A gilded celebration of Mayan gastronomy and culture took place this past weekend in the steamy heart of the Yucatan in southern Mexico.

Hosted by Noma’s René Redzepi and local Mérida chef Roberto Solis, owner of Nectar, (a temple of modern Yucatecan cuisine here), its publicity material promised “the richness of Yucatecan culture through the mastery of the best chefs in the world.” It was a grand celebration, with an element of Hollywood spectacle.

An all-star cast of sixteen chefs cooked for and schmoozed with a well-heeled crowd of two hundred attendees. Eighteen had been scheduled but two of Mexico’s most renowned chefs, Enrique Olvera and Jair Téllez, were no-shows.

Among those present were Mexico’s Elena Reygadas, Jorge Vallejo, Alejandro Ruiz, Rosio Sánchez and host Roberto Solis. From the U.S. there was Carlo Mirarchi of NYC’s Roberta’s, as well as Blaine Wetzel of The Willow’s Inn and David Kinch of Manresa. Scandinavia was represented by Redzepi, Danes Christian Puglisi, Matt Olando and Esben Homboe. Ben Shewey of Australia’s Attica made the long trip as did Moscow’s White Rabbit himself, Vladhimir Mukhin. Albert Adría, Ferrán’s up and already come little brother served as ambassador from Spain. Chefs’ Table star Ana Roš abandoned her rustic Hiša Franko in Slovenia for a few days to join in the festivities.

The shindig was held within the ruins of the 18th century Hacienda San Lorenzo Aké, which nestles up to a Mayan pyramid. The eight-course dinner cost an unprecedented $28,000 pesos (more than $1500 U.S.), more than double the controversial price tag of Redzepi’s Noma Tulum event. While 20% was donated to the Fundacíon Transformación, Arte y Educación (TAE), which foments education for artisans in the area, the rest was lavished on an over-the-top star-chef-fest that aimed to outdo all others.

The gala itself took place in an elaborate makeshift outdoor tent lit and DJ’ed to the nines, like a venue for an outdoor concert. Handmade baskets and ceramics accented the ambience, adding an ironic touch of the rustic and the high-falutin’. Performances of traditional Mayan music and dance provided an folkloric backdrop.

The chefs toiled in open-air, makeshift conditions, while the tony Taittinger-toting guests took selfies with their favorites. Whole octopi were slow-roasted over a glowing fire-pit behind the tent, infusing the proceedings with aromatic smoke.

Two chefs, one dish

The theme of the evening being collaboration, teams of 2 were matched as fittingly as possible. Ana Roš, whose Hiša Franko is the hit of up-and-coming gastro-destination Slovenia, seemed rattled as she scurried to and fro, daintily placing red flower petals on 200 plates, created along with Mexico City’s Elena Reygadas (chaya leaf stuffed with sea snails culled from the waters of the flamingo refuge of Celestún).  The ever-cool Reygadas reported that working together was a challenge. “It was interesting, this experiment to work as a pair, especially being from two distinct cultures. We argued like a couple, and in the end had to respect what each one did—I learned from her distinct way of seeing ingredients and, being Mexican, I loved sharing my knowledge with her and the others who had never seen most of the materia prima.”

From Russia with Love

Vladhimir Mukhin of Moscow’s famed White Rabbit has almost single handedly brought Russian cooking to international attention. He was impressed by the ingredients he found in the Yucatan (especially the honey), and the use of dry corn as opposed to fresh. He was paired with Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca, also known for his love of tradition. Together they produced one of the evening’s most successful dishes, a tostada of Yucatecan venison, mayonnaise containing chicatana (a flying ant native to Oaxaca with a flavor similar to cinnamon). He explained that, “We call it Oaxaca/Moscow: Alejandro is looking for the roots of Mexican cooking, and I think Russian food should go back to your grandmother’s kitchen as well. So we really enjoyed cooking together.”

The Beginning of a story

Noma´s René Redzepi, one of the world’s most influential chefs, had just completed his six-week stint at Noma Tulúm in Mexico. Rather than analyze the food or the reunion of great chefs, he preferred to laud the foundation that the event was meant to benefit. Having visited Mexico a whopping 26 times, he is familiar with many aspects of the culture. He pointed out that farmers and craftsmen “are lost in a globalized world; they don’t know how to put their skills and know-how into market; a lot of these people are the ones we worked with and we started a collaboration. So it’s the beginning of a story. This dinner is one of the ways to give back to them.

By midnight increasingly sloshed guests, soggy from the heavy heat and humidity and chefs were shuttled to the neo-classical remains of a hacienda outbuilding to revel in after-party frenesí. Peaks weren’t hit, gustatory-wise, but good vibes emanated, and good publicity should help put Yucatecan culture on the world map.

Previously published in The New Worlder in 2016