Maria Adegoroye grew up with fondness for cooking and kitchens. As a child she delighted over aromas rising from pots placed over gently burning fires. She saw cooks frying onions and meats, and producing tasty meals and stews. In her mind’s eye, cooks were gifted souls, whose fingers were always busy creating enchanting meals. Each day had the elements of a festival, a culinary festival of sorts.
Bloodline
She has a bloodline emerging from Michoacan, known as the ‘soul food’ centre of Mexico and famous for its indigenous dishes. It was inevitable then that Maria Adegoroye who holds a first class degree in Biology and three MSc degrees, would set up a restaurant in Abuja, with the active support of Goke Adegoroye, her husband who is a retired federal permanent secretary.
Sello M
Last week Casa Mexicana, The Restaurant, received the Sello M Award from Mexico’s Academy of Gastronomy, a mark of distinction and an official seal of approval, coming while the restaurant is still within its first decade. Guests present during the event included Hocine Mezoued, Ambassador of the Republic of Algeria, Carlos Moreno Gracete, Ambassador of the Republic of Brazil, Miriam Palmero, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Maricel Cantillo, Honorary Consul of Colombia and a host of others.
There were a number of retired colleagues and friends of Goke Adegoroye, including Ambassador Joe Keshi, retired permanent Secretary, Foreign Affairs, Amb Nkem Anyanwu, retired permanent secretary, Internal Affairs, and Mrs. Fatima Bamidele, retired permanent secretary, Health.
35
At the event Jose Manuel Briseno Flores, Charge d’affaires Embassy of Mexico, who presented the certificate of Award, mentioned “In this first edition of the Sello M Award, hundreds of restaurants from around the world submitted applications, to be evaluated by the Academy.
From among them, only 35 establishments around the world, including restaurants in the USA, Canada, Latin America, were selected, and one of them is Casa Mexicana.”
He explained that the 35 restaurants around the world “were found to embody the spirit, dedication to tradition, and culinary excellence, required to receive the Sello M distinction.”
Close to home
According to Flores “I know that every Mexican who comes to this establishment has the comforting feeling of being close to home, and I know that many others too share many traditional dishes here.”
“It is therefore with great admiration that I congratulate Casa Mexicana for their dedication and hard work, every single day. Thank you for your invaluable contribution to promoting Mexican Culture and Gastronomy in Nigeria. This recognition is truly well deserved,” he concluded.
National honour
In 2016, Maria Adegoroye was decorated with the OHTLI Medal in Abuja, and this is the highest national honour granted by the Government of Mexico. It is bestowed on Mexicans living outside Mexico, but who are path finders and have made outstanding contributions towards the promotion of Mexican values and cultures in their host countries. In May 2023, she was also granted citizenship of Nigeria.
Casa Mexicana
Casa Mexicana, The Restaurant opened in 2018. During the opening ceremony Maria Adegoroye, commented on the aim of the project “I was imagining a place where anyone can sit and feel that he or she is in the Zocalo-the traditional plaza in any of the towns in Mexico- and enjoy the delicious food that many people ask me for in Nigeria.”
Intangible Heritage
She added “I am completely proud to bring to Nigeria, the real flavours of my Mexican cuisine that was declared by UNESCO in 2010 as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, ahead of many delicious and famous cuisines of the world, including the French.”
Authentic Tortillas
During the 2018 occasion among other things she spoke of a level of inventiveness and creativity in the restaurant “I have been able to produce in Nigeria, authentic fresh Mexican Tortillas using Nigerian Maize.” A tortilla is a thin flatbread commonly eaten in Mexico.
5 Levels of support
A supportive husband and family, a Mexican trained chef, enthusiastic hard working staff, a devoted and growing client base across Abuja, and the availability of food items in Abuja markets, have all combined to keep the restaurant going.
Chef Roberto
It is difficult to speak of a restaurant without a chef. Casa Mexicana found an excellent chef in Roberto Rodriguez, who resigned from his job in Mexico to be the chef at The Restaurant in Abuja. According to him “My passion for cooking began at a very young age. I grew up surrounded by family members who worked in kitchens, including uncles who were professional Chefs.”
He reveals “I was fascinated by restaurants and the team work behind them-watching Chefs and kitchen staff create something special for guests- left a strong impression on me.” His day begins with a cup of coffee when he arrives at the restaurant. Then he settles into the business of the day by first reviewing current inventory and production, meeting the kitchen team to communicate the days plan, and then production begins.
