Chef Mauricio Lopez Dishes On Keeping Mexican Independence Day Authentic

Mexican Independence Day may only come around once a year, but for some, the day represents much more than a fleeting moment of celebration.

Meet Mexican Chef Mauricio Lopez, executive chef at Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Lopez, who has been making Mexico proud in the kitchen for over 20 years, explains how the celebration runs through his veins and onto delicious plates of  food.

“It means a lot to me, because it’s my land. It’s my blood, because I am born in Mexico, so for me it means a lot of things. Freedom is the best that we can have. It means you can do everything that you can do.”

Lopez adds that this feeling extends to the kitchen. “In the kitchen, [freedom] means a lot of things. Of course I learned [how to cook] from my mom and grandma, so it’s the traditional kind of food that I make. “

In Mexico, he says, the day is celebrated with family, tequila, and traditional dishes including pozole, tamales, and mole. And while Lopez appreciates the fact that there are many different variations of these dishes, he also aims to keep the cuisine as authentic as possible – just the way abuela intended.

“You can give me a dish, and I can feel all the ingredients in my mouth, and I’m reminded of what my grandma taught me. When I don’t feel those kind of flavors in my mouth, I say ‘That’s not Mexican food.’”

He further explains by way of example: “It’s like guacamole – guacamole just uses the simplest things, and the simplest things are the best. Just avocados, salt, lemon juice, and that’s it. Anything else will lose the Mexican essence.”

The chef acknowledges that this year’s celebration may be somewhat bittersweet, considering recent negativity surrounding Mexico and its people (ahem, Donald Trump). Despite the verbal, offensive attacks hurled at his homeland, Lopez remains proud of his culture and hopeful for the future.

“I’m proud of what we are doing, of course, but sometimes media isn’t fine with this kind of thing… But when people come to Mexico they really enjoy it,” he said. “These are safe places, so people can come, have really good food, and they stay comfortable. So the problem is other people. Sometimes it’s sad, but we try to not think about it, because our essence can be lost.”

In other words, ¡Viva México!