some palm flowers dipped
in a light batter and fried

till crisp.

Okay.
- Okay, vamos.

- Vamos.

- Oh, my God,
look at these little petals.

Ooh!

You can feel the fragrance
from the petals.

- Yes.

- Mm.

I love that.

Mmm!

To me, the palm-flower fritter

has a sweet and sour
zucchini taste.

Amazing texture.

Oh, I love this texture.

The women of Coetzala

may have been
left to fight for survival,

but I think
their resourcefulness

has not only led
to a wonderful way of cooking,

but it's also given them
strength and stature,

just like the flowers
of the coffee fields.

Oh, my gosh, this is so good.

[church bells tolling tune
of "La Bamba"]

- ♪ Bamba, bamba ♪

I love that the church
bells is "La Bamba."

I grew up listening
to "La Bamba,"

but I had no idea the roots
of this folk song

go back to the 18th century

and the quarter of a million
enslaved Africans

who were brought to Veracruz.

These African
cultural influences,

surviving two centuries
of the slave trade,

blended with those
of the Indigenous people,

as well as the Spanish,

like my ancestor
Lorenzo Longoria,

and today neighborhoods
around the port

reflect this unique mix
of cultures.

Hola.
- Hola, Eva.

- Mucho gusto.
- Qué gusto.

- Welcome to Veracruz.
- Muchas gracias.

I'm meeting
with food historian

Nidia Hernández Medel.

She's written a book
on local cuisine

and is my guide to La Huaca.

- It's impossible to overstate
the impact of African culture

on this region.

But even at the peak
of the slave trade,

there was resistance.

In 1631, a group of rebel
slaves led by Gaspar Yanga,

won the right to live as free
people in their own region.

It was a small
but significant victory,

given it would take another
two centuries

before slavery ended
in Mexico.

Sí.

Sí.

♪ ♪

Wow.

Yuca frita.

Okay.

So they're both roots.

- Así es.

- Africans missed the yams
of their homeland

but discovered the similar
Latin American yuca.

Ever since, it's been used
for popular dishes

like crispy fried yuca
with garlic.

- ¿Sí? Qué bueno.
- Sí.

¿Sí?

Mama Yuca?
[laughs]

- [laughs]

¿Sí?
- Sí.

Of course,
it goes without saying

that plantain fritters
are also on the menu.

Introduced by the Spanish,

the trees provided shade for
valuable crops like coffee.

The leftover fruit was used
to feed enslaved communities.

We smash them,

and then we're going to
put them back in the oil.

Okay.
Back in the pan they go.

They're like potato chips.
You can't eat just one.

Mmm. Wow.

Mm-hmm.

[chuckles]

Sí.

Oh, muchas gracias.

- Aquí está.
Whoa.

- Te ayudo.
- Vamos.

♪ ♪

- [singing in Spanish]

- Wow!

♪ ♪

This blend of African,

Indigenous,
and Spanish influences

extends
from Veracruzanos' cooking

to the music
of the fandango...

which originally was a form
of protest music.

And I find the passion
and rebellion it conveys

contagious.

But let's face it.

I'm not one
to stand by and watch.

- [singing in Spanish]

- This seductively feisty
culture shouts resistance...

♪ ♪

The Veracruzano way.

♪ ♪

- Vamos.
[cheers and applause]

- Muchas gracias!

- So I've traveled north
from the Port of Veracruz

to the region
where vanilla originates.

This is where
the plant is from.

I'm so excited.

I'm probably
the biggest fan of vanilla.

I've been looking forward
to this moment for a long time.

They say good things
come to those who wait,

and the prized vanilla bean
from Veracruz

is definitely one
of those things.

[gasps]

I don't think I've ever seen
so many vanilla beans

in one place.
- Yeah.

Yeah, it's from Mexico--
the best aroma.

- I've been invited here
by Norma Gaya,

from Mexico's
oldest vanilla family,

who have been harvesting it
for hundreds of years.

