CommuniQuest Incentive Travel Digest - Year 11 Vol. 1, 216

M&I + Ad-Hoc Events Guru’s Digest by IVI Corporation | Page 1

Vol. 1, No. 216 DIRECTORY

INDEX

Visionary, Founder and Seller of Dreams Jose Manuel GARCIA, CDS jmgarcia@ividmc.travel CEO Leticia GARCIA lgarcia@ividmc.travel President

Pg.

rmijares@ividmc.travel

Mariana LEON, CMS, CITP corp.business@ividmc.travel Corporate Quality Director

Pg.

Mexico flaunts with its varied collection of flavors —from sea to table, Mayan tradition and everything in between.

jortiz@ividmc.travel IT Manager Ibrahyn OLIVAS

06-20

One of only five Blue Zones in the world, Costa Rica is one of the healthiest coutries in the world—but healthy doesn't strip the flavorful delights that come with each bite.

Mexico

Julia ORTIZ, CES, CMS

Pg.

Pg.

Jose Luis REVILLA jlrevilla@dquest.travel

Full of traditions inspired by the Creole, Italian and Spanish gastronomy, Argentina shines with many dishes that include the ultimate Argentine street food—The Choripán.

21-23

Cuba

Above and beyond plantain and beans, Cuba amazes with its color infused-dishes bursting with flavor.

Content & Editing corp.news@ividmc.travel

IVI DMC Los Cabos Marla GUADIAN, CMS, CIS Destination Managing Director

dQuest Shop

IVI DMC Cancun & Riviera Maya Ximena LOPEZ, CMS Marketing & Planning Director cun.planning2@ividmc.travel

mguadian@ividmc.travel IVI DMC Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit Jaime NELO, DMCP, CIS, CMS,

Follow us on:

32-33

Destination offices Mexico:

Traditionally inspired flavors in LATAM

Pg.

Lear n about the most delicious edible insects of Mexico.

Omar DELGADILLO

Cover subject:

27-31

Argentina

informatica2@ividmc.travel President dQuest DMO

24-26

Costa Rica

Our Blue-Bee Squad adventures continue, with more visits from our beloved friends.

CITP

Marketing

Pg.

Corporate News

Raquel MIJARES, CIS, DMCP,

Vice President of

04-05

CES, CCM Destination Managing Director jnelo@ividmc.travel IVI DMC Central Mexico Luli GARCIA Destination Managing Director

Caribbean:

Central America:

South America:

IVI DMC Costa Rica

IVI DMC & PCO Argentina

Jeremy ZUÑIGA

Claudio JUAREZ

Regional Managing Director

Regional Managing Director

jzuniga@ividmc.travel

cjuarez@ividmc.travel

IVI DMC Cuba

IVI DMC Panama

Alejandro DEBASA, CMS

Mariana LEON, CMS, CITP

Regional Managing Director

Vice President of Marketing

adebasa@ividmc.travel

corp.business@ividmc.travel

IVI DMC Dominican Republic Bidia BISSUMBHAR, CIS, CES, CMM Regional Managing Director bidia@ividmc.travel

lgarciamora@ividmc.travel

© Copyright 2022. All Rights Reserved.

A WORD FROM OUR FOUNDER. Dear reader, Latin America is a highly diverse destination with endless flavors and varying cuisines that range from maize-based dishes arepas, pupusas, tacos, tamales, tortillas and various salsas and other condiments (guacamole, pico de gallo, mole, chimichurri, chili, aji, pebre). All this in addition to the natural wonders and array of entertainment options, there is no question you should choose Latin America for your next Meeting or Incentive trip. Plan your extraordinary event with our leading quality of service. Our accomplishments and enthusiastic attitude are what uphold our motto, in your business, “We make YOU look GREAT”!

Sincerely,

José-Manuel GARCÍA, CDS Visionary, Founder Founder and and Seller Dream Visionary, ofSeller Dreams

COMPANY PROFILE •

IVI DMC and the BLUE BEES. (Our new hallmark nickname) “We make YOU look GREAT”

•

Since 1986 and also to the dedication of an extraordinary team of duly certified associates, partners, and suppliers, we have integrated an exemplary company of professionals all of them with a high spirit of service, honesty, and loyalty, where to date we have reached more than 8,501 testimonials of events achieving, and extraordinary reputation within this yet amazing industry.

