On the occasion of the traditional Day of the Dead (November 2), the Embassy of Mexico in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Melia Hanoi Hotel will organize a Gastronomic Week from October 28 to November 3 at El Patio Restaurant (Dinner buffet from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm).

Despite this great diversity, it maintains a common line, an ingredient that appears in almost all dishes: corn, the protagonist in the preparation of tortillas, tamales, pozole, atole, among other cookings.

The triad of the maize field -corn, beans and chili- defines the national culinary essence. Corn forms part of the creation myth, it is a source of life and has an intimate historical significance. Chili is a crucial element of Mexican cuisine and continues to be the ingredient no table can do without. Due to their high nutritional value, beans are a prime food in Mexican’s diet. Another pillar of Mexican food and culture is the delicious chocolate. As well as being a divine gift for civilizations such as the Maya, it was highly prized, for it was used as currency and was a beverage only for royalty.

Mexican Chef Alexandra Rendón Escobedo will delight Vietnamese, foreign and the most demanding palates with sumptuous ingredients and recipes of his country, said the Embassy of Mexico in Vietnam.

As a young Mexican Chef graduated from the Ibero-American University in Mexico City and from Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon (France), she has spent five years at the Club de Industriales, one of the Mexico's best cuisine clubs. She developed products for the Premier Commercial gourmet food line and currently produces a line of salad dressings. Alexandra has trained many young people in their kitchens and has a natural talent for teaching.

In addition to its characteristic spiciness and seasoning, Mexican cuisine now has an international touch of distinction by having been declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010 meaning it is one part of the three most important cuisines in the world.