And she is the first woman

to take charge
of the business.

So, if vanilla is endemic
to Mexico,

is Mexico
the number-one producer?

- No.

- Turns out that Madagascar
produces about 80%

of the world's vanilla.

But guess what.

It was Veracruz
that gave it to them.

- It's more expensive
than in Madagascar.

- 'Cause it's the best?
- Yeah, it's the best.

Of course it's the best.

And now here, you can see
how they are taking care

of each vanilla beans.

- To cut each vanilla bean.

- Each vanilla bean,
just to be sure.

- It can get infected
with something?

So she has to cut the tip off.
- Exactamente.

- Wow.

Very labor intensive.

And that's just the tip
of the vanilla bean.

Wait till you hear
what it takes to create it

in the first place.

[jazz music]

♪ ♪

- This is
the vanilla plantation.

- Is it just this one?

Native to the north
of Veracruz,

the vanilla plant

was originally only pollinated
by bees,

until it was discovered

that you could do the same job
by hand.

I never knew they were vines.
- Yes.

- I don't know why I thought
it was like a bush or a plant,

like a...

Vanilla comes
from the seed pods

of a hermaphrodite orchid.

The flower
has to be pollinated

in a single window of
a few hours, or it will die.

Now get ready
for a bit of biology.

- The vanilla plant
is like a woman.

- Okay.

- So, if you want to pollinate,

you need to speak very lovely.

- [laughs]

- And then open it.
- Uh-huh.

- And you are going to take
out the pollen from the male

and put it inside
of the female organ.

- So we're impregnating...
- Yes.

- The woman.

- And then you need
to wait nine months

in order to make the crop.

- Like a baby.
- Yes.

And then you need to do it.
- Oh, gosh, no.

Okay, what happened--
Oh, Lord. Okay.

- Here.
- Uh-huh.

- You see?
You need to open.

- I open this part right here?
- Yeah.

- God, I need glasses.
- [chuckles]

Yeah.

- [softly]
Oh, God, I am not breathing.

[normal voice] And that's
the male right there?

- Yeah.
So you need to open it.

- Okay.
[laughs]

I don't want to [bleep] up
the vanilla bean.

Okay, okay.

Okay, here we go.

So I'm--
- Yeah. Yes.

There is the pollen.
Then pull it down and push it.

- Is that it?
- Yeah.

- Did I make vanilla baby?
- Yes.

- Feel like we need
a glass of wine.

[laughing]
- Yeah.

- Yay!
We did it.

- So the people
now need to do it,

like, 5,000 per day, something
like that, for one month.

- That's so stressful.

You have to do that
with all of these flowers?

- Yeah.
- That's amazing.

I'm happy I'm only doing one.

This painstaking process
makes vanilla

one of the most expensive
spices in the world,

worth nearly its weight
in gold.

- This is the family house.

- Oh, this is so beautiful.

- We are going to cook chicken
with vanilla.

- Oh, my gosh.

- Is very typical dishes
in the family.

- And here it is.
Here's the bean.

- Yes. Yes.
- And what is this?

- Natas.

- Nata is the thick,
butter-like cream

that forms on the top of milk
after it's been boiled.

- Here, yes, it's
a typical ingredient.

- And do we put
the vanilla in here?

- Yes.
- Now we're talking.

It's like gold. This is like--
- Yeah, it's a black gold.

- Mmm.
That's amazing.

I put it in here?
- Yes.

- It's so vibrant--
just that small amount.

And vanilla extract?
- Some vanilla extract.

- Uh-huh.

And this is your vanilla
extract from the vanilla bean.

- Yes. Yes.
- Yes.

- Now we add braised onions
to this hot, creamy mixture.

Wow.
- Ready.

- Okay.
Now we go to blend it?

- Yeah.
[blender whirring]

- Because this is going to be
the sauce of the chicken?

- Yes.

- Flavoring savory dishes
with vanilla

is a thing around here.