•

Did you know that the difference between a good DMC and another is their HIGHLY RECOGNIZED BRAND, MANY YEARS OF PROVEN EXPERIENCE AND CREATIVITY OUT OF THE BOX?

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At IVI DMC we highlight our ability to bring all imaginative ideas to life, from the formal to the absurd and from the artistic to the comic.

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Our corporate image has changed, and with an amazing comparison between the world of bees so essential to the life of the planet, and where also the “IVI DMC & the BLUE BEES” are so essential in the service industry.

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iVi DMC works with international hygiene, health, safety and protection protocols through its OWN ISO9001 quality system model and world-class performance, from the formal to the absurd and from the artistic to the comic”.

• •

Our company commitment is to always perform with our 10 world-class CORE VALUES, where everything is done with: • Love and Passion • Communication • Respect • Tailor-Made Proactivity • Discipline & Dedication • State-of-the Art Creativity • Knowledge • Honesty & Integrity • Safety & Security • Cost-Value Same as: SUCCESSFUL DESTINATION MANAGEMENT.

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Flying along with the

Blue-Bee Squad Hello friends! Welcome to Flying Along with the BLUE-BEE Squad, the section where we share our monthly adventures. This was a great month, we met up with a lot of incredible people, and we had a lot of fun while doing our job.

Let's begin!

At the beginning of the month, we met up with Mr. Craig Dooley, President of SDI Meetings & Incentives, and his entire team. The recent program in Playa Mujeres was a great success! We look forward to keeping serving you for many more years.

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We also received two incredible testimonials from industry partners. One was from Kerensa Monaco, Account Manager with Augeo, and the other one from Melissa DeLeon, President of MTI Events. These appreciation reviews not only make us grateful for their trust and partnership but also proud of our teams.

A couple of days later, we had the pleasure to see our friend Chris Herzberg, Sr. Business Development Manager with ITA Group, during his recent visit to the Mexican Caribbean. We appreciate his confidence during all these years, and we hope to continue making him and ITA Group, Inc. look GREAT.

Lastly, we welcomed Rebecca Meiners, Senior Event Manager from EEG, who came to our Mexican Caribbean on a site inspection for a great program taking place at the Riviera Maya this year. It was great to see her!

That was all for this month. Thanks for joining us, and we’ll meet again in the next edition of Flying Along with the BLUE-BEE Squad!

WE MAKE YOU LOOK GREAT!

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Regional Cuisine in Los Cabos A destination with such wonderful and incomparable landscapes finds an excellent complement in its wide culinary offer of incomparable quality that will create an unforgettable trip.

The gastronomic experience of Los Cabos offers an endless variety of options, that features cuisine from different parts of the world thanks to the talents of the different international chefs who have arrived at this destination, some of which have chosen to make this destination their home.

The signature flavors from Los Cabos are made up of delicious sea dishes such as chocolate clams roasted in their shells or the “tatemadas”, a delicious smoked marlin, the different shrimp stews, abalone, and lobster, the fish or shrimp tacos, the wrapped tamales, and the "street food", are all exquisite creations.

Mexico

Damiana tea after a great meal is a favored digestive, and if you are on the beach, surely a delicious cocktail or a cold beer are ideal alternatives as well.

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Desserts from the area will be your special complement, jams, gummies, marzipan, ate, and crystallized pitahayas are all delicious options that you will not be able to stop enjoying and are part of the "choyera" gastronomy.

Gastronomy, sea, beach, landscapes and countless attractions await you in Los Cabos so that you can enjoy every moment of your visit to this beautiful destination that will make you fall in love!

Mexico

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Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit One of the most cherished attractions of almost every tourist destination is its gastronomy. Most travelers never fail to dismiss the gourmet cuisine offered by its host destination, and Puerto Vallarta is no exception. From North to South, gastronomic delights can be found everywhere.

Mexico

At the marina, near the main street and bay, visitors will find traditional, gourmet, or high-end international cuisine restaurants, as well as delicious buffets at its great resorts.

