Which really isn’t a secret at all. Um, hello? Food Network? They tour those candy plants all the time. It’s called “Unwrapped.”
But what’s better than the Caramilk secret, you ask? The secret to truly delicious tacos. And having just spent a week in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico – courtesy of Transat Holidays – I consider myself to be quite the expert on the subject.
Above, you’re looking at the trio of tacos… beef, shrimp and chicken, prepared at Azul Fives Hotel, by Karisma in the Mayan Riviera. Azul Fives is a gourmet inclusive hotel, which means – you guessed it – we had sinfully delicious food for the entire week. However, even though I was confronted with limitless options, I tended to come back to the humble taco… every. single. day.
They were THAT good.
And after a while, I began questioning, why are they so scrumptious? What makes them better than any taco I’ve had? The seasoning was on point, the fixin’s were average, and the tortillas were pretty standard fare. But there was just something about the way they all came together, in magic harmony, that set them apart. So I did what I do best: I painstakingly dissected the meal until I discovered the hidden secrets. (Okay, so maybe I dissected several meals. It’s called research!)
I have good news.
You too can create authentic-tasting Mexican tacos at home. You can even go ahead and grab your favourite dinner kit if you don’t want to start from scratch, because I’ve come to realize that it’s all in the condiments. So here’s what you need:
1. Chipotle Mayonnaise. Almost all of the tacos I enjoyed came with a chipotle mayonnaise for dipping, were pre-drizzled with the stuff, or both. Hence, I’ve decided that it’s an absolutely mandatory accompaniment to all tacos. The smoky, creamy sauce adds an additional layer of heat while smoothing out the more peppery flavours. You can purchase chipotle mayonnaise from a well-stocked specialty food store, or simply search for a recipe online (a recent search yielded about 2,270,000 results). …