Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya recently debuted its From Mexico to Andaz series, a new culinary and immersive cultural experience designed to spotlight different regions of Mexico through authentic local partnerships and resort experiences.
The first region being celebrated is Oaxaca and guests staying at the property through June 2021 will be treated to a variety of local flavors and cultural activities representative of the destination, from special menu items and coffee, cacao and mezcal tastings to spa treatments utilizing local ingredients, art workshops with an Oaxacan artisan, clothing and accessories in the resort’s boutique, and more.
“We are excited to take our guests on a cultural and culinary journey through Mexico in our new From Mexico to Andaz series,” said general manager Pascal Dupuis, in a press statement. “We have some wonderful local partners lined up that are very aligned with our brand and our commitment to diversity, authentic culture and giving back to the local community. We are looking forward to offering travelers a true taste of Mexico at Andaz Mayakoba this year.”
A highlight of the experience will be the resort’s “Dish with a Cause,” Huachimole, a collaboration between executive chef Miguel Gomez of Andaz Mayakoba’s restaurant Casa Amate and Oaxacan chef Olga Cabrera from Tierra del Sol restaurant, both ranked among Mexico’s top restaurants. The dish is made with chili peppers from the Mixteca region, guaje seeds, pork belly and mole. Chef Cabrera is from Mixteca, a minority indigenous region in Western Oaxaca, and the collaboration is designed to support diversity and inclusion. Huachimole will be on the menu at Casa Amate through the end of May and all proceeds from orders will go to the Guadalupe Musalem Charity in Oaxaca to benefit low-income women and girls by providing scholarships and financial assistance to study in high school and college.
Adding to the culinary journey will be on-property demonstrations and tastings by Oaxacan specialty producers: Finca Arabia, a family-owned producer of high-end, organic Oaxacan coffee from Sierra Sur founded by Tomas Galguera Martinez in 1932; Pasion de Cacao by Roberto Reta, a Mexican chocolate company making high-quality, preservative-free, 100 percent Mexican cacao and chocolate; and Mezcal Amaras, a sustainable Oaxacan mezcal brand that promotes social and environmental responsibility by supporting local communities, traditional master distillers of mezcal and local agave farmers, as well as empowering women through its training of maestras mezcalaras.
The resort will be offering “How to Make Oaxacan Style Coffee” workshops with Finca Arabia and Andaz Mayakoba’s curator, where guests will be able to try Finca Arabia’s different coffees and learn about their origins. Pasion de Cacao and Mezcal Amaras will be infused in several different on-property experiences, including a cacao and mezcal tasting, which presents guests with different cacao and mezcal pairings, with Reta and Andaz Mayakoba’s mixologist, Victor Guerrero, providing insight into the pairing while explaining the notes and flavors of each. The mezcal will be served in edible chocolate mezcalero glasses, which guests can keep.
Guests of Andaz Mayakoba will also be able to indulge in a special spa treatment at Naum Wellness & Spa incorporating cacao, coffee and milk, and a hydrating massage with cacao butter. Other on-property experiences will include chocolates for purchase at the resort’s market, Mezcal Amarás specialty cocktails on the restaurant and bar menus, chocolate and mezcal served as VIP welcome amenities, and more.
Complementing the culinary experiences, ARIPO de Oaxaca, a handicrafts store offering handmade goods from the different communities and eight regions of Oaxaca, will be selling locally crafted jewelry, handbags and art, with proceeds from purchases going back to the artisans who created them. Angelico Jimenez Hernandez, part of the original Alebrijes family from Oaxaca who created this iconic art form, will be leading Alebrijes workshops for guests to learn how to make these brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of mythical fantasy creatures.
The Oaxaca experience at Andaz Mayakoba marks the start of the ongoing creative culinary and cultural series Mexico to Andaz, with a specific region spotlighted for three months and a new region with new experiences and partners rotated in. Upcoming regions being spotlighted include Central Mexico with a focus on desserts, Southeast Mexico with a focus on sustainable seafood, and Northern Mexico. The resort will work with the local partners in a variety of different ways, giving them exposure to a new audience through integrated guest experiences.