Additionally, through Puerto Vallarta's Northern region, nearby the main street, visitors will find plenty more options—day or night.

Nearby downtown and the Malecon boardwalk, there are lots of traditional places, where the food and drinks will transport you to a tropical oasis. Visitors can also try a traditional snack available at street stalls or traditional markets.

The romantic area has lots of cozy or outdoor places with tables over the sidewalks and a bohemian and Mexican traditional town atmosphere. Gourmet and international cuisines have their own places in this area. The combination of an astonishing view of the bay, whether beachfront or at a roof garden, and an exquisite dish, creates a perfect moment every time.

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The gastronomic origins can be found on even the last beaches of Bahia de Banderas and its restaurants as well as its harbors, neighborhood kitchen, palapas, and roasted seafood skewers.

Puerto Vallarta’s passion for gastronomy is so profound that during the year, many influential and international gourmet festivals take place, where Michelin stars awarded chefs participate.

Through Puerto Vallarta, some restaurants offer the best seafood and other specialties, and, what’s more, there's something available for any budget.

Gastronomical Festivals Puerto Vallarta conquers the palates of all its visitors. It is well known as a foodie destination due to its extensive gastronomic offer and restaurants which delight with a wide variety of flavors from traditional to international.

One of the numerous festivals that take place in Puerto Vallarta is the “Ceviche and Aguachile Festival”, which includes numerous and innovative options of these two emblematic sea dishes, combining, for instance, fresh tuna fish, oysters or sea scallops, fruits of the region and a couple of dozens of types of hot chili peppers.

In addition, the International Gourmet Festival, an event of culinary excellence takes place in Puerto Vallarta between late November and early December. This event has been delighting the palates of attendees year after year with exquisite creations.

Gastronomic Vallarta Nayarit is another world-class event that takes place in late October and early November, in which Michelin-star awarded chefs showcase their talents through various culinary wonders.

Mexico

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Mexican Caribbean Delight in Every Bite

Cancun was founded in the 1970s, being a young city people from other parts of Mexico moved here and of course, they brought their own customs and cooking traditions, hence the powerful regional influence of Yucatan food, Chiapas, even Veracruz, Tabasco, and Mexico City and more.

In this issue, we will focus a little bit more on the Yucatan styles since the rest of the food is available in other parts of Mexico in the same shape or form. Things like tacos and tamales can be found in practically all many states but each with its unique touch and ingredients.

The restaurants in Cancun and the Riviera Maya offer many of these options but we will focus on a couple of restaurants that are known for presenting these options consistently.

So let us talk about some of the regional food and ingredients found in this location. Some of them we did not know were native to this region and or Mexico for many centuries.

Mexico

Yucatan Peninsula Tacos aren't mere appetizers in Mexico's vast and varied menu.

When the Spanish arrived, they found Mexico's natives cooking with corn, beans, chiles, tomatoes, and squash, combined with turkey and other wild ingredients.

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Local women promptly incorporated beef, pork, lamb, nuts, fruits, cheese, spices, and sugar cane brought by the conquistadors. To the dismay of the Spaniards and the delight of travelers today, the result was not a simulation of European cuisine but new interpretations of native dishes.

Mexican cooking remains simple at its core, most of the spicy flavor is added afterward with the chile and salsa found on every table. Regional variations range from the basic but nutritious dishes of the north to seafood specialties of the coastal regions to the complex variety of Mexico City and the central states to the earthy, piquant creations of the Maya in the south.

Mexico

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A Debt of Gratitude Lost among the laurels heaped upon the ancient Maya for their contributions to science, mathematics, architecture, astronomy, and writing is the wide array of foods they introduced. It's no overstatement to say the Maya changed the world's eating habits in the 1500s. Just try to imagine life without these signature elements.

Mexico

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Naturally Delicious Avocado From its origins in southern Mexico, where it was used as an aphrodisiac, the avocado spread to the Rio Grande and central Peru before the Europeans learned about it.

Black Beans Archaeological findings indicate the black bean originated in southern Mexico and Central America more than 7,000 years ago. Still the favorite in and around Yucatan, it has spread widely throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S.