Family of cooks
Like Maria Adegoroye, Rodriguez also hails from a family of cooks. Hear him “When I decided to pursue this career, I received tremendous support from my family. My mother, grandmothers, and aunts-all exceptional cooks-shared culinary knowledge, family recipes, and traditional cooking techniques with me. Although they were not professionally trained, they played a major role in shaping my understanding of food.”
Nixtamalization
According to Rodriguez, one important traditional method in Mexican cuisine is called Nixtamalization. This is an ancestral Mexican technique of treating Maize in a special way in order to produce corn dough, which is then used to make tortillas, tortilla chips, and many other essential Maize based products in Mexican gastronomy.
Slow cooking meats
Another important process in Mexican cuisine is slow cooking meats for many hours, allowing them to become extremely tender, while developing deep and rich flavours. These cooking methods can last up to six hours, and are essential in many traditional Mexican dishes.
Tacos, fajitas
On meals popular among Nigerian clients, he says “Among Nigerian customers, dishes such as fajitas, tacos, burritos and traditional Mexican stews are very popular.” He explained that many guests enjoy bold flavors, grilled meats and dishes with rich seasoning, which creates an interesting connection between Nigerian and Mexican food cultures.
Enchilada
“Expatriates and international guests often enjoy classics such as enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, and more traditional Mexican comfort dishes,” he continued. Enchilada is a Mexican dish consisting of a Maize tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a sauce. Tacos and Quesadillas are also made from Maize.
Delicious food
Maria Adegoroye reflects on unforgettable parts of her childhood “We were always waiting for holidays to go to the state of Mexico, my mummy was from the town of Tocumbo. We were eager for the holidays so that we will go there. We will go to visit all my aunts, great grandmother, and it was a moment to eat the most delicious food.”
Cooking with firewood
She sheds light on the meals which delighted her “It’s very special food that my mother could not produce in a normal day. There were foods prepared during celebrations, because they take several days to prepare. The women use lots of fresh Maize as they cook, and meals are prepared with natural elements found in the village, and the food is very delicious.”
She adds “One striking thing is the fact that the cooks at Tocumbo use firewood while cooking, and this gives the food a very special flavour.”
Diversity of cuisines
Mexico has an endless variety of cuisines which naturally made her inventive in her cooking. She adds “In every state in Mexico the cuisine is so different. I learnt the Michoacan cuisine from my mother and aunties, and at a point I was living in the south of Mexico. I was trying to replicate everything, and even combine the cuisines of the west with the south, and cuisines of the north with the east, and I loved that. I learned a lot at that time.”
Maize, pepper
The inventiveness and creativity of chefs in Mexico revolves around the Maize crop, and Mexico has 64 varieties of the crop, as well as 64 varieties of pepper. Mexico’s chefs are highly endowed in terms of a capacity to invent and reinvent recipes out of Maize, as well as beans and chilies.
Festive
During last week’s celebration the restaurant wore a festive air and cheerful staff turned out in Mexican themed attire, made up of colourful large hats, ribbons, bow ties, striking head gears, striped trousers and shirts.
Nigerian and Mexican flags adorned the restaurant. There was a colourful reception area where guests were received. They were encouraged to wear Mexican hats and attire, and photos were taken.
The serving trays were draped with lovely red ribbons, and tables were nicely laid out with attention given to detail.
Smartly dressed staff served the meals, and a few others went round with a variety of fascinating drinks and snacks from Mexico.
Violin
A Violinist serenaded the appreciative guests who were of different nationalities. Soft Mexican music played in the background, working on the minds of the guests, uplifting their spirits and preparing them inwardly for dinner.
Music is often a fitting prelude to a great meal. Very soon the lights were dimmed as dinner got underway. There were a number of traditional Mexican performances to the delight of the guests. It was a festive Mexican evening in Abuja.
New menu coming soon
On plans for the future, Rodriguez adds “We place strong emphasis on maintaining traditional flavors while adapting carefully to ingredient availability in Nigeria. We are currently in the process of developing a new menu that will introduce additional traditional Mexican dishes.”
“Our goal is to continue expanding the culinary experience while staying true to authentic Mexican gastronomy, and improving the variety offered to our guests.”
Ujorha is a Freelance Journalist.
