Mighty Zapote : the podcast of Frutas y Verduras Mexico

I don’t use the word badass to refer to people often, or in fact, ever. It’s just not a word I use. But after talking to Megan Frye for this episode, I can’t think of a better word.Hailing originally from Michigan, Megan is now based in Mexico City. Her work as a writer and photographer has been featured in The Guardian, BBC, Culinary Backstreets, Roads & Kingdoms, Thrillist and many more. Megan’s approach to being an extranjero in Mexico is badass. She has thrown h...

Michigan born and raised, Alex Wittman, AKA BackpackingBrunette, has been calling the city of Queretaro, Mexico home for more than 3 years. In this episode Alex and Margret talk about... How and why to adapt to local markets. The many benefits... from language learning to freshnessSome of Alex's favorite produce of the Bajio region;Prickly sweet treats of the desert;How to avoid looking like a tourist when choosing your produce. Hint: trust the vendor!Be sure to check out the show ...

Perhaps not every podcast name has "depth" of meaning behind it, but we think this one does! Host Margret Hefner and guest Erin Gomez Danielson have both been exploring foods of their adopted home in Mexico as a means of better understanding and relating to the culture. In this episode they get together to chat about why and how zapote fascinates, not just as a 'family' of fruits, but as an edible etymological window into history, culture and attitudes around Colonization.&n...

"This episode begins with some thoughts from Susi Noh Un, recorded as notes when we were writing her bio for the Frutas y Verduras website. Susi was an integral part of Frutas y Verduras, as a co-teacher of a class we called Corn to Comal, held in the home kitchen of Erin Gomez Danielson in Merida. She was a vibrant woman, whose passion was teaching about the foods of her Mayan culture, and the milpa where she had grown up. She helped us bring to life the mission we have, as foreigners ...

What makes a place feel like home? For Kary Vannice, being connected to her food system is a big piece of it. Kary grew up in Montana, has lived off-grid in Patagonia, taught English in Veracruz and now calls Huatulco, in Southern Oaxaca state, home. She talks with Margret about her experience helping to get the local “Mercado Organico” up and running, and sharing her passion for the foods of the region with seasonal residents of the community – that breed of wintering Canadians called ...

Alicia Wilson Rivero will say she is a teacher and food enthusiast more than a chef. And for more than 10 years, in San Miguel de Allende, she has been making her mark as a food business mover and shaker with Pura Vida Cooking School, and now Deli-Q which offers an international menu of prepared foods. In this episode she chats with Margret about her journey from her early days in kitchens of Manhattan, to building this life that she loves in San Miguel with food, connection and nu...

Being a vegetarian in Oaxaca, Mexico can have its challenges, but as we hear from Suzanne Barbezat, author of Frida Kahlo at Home, the region offers an immense variety of options... once you know where to look. Margret chats with Suzanne about how she learned about local ingredients as she raised her bi-cultural children, about some of the plant foods she recommends to tour guests, and how a green with a rich cultural history landed on a pizza.

Growing up in Ohio, then Idaho, Kyle Piispanen’s food culture was decidedly American. An interest in anthropology took him to Veracruz, Mexico, at the age of 18, and there, with a ranching family, he first experienced real Mexican food. Now in the final leg of a PhD, Kyle chats with Margret about milpa farming, corn tortillas, quelites and more…

Chef Erin Gomez Danielson is a founding collaborator with Frutas y Verduras Mexico. In her six years and counting as a resident of Merida, Yucatan, she has learned about local foods from her in-laws, neighbors, market vendors and Susi Noh-Un with whom she exchanges recipes, skills and knowledge, but most of all, perspective. In this episode, Margret chats with Erin about the Mayan 'tree spinach' called chaya, how she approached a festive dish to impress the in-laws, and abou...