Chiles Chiles have been cultivated in the Americas for more than 6,000 years.

Blame Christopher Columbus for calling them "peppers," but credit him for their worldwide reach. Southern Mexico's Capsicum annum species, with its many cultivars, is crucial to nearly every fiery cuisine in the world.

Chocolate The Maya's "food of the gods," made from the toasted, fermented seeds of the cacao tree, is arguably the New World's greatest gift to civilization.

Though Cortez learned of chocolate from the Aztecs, the Mayan ate it many centuries earlier and used cacao beans as currency.

Mexico

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Corn The creation myth in the Popol Vuh, the Maya "bible," attributes humankind's very existence to this domesticated strain of wild grass, easily the most important food in the Americas. Thousands of years after corn became a dietary staple, the Maya started cultivating it around 2500 B.C. and abandoned their nomadic ways to settle in villages surrounded by cornfields.

Tomatoes Even the Italians had to do without tomato sauce before the discovery of the New World. Precursors originated in Peru, but the tomato as we know it came from Yucatan, where the Maya cultivated it long before the conquest.

Vanilla

The elixir from a special species of orchid originally flavored Maya chocolate drinks. Southern Mexico's Papaya jungle is still the only place the orchid grows wild, The large, woody, fast-growing herb, com- pollinated by native stingless bees that produce Mamonly referred to as a tree, was used to treat yan honey. The prized Tahitian vanilla comes from stomach ailments. After spreading from Mexican stock, and must be hand-pollinated. southern Mexico, it now grows in every tropical country.

Mexico

Tortillas

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The tortilla is Mexico's bread and is sometimes used as a fork or spoon, as it works to scoop up food. Corn is cooked in water and lime, ground into grainy masa dough, patted and pressed into thin cakes, and cooked on a comal (hot griddle). Even restaurants that serve bread always have tortillas available. The flour tortilla was developed in northern Mexico and is less common in the south.

Enchiladas The most famous of countless Mexican dishes derived from the tortilla was originally called tortilla enchilada, meaning a tortilla dipped in a chile sauce. Variations include entomatada (dipped in tomato sauce) and enfrijolada (in bean sauce). The basic enchilada, still sold in food stands, is a tortilla dipped first in hot oil and then chile (usually ancho) sauce, folded or rolled on a plate, and sprinkled with chopped onions and queso cotija (crumbly white cheese). It's often served with fried potatoes and carrots. Restaurants serve more elaborate enchiladas filled with cheese, chicken, pork, or seafood. In Southern Mexico, enchiladas are often bathed in a rich mole sauce.

Tacos Anything folded or rolled into a tortilla—sometimes two, either soft or fried—is a taco. Flautas and quesadillas are varieties of tacos. This is the quintessential Mexican fast food, sold in taquerías everywhere. Additionally, you can find traditional fish, shrimp, pork skin, cochinita, pastor tacos, and many more.

Beans Most Mexican households eat beans daily. Pinto beans are predominant in northern Mexico, but black beans are the Yucatan's legumes of choice. Mexicans add only a bit of onion and garlic and a pinch of herbs, as beans are meant to be a counterpoint to spicy foods. They also may appear at the end of a meal with a spoonful of sour cream. Fried leftover beans often appear as frijoles refritos, a side dish commonly called "refried beans." In fact, they are fried just once; the prefix re means "well" (as in "thoroughly"), so a better translation might be "well-fried beans."

Mexico

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Tamales The ultimate take-out meal, "tamales" (singular: tamal) originated in pre-Hispanic Mexico and became more elaborate after the Spanish introduced pork and other ingredients.

To make a tamal, mix corn masa with lard, beat the masa, add a filling, wrap it, and steam it. Every region has its own specialty. The most popular rellenos (fillings) are pork and cheese, but they might be anything from fish to iguana, augmented by pumpkin, pineapple, rice, or peanuts, and tucked into a blanket of yellow, black, or purple masa. Tamales are usually steamed but may be baked or grilled; the jackets are most often dried corn husks or fresh corn or banana leaves but may be covered in palm, avocado, or chaya (a spinachlike vegetable) leaves.

