Workshop: Mexico and Ireland through food and culture
Workshop: Mexico and Ireland through food and culture
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So what's it going to be about?
This workshop is aimed at people interested in deepening their understanding of Mexican gastronomy through history, artistic representations, and the cultural connections between Mexico and Ireland. No prior knowledge is required, anyone curious about the origins, transformations, and adaptations of Mexican cuisine is welcome.
Over the course of five sessions, we will explore foundational ingredients such as maize, cacao, mezcal, and other foods that originated or developed in Mexican territory. These ingredients are essential not only in the Mexican diet but also increasingly present in Irish cuisine through migration, cultural exchange, and culinary creativity.
Each session includes historical context, cultural reflection, and guided tastings of key elements such as tortillas, salsas, pan dulce, chocolate, mezcal, and mole.
Session 1: Origins and Evolution of Mexican Cuisine
Theme: Mesoamerican agriculture, the origin of salsa, and culinary mestizaje
Content:
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Introduction to Mesoamerican agriculture: maize, beans, chili, and squash.
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The origins of salsa and its evolution into a contemporary culinary staple.
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The impact of colonization on food: new ingredients, techniques, and combinations.
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Tasting: homemade tortillas and our famous green salsa.
Session 2: Migrant Kitchens – Between Mexico and Ireland
Theme: Diasporas and gastronomic transformations
Content:
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The influence of Mexican diasporas on Irish food culture.
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Migration into Mexico (Lebanese, Chinese, Spanish communities) and their impact on Mexican cuisine.
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Creative adaptations of Mexican dishes in the Irish context.
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Tasting: Tlacoyos with potatoes and empanadas.
Session 3: Cacao and Sweet Bread(pan dulce) – From Sacred to Everyday Life
Theme: The journey of cacao from ritual to chocolate
Content:
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Cacao in Mesoamerican cultures: ritual, currency, and symbolism.
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Cacao’s adaptation in Europe: from ceremonial drink to sweetened chocolate.
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Introduction to Mexican pan dulce and their blending with European baking techniques.
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Tasting: Cacao, Mexican chocolate, and sweet bread (pan dulce).
Session 4: Mezcal – Spirit of the Agave in Exile
Theme: Between tradition, market, and cultural export
Content:
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A brief history of mezcal: ancestral roots and global presence.
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Mezcal’s growing popularity in Irish bars and cocktail culture.
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A critical look at industrial mezcal and its environmental and cultural implications.
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Tasting: Different variates of mezcal espadin and madrecuish
Session 5: Closing Session – Mole as the Culmination of the Mexican Baroque
Theme: Mole as a symbol of identity, memory, and transformation
Content:
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The histories of moles as a festive, communal dish.
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Mole as a metaphor for Mexican cuisine: time, memory, and transformation.
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Final reflections and group discussion.
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Tasting: Mole negro with homemade tortillas
Duration:
Starts July 31
🗓 Dates:
5 Wednesdays — July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27
🕕 Time:
6:30 PM – 8:15 PM
📍 Location:
14 Exchequer Street, 2nd Floor, Dublin 2
💶 Price:
€50 (includes all 5 sessions and food)
📌 Format:
In-person workshop
🎥 Can’t make it to a session?
We can provide a recording upon request.
Taught by: Erick Gustavo Carrillo Ortiz
Erick studied a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at Centro Eleia in Mexico. For six years, he dedicated himself to clinical psychotherapy and teaching. He also co-founded the magazine Inverosímil, where he collaborated with emerging artists to create hybrid articles focused on everyday experiences. Additionally, he coordinated art and literature workshops at Invernadëro, where he also led workshops on topics such as "art and psychoanalysis," "walking to get lost," "art and aesthetics," among others.
He currently resides in Ireland, where he completed a Master's in Visual and Critical Studies at TU Dublin, writing a dissertation on the representation of the microbus and its relationship with New Spanish Baroque churches. He is also a co-founder of the cultural project Fondita Mestiza, which merges art, gastronomic experiences, and critical thinking.
