Bon Appétit! How did French cuisine influence Mexican cuisine?

For centuries, France established itself as the culinary, artistic, architectural, and cultural capital of the world, thus having a significant influence in every corner of the planet, and Mexico is no exception. As you may know, Porfirio Díaz, who governed the country for 30 years, was a great admirer of France and was captivated by its architecture, fashion, and even food, making it inevitable for French cuisine to leave its mark on Mexican gastronomy. In the 19th century, French people began arriving in Mexico to operate luxury restaurants and hotels, as there was almost no such industry in our country at that time. In their establishments, the menu was in French and they offered omelettes, crepes, and all kinds of delights, so, according to Salvador Novo, “it is not surprising that the wealthy Mexicans of the 19th century (not to mention those of the 20th) succumbed to the overwhelming, irresistible seduction of cuisine française.”You can also read: 12 representative dishes of French gastronomyAlthough one might think that perhaps Maximiliano de Habsburgo would have brought a strong European influence to the table, it was actually the upper class that propelled the Frenchification of Mexican food; an influence that would reach its peak during the Porfirio Era. The French chef Sylvain Dumont arrived in Mexican lands with the De La Torre family, who had a close relationship with Porfirio Díaz, as Ignacio De La Torre y Mier married Amada Díaz. According to journalist Jazmín Martínez, Dumont worked in the court of Alfonso XIII and after arriving in Mexico, opened the Sylvain restaurant in 1903, where he amazed his diners with jewels of French gastronomy, but at the same time, he was also responsible for preparing sumptuous banquets commissioned by Porfirio Díaz. In 1909, he delighted the Mexican president and U.S. President William Taft with dishes such as “chaud-freid de pollo al estragón y cuartos de venado a las dos salsas served with a Veuve Cliquot Brut champagne,” according to Martínez.Porfirio Díaz at a banquet in 1909 - Photo: Mediateca INAHYou can also read: 8 easy recipes for French dessertsIn 1910, Dumont prepared a refined banquet to celebrate Mexico's independence, which consisted of turtles, trout, beef fillet, chicken, eggs, butter, asparagus, pâté, mushrooms, truffle, almonds, amaranth, pea, cream, milk, lettuce, vegetables, sherry, wine, champagne, cognac, and anise, according to Salvador Novo's chronicles. All this at a time when most of the Mexican population lived in poverty and could not consume such foods. A month later, the people rose up in arms and the Mexican Revolution began. Today, the evident French influence on Mexican cuisine is seen in bakeries and pastry shops, as Novo points out that it was the French who opened the first confectioneries, pastry shops, ice cream parlors, and cafés. In his book titled Gastronomic History of Mexico City, Mexican historian explains that the famous pastry shop El Globo, which still exists today, was opened by the French in the late 19th century. Nowadays, we can find all kinds of pastries made with millefeuille, pastry cream, and whipped cream; all are a reminder of the French influence in Mexican cuisine. But that's not all, as gelatin also arrived in our country with the French, while the famous Veracruz volovanes were inspired by traditional vol-au-vent. As for everyday food, what would we do without consommés, primavera rice, or chicken jardinière, all of French inspiration? Finally, let us not forget that the varieties of strawberries we enjoy today came from Lyon and that we also adopted the bain-marie, a French technique, to make flans and other exquisite desserts.You can also read: Ratatouille, quiche, and other French recipes for brunch