Yucatecan tamales have a distinctly Mayan flavor. They are filled with pork or chicken marinated in achiote (an earthy, mildly tangy paste made from the annatto seed) and cooked in an underground pit or oven that chars the banana leaf in a black color. Tabasco makes use of freshwater fish and seafood, rice, and an array of exotic produce. Chiapas' eclectic assortment of tamales might be filled with mole, chicharrón (crispy, fried pork rind), or even flower buds; the best known are tamales de bola, with pork rib, a prune, and a small dried chile, all wrapped up in a corn husk tied on top to form a ball (bola).

Mexico

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Chiles Almost no traditional dish in all of Mexico lacks chiles. Appearing in wondrous varieties throughout Mexico, they bear different names depending on whether they are fresh or dried. Chiles range from blazing hot with little discernible taste to mild with a rich, complex flavor, and they can be pickled, smoked, stuffed, or stewed.

Among the best-known are the "pimiento", the large, harmless bell pepper familiar in the U.S.; the fist-sized "poblano", ranging from mild to very hot; the short, torpedo-shaped "serrano"; the skinny and seriously fiery "chile de árbol"; the stubby, hot "jalapeño", the "chipotle" a dried and smoked "jalapeño", usually served in adobo (vinegar and garlic paste); and the tiny, five-alarm "piquín".

If you suffer from misadventure by chile, a drink of milk, a bite of banana or cucumber, a spoonful of yogurt, or if all else fails—a bottle of beer will help extinguish the fire.

Mexico

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Regional Specialties

The Yucatan community lived in isolation from the rest of the country until recent decades, and its cuisine has proved to be an amalgam of native, European, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern flavors and techniques. Some of the most recognizable tastes are achiote, sour oranges, lime juice, pumpkin seeds, and pickled onions. Turkey (pavo), still the most common meat in Yucatecan homes, is prominent on most menus, though beef, pork, and chicken have also become staples. Fish and seafood reign along the coast.

Mexico

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Savor the flavor of Mexican delicacies Achiote and sour orange came to Yucatan by way of the Caribbean; Edam cheese through historical trade with the Dutch; and peas likely from the English. A wave of Lebanese immigration around the 20th century also left its mark; the spit-broiled tacos al pastor is basically Mexican gyros, and you might come across kebbah made of beef or potatoes instead of lamb or dolmas wrapped in chaya instead of grape leaves.

The Yucatan's trademark dishes are chicken or cochinita (pork) pibil, meat marinated in achiote, bitter orange, and spices, wrapped in banana leaves and barbecued or baked in a pit; poc chuc, pork slices marinated in sour orange and garnished with pickled onions; and lime soup, made of shredded, lime-marinated turkey or chicken and topped with sizzling tortilla strips.

Now that we talked about all these yummy ingredients we have to mention these two famous restaurants in Cancun.

Mexico

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La Habichuela This restaurant prints a unique style that, after more than 40 years, has become a classic.

It is a tribute to the Mayan culture that could well be a museum.

The gastronomy developed over the years has resulted in delicious starters and main dishes that do not have nationality but have their own name and unique personal touches.

Labná At the Labna restaurant, guests will be delighted with a great variety of dishes with unexpected flavors, starting with the subtle flavor of the traditional lime soup, papadzules, panuchos, and others with peculiar names.

Needless to say the "cohinita pibil", a dish that stands out in this kitchen. However, there is the black filling ("relleno negro"), a specialty that you cannot stop trying since it highlights the very particular flavor of the Valladolid sausage accompanied with strained beans.

Don't forget to ask about any of these ingredients or dishes noted here next time you visit our the Mexican Caribbean!

Mexico

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Cuba

Cuban gastronomy is a mixture of many traditions and customs, all of which share the combination and the heritage left by the native Taino inhabitants, being the food base of the groups that populated the island and who hunted mammals, fish, the collection of snails. seafood, native vegetables, and fruits.

We currently know that Cuban gastronomy traditions derived mainly from the fusion of several ethnic groups such as the Spanish, the African, and others that over time also made contributions—particularly when the time of the migratory floods and the wars for colonization.