I've never had chicken
with vanilla.

Inspired by Norma's
great-grandfather's recipe,

the sauce is added
to chicken pieces

gently sauteed in butter.

So what was it like growing up
in a vanilla family?

Of the process, of jobs...

- Do you have brothers?
- Yeah.

- But they're not
in the business?

- Because you're a woman?
- Yeah, I'm a woman.

Uh-huh.

- "I will."
[laughs]

[gasps]
- Eva, the plate is ready.

- Now that all the flavors
have had a chance to marry,

tiny pieces of vanilla
are sprinkled on top.

It's like caviar.

You got to be
very sparing with it.

How's that?
- Great.

- We even add vanilla
to the salad dressing

to enhance the flavors
of mango and feta.

Mmm.
Oh, that's refreshing.

All right.
Et voilà.

Hola.

- This is my son
and my father.

- Hola, señor.
Un placer.

Mm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Okay, let me try this dish
that I've never had before.

- It's good.
- Oh, my God.

Mmm.

Everybody has to eat this
when we're done.

The finale to this
incredible day is dessert.

Bananas doused in
the homemade vanilla liqueur--

another recipe from
Norma's great-grandfather.

Oh, this looks beautiful.
Gracias.

Oh, look
at this vanilla bean ice cream.

Just melting.

Wow.
Thank you so much for today.

What an experience.
- Thank you.

- I was so excited.

I've been such a fan
of vanilla,

and now I know everything
about it.

And I've impregnated
a vanilla bean, so...

- Yeah.
- [chuckles]

- I'm a proud parent.
[laughter]

[dramatic music]

- So this is El Tajín.

This place was inhabited
by the Totonac civilization,

and they were very prosperous.

You can tell
just by these ruins.

There's many buildings
dedicated

to ceremonies and rituals.

It extends forever.

Over 1,000 years ago,

way before
any Spanish arrived,

two civilizations vied
for supremacy in Veracruz--

the Aztecs and the Totonacs.

And up here in the north,

it was the Totonacs
that prevailed.

Set between two large streams

that flow
to the Tecolutla River,

El Tajín was
perfectly shielded from attack

and is one
of the best-preserved

pre-Hispanic cities in Mexico.

This strategic advantage
was key to the survival

of the Totonac people.

And this particular culture
is still practicing

their rituals
and ceremonies today.

[soft music]

♪ ♪

Hola.
- Buenas tardes.

- ¿Cómo están? Buenas tardes.
- Buenas tardes.

- My host, doña Marta,
founded Smoke Women,

a group that keeps ancient
Totonac traditions alive

while also supporting
local women.

Okay.

Smoke has always been integral
to Totonac culture.

It's used in preserving food
and also in cooking rituals.

A shot of moonshine
keeps the Devil away.

Okay.

Okay.

El Tajín's position
between two rivers

didn't just provide
protection.

It was also a source of food
for the local community,

like these freshwater shrimps,
or acamayas,

which we're going to cook.

- Sí.

- [laughing]

Just so y'all know.

You know, nature doesn't lie.

[chuckles]

They are the star ingredient
of a traditional Totonac stew

called huatape.

Mm-hmm.

- Sí.
- Sí.[laughs]

Chile piquín.
He grows these.

Uh-huh.

Okay.

Everything we're using
in these recipes

is foraged
from the local area,

like these chaga mushrooms,

which are crushed to make
the filling for the empanadas.

- Sí...

Sí.

Y las vamos a...

- These look amazing.

Wow.
So beautiful.

A few minutes on the heat...

And our Totonac
feast is ready.

♪ ♪

Mmm.

Okay.

Okay.

She sucked the head.

Okay, let's have
this mushroom empanada.

[crunches]

Mmm.
Crispy.

Oh!

And a little spicy.

It tastes very...

both: Mm-hmm.

Smoke preserves,

but it can also change
to fit the shape of the space.

