Viva Mexico! Independence Day 2018

If you are staying with us this month, we hope that you’ll join us on September 15, the eve of Mexican Independence to raise your glass in a toast to celebrate this beautiful country and its people.

Dine on tasty traditional Independence Night dishes. Sip premium tequila, a margarita or ask the sommelier to recommend a Mexican wine, there are some excellent ones to try. Listen to Mexican melodies and end the evening with the El Grito, the rallying cry “Viva Mexico.” 

Festive Mexican dishes to try this month

Here are some Mexican dishes that feature on Independence Night menus throughout the country and that you’ll want to try this month.

Chiles en Nogada

On the menu at Flor de Canela this month, Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce) is the Independence Day dish par excellence.

Chiles en Nogada dates from 1821 and was created by the nuns of Santa Monica Convent in Puebla for a banquet to honor General Agustín de Iturbide who was visiting the city after signing the Treaty of Córdoba, the agreement that gave Mexico its Independence from Spain. The recipe is based on Poblano chilies that are stuffed with a tasty mix of ground pork and beef, assorted dried fruit, spices, garlic and onion. The chilies are topped with a creamy walnut sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, coriander and parsley, the colors of the Mexican flag, red, white and green.

Pozole

Mexico’s most famous traditional broth is another Independence night favorite. Choose between pozole rojo, verde or blanco with pork or chicken and hominy. The rojo or red variety is flavored with dried guajillo or ancho chilies and comes from Jalisco. The state of Guerrero is famous for verde or green pozole, made with jalapeño and poblano chilies, green tomatillos and coriander, and also for blanco or white pozole, which is the simple broth with meat and hominy.

Once your bowl of broth is served, you help yourself to the classic pozole garnishes: sliced radishes and lettuce, chopped onion, coriander, dried oregano, tostadas and chili.

Tacos

Be sure to dine on tacos this month. On Taco Tuesday in Flor de Canela you can choose your favorite ingredients from a mouthwatering selection that includes tender beef, pastor-style pork, cochinita pibil, chicken, fish, shrimp, cheese and vegetable fillings. Drizzle your tacos with chili sauce – check the heat factor with your waiter – and add a generous helping of guacamole and you are ready to tuck in.

Tamales

Tamales date from pre-Hispanic times and are dumplings made from masa or corn dough and stuffed with shredded chicken, pork, beef, mole, cheese and chili slices or even fruit and honey. The dumplings are then wrapped in banana or palm leaves or corn husks and are steamed or baked. The leaf wrapping and cooking method used varies from region to region. In the Yucatán, tamales are served with a chilmole tomato sauce.