The French and Haitian immigration— which occurred between the 18th and 19th centuries—also influenced Cuban gastronomy. It settled mostly in the coffee plantations in the East, which contributed to its existence and the displacement of chocolate.

Another notable influence on Cuban culinary art is perceived in the 19th century with the arrival of workers from China who, like Africans, were brought as slaves to work as butlers or cooks, due to their refined manners. They, as in other Latin American countries, imposed and adapted their ways of cooking, creating a pioneering and rich fusion of dishes. From that moment on, white rice began to appear on the Cuban table as an indispensable dish.

Iberostar Selection Playa Mita

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Cuba

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Ropa vieja

This dish is prepared with the cut of the cow known as skirt, although you can also use shoulder and overbelly.

Depending on the country, the meat is cooked with aromatic herbs (laurel, coriander, thyme, cloves), vegetables and condiments. After cooking, the meat is shredded and then stewed in the broth resulting from cooking with a sauce that can include onion, sweet pepper, garlic, tomato, among other vegetables.

Stuffed "tostones" This dish consists of fried green plantain basket stuffed with ham or shrimp.

Cuban potato stew It is composed of pieces of veal which are cooked in its sauce with potatoes, in addition to a traditional base called "sofrito".

Cuba

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Cuban rice This is an excellent combination of white rice with fried egg and fried ripe plantains.

Cuban ajiaco Cuban ajiaco is a very nutritious and tasty dish made from all kinds of vegetables, pork, jerky, potatoes, yucca, corn, etc. It derives from a tradition of the meals of the aborigines, the Spanish conquerors, and the slaves.

Moros and cristianos rice It is a bowl of traditional rice from Cuba that evokes a historical and cultural harmony. Moros is the way the Spaniards called the inhabitants of the Arab towns

Yuca with mojo This delicious dish is traditional in Cuban cuisine. Cassava is cooked until soft and served hot. It is dressed with a mojo made with a classic sauce with onion, garlic, sour orange, and vinegar.

Cuba

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Costa Rica

Who doesn’t hope to live a long, healthy, happy life? Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, home of Nosara, is fortunate to be one of only five Blue Zones in the world. A Blue Zone is an area where residents enjoy an extraordinarily long, healthy lifespan.

Residents of these unique locals often live to be over 100 years of age. Maybe there’s more to the Pura Vida lifestyle than we thought. Learn about a few Costa Rican dishes that have proven in some way to contribute to a healthy and long lifespan.

Costa Rica

Gallo pinto

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Most Costa Ricans refuse to start their day without their signature breakfast. Gallo Pinto. This dish is a blend of rice and beans (either black or red), garlic, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and most importantly “Lizano sauce”.

This sauce is what makes "gallo pinto" so unique, it is a typical vegetable-based tangy sauce that has been in the pantry of Costa Ricans since 1920. The end product is a relatively dry dish composed of savory rice and beans. Gallo Pinto is usually served with cooked eggs, cheese, sour cream, and sweet plantains.

Olla de carne (beef and vegetable stew) This traditional Costa Rican dish is usually eaten at lunchtime, especially on cold days.

It is a beef stew of bone-in meat and a variety of cut vegetables; typically: corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cassava, chayote (type of squash), and yam, to name a few. All the vegetables and meat create a flavorful and rich soup.

Olla de Carne is typically served with white rice and some people squeeze lemon over it for the final touch.

Sopa negra (black bean soup) Sopa Negra is a dense, rich soup with a base of cooked black beans. Some of the beans are blended to give this dish the thickness it is known for. It also has finely chopped cilantro, bell pepper, oregano, celery, garlic, onion, and salt and pepper. This amazing soup is served with slices of boiled eggs and white rice.

Costa Rica

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Casado This popular dish is a signature lunch in Costa Rica, almost every restaurant has it on its menu. It is very filling, as it comes with two or three side dishes that vary from place to place. The base of the dish is white rice, black or red beans (unlike Gallo Pinto, they are served separately), and meat (either fish, beef, pork, or chicken).

The side dishes vary but common options include salad (such as green, pasta, or russian), picadillo (cut up vegetables), fried plantains, french fries, eggs, avocado, or tortillas.

