Chili Festival in Mexico City

The second five-day festival of Chilies took place in Mexico City, to showcase the many varieties of chillies that grow in the country.

Chilies have become a key ingredient in Mexican cooking and are used to make different sauces that accompany and spice up nearly every Mexican dish.

Dozens of exhibitors took part in the festival that was held until June 1.

The festival also featured molcajetes, a stone tool, the traditional Mexican version of mortar and pestle, used for grinding chilies and different types of “salsas” (sauces).

The festival is held to disseminate the different varieties of chili in the country and teach visitors how they can put them into use in many different recipes.

The organizers created a new culture of chili, in which the public recognized its nutritional properties and realize its consumption is healthy even though many avoid eating chilies because they associate them with indigestion.
Stands selling chili plants, different varieties of chili, organic bottled sauces, and molcajetes lined the exhibition.

Visitors touring the exhibition learned how to make sauces, pick up recipes, and try them at restaurants where sauces and used in various traditional dishes and snacks.

Gustavo Alvarez, is and expositor and owns a restaurant on the outskirts of Mexico City, which specializes in mole, a sauce used in Mexican cuisine. The sauce is most popular in the central and southern regions of the country with those from Puebla and Oaxaca the best known.

“That is what this forum is about. To see that sauce made in a molcajete tastes different and has other properties and of course is natural and that is what really enriches our culture, our gastronomy and of course our health. A sauce made in a molcajete is different to one made days before,” Alvarez said.

Visitors were also able to buy quesadillas, a flour or corn tortilla filled with mixture containing cheese or other ingredients and folded in half. They are made on a comal – a smooth flat griddle typically used in mexico to cook tortillas, toast spices and generally prepare food. These ones are being made with “flor de calabaza” (squash – blossoms), cheese, tortillas, and mushrooms.

“We have all kinds of weather (in Mexico). That is why we have different chilies and different dishes. The chili is fundamental and it’s also part of our identity. They say that if you don’t eat chilies, then you’re not Mexican and it’s part of our pride,” said festival organizer, Jaime Ortega.

The festival was held in the community center at the former convent of Culhuacan, an old monastery built between the XVI and XVII century by Franciscan missionaries and Augustinians.

They were assigned to the area to evangelize the indigenous people who lived there and had inhabited the area since the seventh century, which makes it one of the oldest settlements in the valley of Mexico.

The second five-day festival of Chilies took place in Mexico City, to showcase the many varieties of chillies that grow in the country.

Chilies . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • cancun-beaches-50-tons-sargassum-cleanupCancún beach overwhelmed by over 50 tons of sargassum in 24 hours Over 50 tons of sargassum were removed from Cancún’s Chac Mool Beach in just 24 hours, as authorities ramp up cleaning efforts across three key public beaches. Cancún’s white-sand beaches are under pressure once again as an unusually large volume of sargassum has washed ashore in the last 24 hours, disrupting tourism and triggering a…
  • cancun-hotels-sargassum-cleanup-failuresCancún government demands answers from hotels on sargassum cleanup failures Mayor Ana Paty Peralta will meet with hotel leaders in Cancún to address failures in sargassum cleanup efforts, amid growing environmental and public health concerns. The municipal government of Benito Juárez is taking a firmer stance on the growing sargassum problem in Cancún, calling on the hotel industry to explain its inadequate handling of seaweed…
  • sargassum-slams-cancun-playa-restaurantsSargassum Crisis in Cancún and Playa del Carmen Forces Restaurants and Beach Clubs to Cut Staff Businesses in Cancún and Playa del Carmen report steep losses due to sargassum, with restaurants losing diners and beach clubs sending staff on unpaid leave. Restaurants and beach clubs along the shores of Puerto Juárez in Cancún and Playa del Carmen are grappling with a sharp downturn in business due to a relentless invasion of…
  • sargassum-free-beaches-quintana-roo-summer-2025Sargassum-Free Beaches in Quintana Roo for Summer 2025, including beaches in Cancún Travelers looking for sargassum-free beaches in Quintana Roo this summer can still find clear waters in Isla Mujeres and parts of Cancún, according to updated reports. As the summer travel season ramps up, much of the Caribbean coast is once again dealing with sargassum, the brown seaweed that washes ashore in thick mats and affects…
  • Body with signs of crocodile attack found in Ameca River, a leg was found last monthBeaches Closed in Nuevo Vallarta and Lo de Marcos After Crocodile Sighting Authorities temporarily close beaches in Nuevo Vallarta and Lo de Marcos after a crocodile was spotted in shallow waters. Tourists are urged to follow lifeguard guidance. Beaches in Nuevo Vallarta and Lo de Marcos were temporarily closed to the public on Friday, June 20, after a crocodile was spotted swimming close to shore, prompting swift…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-landslide-hurricane-erickHeavy rains flood Puerto Vallarta streets and trigger landslide in tunnel Flooding from remnants of Hurricane Erick paralyzed key roads in Puerto Vallarta and caused a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio tunnel, Civil Protection continues damage assessment. The city of Puerto Vallarta was overwhelmed Thursday night by heavy rainfall that caused major flooding, stranded vehicles, and triggered a landslide in the Luis Donaldo Colosio bypass…
  • bus-crashes-canal-puerto-vallartaBus crashes into canal in Puerto Vallarta’s 5 de Diciembre neighborhood A public transport bus crashed into a drainage canal in Puerto Vallarta’s 5 de Diciembre area. Authorities responded quickly, and no serious injuries were reported. A public transport bus veered off the road and plunged into a stormwater canal early Thursday morning in Puerto Vallarta’s 5 de Diciembre neighborhood, sparking concern among locals but leaving…
  • Cancún Steps Up Strategy as 40 Tonnes of Sargassum Removed in One DayCancún sargassum removal hits 40 tonnes in one day as beach cleanup expands Cancún steps up sargassum removal efforts with 40 tonnes cleared from beaches in a single day, signaling a more aggressive approach to protect tourism. City officials in Cancún ramped up their beach cleaning efforts this week, clearing 40 tonnes of sargassum from Playa Chac Mool in just one day, one of the largest single-day removals…
  • baja-california-sur-violence-2025Violent Weekend in Baja California Sur Leaves 10 Dead and Sparks Public Fear Baja California Sur faced one of its deadliest weekends in 2025, with 10 people killed during violent clashes in La Paz, Comondú, and Loreto, including innocent victims. Baja California Sur endured one of the bloodiest weekends of 2025, as a wave of violence swept through the municipalities of La Paz, Comondú, and Loreto. In under…
  • heavy-rain-flooding-landslides-puerto-vallartaTrash-Choked Drains Make Puerto Vallarta Flooding Worse During Heavy Rain Overflowing storm drains clogged with garbage are fueling flooding in Puerto Vallarta, officials warn, as rains bring chaos to multiple neighborhoods. As heavy rain swept across Puerto Vallarta Thursday night and into Friday morning, flooding was widespread—but officials say much of the chaos was avoidable. The city’s stormwater drains, overwhelmed not just by rainfall but…
Scroll to Top