And from what I've seen,
the Totonacs

also know how to adapt.

Maybe it's that attitude
and resilience

that's the secret
to doña Marta's success.

Gracias.

[laughs]
Muchas gracias.

[upbeat music]

- Hola!
- Welcome, Eva.

- Gracias.

- Are you hungry?
- Yeah.

- Want to join me?
- Yes.

I'm always hungry.

I'm so excited
to meet Luis Palmeros,

ranked one of Mexico's
best new chefs.

But before I get to
see him in action,

there's someone special
he wants me to meet.

- I'm going to introduce you

one of the most important
traditional cooks here.

It's doña Rocío.
- Okay.

- It's amazing person
and amazing cook.

- Luis wants me
to try doña Rocío's specialty,

a stuffed jalapeño.

Hola!
- Hola, hola.

- Let me introduce--
- Soy Eva. Mucho gusto.

- She teach me
how to cook the chili.

- Oh, my God.

So is this where
it all started?

[laughs]
- Yeah.

We're going to try

a traditional version
of the chili.

It's a mixture
between two cultures.

It's the Mexican one
and the Spanish.

- [gasps]

Yet another of Veracruz's
culinary gifts to the world--

the famous jalapeño

originated
right here in Xalapa.

Around 60 miles
inland from the port,

the capital city is nestled
in lush, fertile landscape.

♪ ♪

Jalapeño peppers
have been cultivated here

since the time of the Aztecs.

- You should--
- Just dig in, okay.

- Yeah, you should--

- You dig in.
- Just dig in.

- And so what's inside of it?
What's the filling?

- Its main ingredients--
it's tomato, it's raisins.

- Mmm.

- Yeah, of course.

- Oh, my God.

- I know this is beautiful

because
it's the traditional way.

- Yeah.

- But I'm going to introduce
you my version.

- Well, I don't know
if you can top doña Rocío's.

I don't know.
- No.

[laughs]

- To create a modern version
of chile en caldillo,

we need
a suitably modern space.

The vibe is stripped
back and simple.

I suspect the food
will be anything but.

[gasps]

- And this is what's going
to go inside the chili.

- Sí.
Inside the chili.

- In his cooking,
Luis celebrates

different culinary influences,
like fried African plantain.

Raisin.
- Raisins, yes.

- That's very Spanish.

And he combines these

with capers and herbs
for the fillings.

Oh.
- And I'm going to...

- And it catches on fire!
- Yeah, of course.

- Mmm.

You can smell that alcohol
mixed with the plantain.

- With the plantains--

- I mean, it makes
the plantains...

- The smell...
- Explode.

Yeah.
- You know, exploded, yeah.

- As a tribute
to Totonac tradition,

Luis smokes the filling
for 12 to 16 hours.

Thank God he's got one ready.

It smells amazing.
- Sí. No.

- You can smell
every single spice.

Like, there's not one
that overpowers the other.

- Está listo.

- Okay.

Oh, my God.

Guys, I don't want to brag,
but mine is perfect.

[chuckles]

Yeah, yeah.

God, look at that!

It's like the Mexican flag.

[chuckles]

Sí.

That's so beautiful!
I need my phone!

[laughter]

Thank you.

But it's not just the food.

At this restaurant,
even the drinks are smoked.

Oh, this is so beautiful--
a smoked Aperol.

Stanley Tucci has to see this.

Salud. Gracias.
- Bienvenida a Cuarto Blanco.

- Mmm.

Let's see.

Mmm.

[giggles]

This is amazing.

This is quite different
from this morning

but, at the same time,
very, very familiar

and definitely nods to the
traditional way

you make chile relleno.

Mm-hmm.

Just as my roots in Veracruz
go back hundreds of years,

so do the origins
of every recipe.

Veracruzanos continue
to celebrate the produce

that pass through their port,

but fighting for the freedom
to create something new

has also been a cornerstone
of their rich history.

And with that kind of mindset,

you just know there
are more great things to come.