Food and drink are a big part of the travel experience, and Latin America packs in a lot of different flavors to sample. These two hotels — one in Mexico and one in Uruguay — offer insider tips about some of the region’s most legendary cuisine and mixology. In some cases, you can even learn how to create some tasty local specialties yourself, and take recipes home to wow your friends. Now that’s a Latin America vacation souvenir that even your grumpiest friends will appreciate!
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DON’T MISS: 7 Must-See Memory & Reconciliation Museums in Latin America
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Aztec Energy Bars at Viceroy Zihuatenejo
Zihuatenejo, Mexico
The recently introduced Aztec Energy Bars at chic Viceroy Zihuatanejo, the Mexico beach resort, have reportedly become a hit with fitness-conscious guests – and the favorite after-workout pick-me-up at the resort’s gym.
These energy bars are prepared with oats, nuts and dried fruits, but what really sets them apart is a traditional Mexican grain – the nutritional, and gluten-free, powerhouse of amaranth that was a staple of the ancient Aztecs. Amaranth was supposedly a food of the gods in the Aztec world, representing as much as 80% of their caloric consumption and used in ritual drinks and dishes. It held such sway over the Aztecs that the Spanish outlawed its cultivation after the conquest.
Viceroy Zihuatanejo’s executive chef, Paco Isordia, created the healthy Aztec Energy Bars to reward guests who commit to working out while on vacation, jumping into everything at the resort from Mixed Martial Arts classes and yoga instruction to stand-up paddle boarding, fly-boarding and the well-equipped gym. He drew inspiration from the various uses of amaranth in Mexico today. The grain was forgotten for centuries in Mexico until finally redicovered in the 1970s, becoming a popular snack food. A favorite is a mixture of toasted amaranth, honey and molasses or chocolate to make a treat called alegría, meaning “joy” in Spanish.
The Aztec Energy Bars are easy to make at home, according to the hotel, since the magical amaranth grain has been discovered by nutritionists and foodies in the U.S. (it has more protein than wheat, low carbohydrate content and is rich in amino acids, fiber, calcium, magnesium and iron) and can now can be found in health- and specialty-food stores or online.
Looking to try these energy bars before your next Mexico vacation? Here’s everything you need.
Ingredients for three dozen bars:
4 cups oats
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup organic honey
1 ½ cups diced dried apricots (or diced dried peaches)
1 cup diced candied figs
1 cup dried cherries or raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups amaranth
Preheat oven to 350 °
Combine the oats, coconut, walnuts and almonds in a large bowl. Stir the olive oil and honey together in a small bowl and pour over the oat mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until completely mixed together. Spread the mixture on an oven tray and bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Blend in the dried fruits and return to the oven for about 5 more minutes.
For the bars:
1 cup agave syrup
Bring the agave syrup to a boil. Transfer the energy bar mixture to a tray basted with a little oil to prevent sticking. Add the hot syrup to the mixture and combine thoroughly with a spatula. Using a rolling pin, flatten and compact. Once hardened, transfer to a cutting board and using a sharp knife cut into bars in the shape and size you desire.
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DON’T MISS: Top 8 Things to do on Isla Mujeres, Mexico
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Alfajor Cooking Classes at Four Seasons Resort
Carmelo, Uruguay
Anyone who’s taken a trip to Argentina or Uruguay knows about alfajores — two crisp cookies cemented together by a super-sweet, caramelized milk spread — and at the Four Seasons Resort in Carmelo, Uruguay, you can learn to make them yourself. When you visit this Uruguay retreat on the banks of the Rio de la Plata, you can get one-on-one instruction from a top pastry chef. Just ask the Concierge to enroll you in one of the hotel’s cooking classes.
Executive Chef Lucas Curcio Perez leads the hour-long pastry-making classes, during which participants don classic kitchen whites, including personalized chef’s hats. Guests learn to prepare the fresh eggs and locally produced butter, then add all the necessary ingredients before baking and dusting the finished product with grated coconut.
Can’t wait for your next Uruguay vacation? Make alfajores at home with this recipe from Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay.
Ingredients:
For dulce de leche
4¼ cups (1 l) whole milk
3 cups (709 g) granulated sugar
1¼ cups (296 g) glucose, also known as grape sugar, available at cake-decorating and craft stores and at specialty grocers. Or substitute a mixture of equal parts dissolved granulated sugar and honey.
1 vanilla bean, whole
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
For alfajores
1 ½ cups (355 ml) sugar
1 ¼ cups (296 ml) butter, softened
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
Lemon zest to taste, optional
4 ½ cups (1,065 ml) flour
2/3 cup (166 ml) cornstarch
½ cup plus 2 teaspoons (128 ml) baking powder
1 cup (237 ml) dulce de leche
1–2 cups (237–473 ml) finely shredded dried coconut
Directions:
For dulce de leche
Pour the milk into a tall soup pot. Add the sugar and mix together over low heat. Stir in the glucose and the vanilla bean.
Bring to a boil. The milk will turn an amber-caramel colour. (Expert tip: Add glass balls or marbles so the liquid doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.)
Dissolve the baking soda in water and stir into the mix.
Let the liquid simmer for about 40 minutes over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon every 5 minutes or so.
When the mixture reaches 222 degrees F (106 degrees C), it is done. Allow it to cool completely. The consistency should be creamy and smooth, and spreadable like a soft peanut butter. If not, simmer a bit longer.
Spoon into jars. The dulce de leche will keep in the refrigerator for up to 30 days.
Makes about 6 cups (1 2/5 kg) of caramel spread.
For alfajores
Place sugar into a mixing bowl, add the butter and combine.
Add the eggs and yolks, one by one, and mix until combined. If desired, you may add the lemon zest at this point.
In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Slowly mix this into the egg mixture to create a paste. Press the paste softly with your fingers until you get a dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Once the dough has rested, roll the dough on a floured surface until it is ¼ inch (0.64 cm) thick.
Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into small disks—typical size is a bit larger than 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Place on a greased and floured or parchment-paper–lined baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C). Bake for approximately 6 minutes (for larger cookies, bake for 10 minutes). Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Once cool, spread a thick layer of dulce de leche on the flat side of one cookie. Place the second cookie (flat side down) onto the dulce de leche and press gently together. Roll the exposed dulce de leche in the coconut. Serve with afternoon tea or milk.
Makes about 4 dozen.