Roots: A Mexican Chef Embraces His Chinese Ancestry

First Published by The News Mexico

Night market, Chengdu

I never dreamt the busy chef and owner of Asian Bay the finest Chinese restaurant in Mexico would want to go back to China with me. I had invited Luís Chiu on a guided culinary tour of Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province of China, sponsored by www.xtremefoodies.com.

But Luís, who is Mexican of Chinese descent, was eager to expand his knowledge of the country and cuisines of his ancestors — so he accepted my offer.

There has been a Chinese community in Mexico since the 19th century, when workers came to build railroads; others arriving in search of a better life. Entrepreneurial Chinese, many versed in American-style "fast cooking," opened eateries specializing in the kind of light, quick meals they knew how to produce. Breakfasts of eggs, pancakes and pastries, accompanied by coffee served with frothy hot milk, were the specialty. And faux Chinese dishes, such as fried rice and chow mein, were also offered. These “Cafes de Chinos” (see my article) became an important part of Mexican urban lore — a few remain today. Luís Chiu's family owned several of these cafes through the years, and he grew up in and around the food business.

Chef Chiu in Shanghai

EATING IN CHINA
The first thing we ate in Chengdu after checking into our airbnb in a modern high rise - almost everything we saw there seemed to be spanking new - was at a humble stall around the corner. Luís remarked that "this place will probably be gone next time we come." We chose spicy beef meatballs, bathed in a brick-red oily sauce made aromatic by fresh, numbing Sichuan peppers, dry red chilies and bean paste. We quickly got used to this ubiquitous flavor combination. We later gorged on handmade noodles, ma po tofu with pig's brains, spit roasted rabbit - Luís made me eat the head “the best part!”— mutton kebabs and oily, fiery hot pot. All were astounding.

Later, we visited the local wholesale spice market. Piles of Sichuan peppers in varying shades from brownish green to deep brick red perfumed the air with their particular aroma — they made my eyes water but Luís´ tears were real. He was overjoyed to be in the midst of this epicenter of a cuisine he loved.

I interviewed chef Chiu back in his kitchen in Mexico City, after he'd had time to reflect on his experiences in China.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Nicholas Gilman: Do you feel more Mexican or more Chinese?
Luís Chiu: I've taken the best of both Mexican and Chinese culture. I feel more Chinese with the family, our customs, the way of being with each other. When I go to China I feel I don't quite belong: The way of acting and thinking is totally different. I know I'm not Chinese, but I feel close to the culture, traditions. But when I'm with my Mexican friends, I'm 100 percent Mexican — I love going to soccer games, for example.

N.G.: How did you become interested in traditional Chinese cooking?
L.C.: There were no regional Chinese restaurants in Mexico, so I saw an emerging market for more sophisticated people who were ready for "the real thing." I went to Shanghai to study, and in 2011 I opened Asian Bay with my parents in the house I grew up in. 
 

Chef Chiu visits Chengdu's spice market

N.G.: What was your impression of Chengdu?
L.C.: I had been to other places in China, which were more westernized. I was impressed by how much old stuff was preserved. I loved the teahouses, markets and how there's even street food. What struck me about Sichuan is that the people are very warm, as if they were Latino. They smile, greet you, chat with you, ask where you're from. And especially, they are so proud of their culinary traditions. It's like Mexico in that way. I was especially impressed by what love people have for their food. How there were lines of people to buy those bao, (steamed pork-filled buns) or to eat dumplings, noodles. How they look at you when they serve the dishes — they're not so used to seeing foreigners, so I really think they wanted to impress us.

N.G.: Would you tell us something about what you ate?
L.C.: The ma-la was so strong, like nothing I've ever tasted! (He was referring to the combination of "ma," the numbing of the peppers, and "la," the spiciness of the chilies.)

a "sauce" vendor, Chengdu

LESSONS FROM THE TRIP
N.G.: And what about the spice market?
L.C.: I was so impressed with that market because we wanted to see the "raw China," and there it was — nothing Western, another world. Spices we'd never seen. And those chilies that came originally from Mexico. I really had no idea what all these things taste and smell like because imported products are of such low quality. Here it was the epicenter of this food.

N.G.: What, ultimately, did you learn from this journey?
L.C.: I left with more questions than I came with. It makes me want to delve even deeper into this complex cuisine. It's kind of like Mexican cooking in the sense that ingredients are combined to create totally new flavors, like alchemy. They're powerful, exciting. The journey made me realize that to cook food even if it comes from your own tradition, you have to know that culture from the inside. So to attempt to reproduce something when you are home is a real challenge. It can't come from the heart if it's superficial, if you don't know the original.
 

The author with Luis Chiu in Chengdu

See our review of Chef Chiu's restaurant : Chinese New Year: Asian Bay