Tamal de maicena (cornstarch tamale) Tamal de Maicena is like a wobbly jelly cake with the consistency of firm custard. Some people think of it as a dessert because of its sweetness, but most prefer it as a coffee snack. It is made of milk, sugar, freshly grated coconut, butter, cornstarch, and vanilla.

Costa Rica

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Argentina

Dishes from Downtown Buenos Aires Located in the central-eastern region of the country, Buenos Aires, especially "Capital Federal"or well known as "Ciudad Porteña" stands out in its dishes for its wide traditions and customs related to the Creole, Italian and Spanish gastronomy that brought their culture to our country in different historical moments.

The "asado", the "milanesa" (breaded steak) made of veal meat, the fillet champignon, "gramajo" scrambled eggs, the potato tortilla, and pasta, are mostly the ones that represent the so-called "Cocina Porteña" and the flavor of its local ingredients.

Some of its gastronomic poles are Palermo, Puerto Madero, Recoleta, and San Telmo, places that stand out for offering gastronomic experiences.

Short ribs or asado This dish is one of the Argentinean cookeries by excellence, it has become an Argentinean trademark, we would even say that it is a ritual. Some of the typical cuts of meat of the asado are asado strip, flank, rump, rump tail, blank steak, and skirt steak. The most common are the offal which are composed of chitterlings, fat gut, cow’s udder, kidneys, heart, brains, sweetbreads, and very rarely cow testicles.

We cannot talk about short ribs or asado without mentioning one of the most outstanding sausages, the chorizo, also known as "Choripán", which is already world-renowned. The Choripán is the ultimate Argentine street food, a sandwich consisting of chorizo sausage, with a variety of condiments inside a crusty bread. It is usually eaten on the go, as it is sold mainly in street stalls which are mostly found on the waterfront of the City of Buenos Aires.

Argentina

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Empanadas Empanadas arrived in Argentina at the hand of the Spaniards and each region adapted them to its typical products and the taste of its population. Even today, each province has its variant, from the Salta, Tucuman, or Santiago de Chile, to the lesser-known ones from Patagonia. The regional empanadas of Northern Argentina still retain their aboriginal influences.

These dishes revolve around corn, potatoes, pumpkins, quinoa and llama, beef, pork, and chicken. Eating an empanada Salteña (originally from Salta) is a real pleasure, they stand out because they contain potatoes as a differential ingredient and meat cut with a knife, such as a buttock or roast beef. They can be fried or baked in a clay oven.

Now if we want to try empanadas Tucumanas (originally from Tucumán) they do not have potatoes, peas, or olives, they are very juicy and have chopped meat, green onion, white onion, ground chili, sweet paprika, and chopped egg. The meat used is matambre and can be cooked in a clay or gas oven.

Argentina

Argentine wines

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In Argentina, there are 10 wine-producing regions. The most famous for both quantity and quality is the Mendoza region, followed by San Juan. If we talk about exotic wines, we translate them as wines with a lot of color, scent, and flavor, so the high altitude wines from Quebrada de Humahuaca, a World Heritage Site, are among the highest wine regions in the world in Jujuy. They stand out in the thickness of the grape skins, the intense color, cleanliness, and healthiness of the grapes.

High altitude wines have more color and thus greater aromatic concentration, and natural acidity, are fresher and more fluid, express with more certainty the terroir they represent, and also have a greater presence of tannins in the case of red wines. Malbec, an Argentinean flagship from the South that is born in Mendoza makes its difference, these wines are warm, soft, and with very pleasant sweet tannins. With fruity aromas during its youth, then evolves with aromas of cinnamon and hints of vanilla; these are wines with great body, structure, and depth. Plum is one of the main protagonists of this wine.

Lamb Between the embers and the flavors, lamb is a meat cut widely used for barbecues in Argentina. The traditional cooking of lamb is roasted on a stick that has previously been placed in brine (water, garlic cloves, and coarse salt).

The roaster is very carefully selected as well as the cooking, which should be slow. As for how to eat it, it should be eaten with hot homemade country bread. This is is a favored dish in the south (more specifically in Santa Cruz and Chubut) as it is where the best lamb breeding takes place, thanks to the dry climate and the fact that it rains just the correct amount.

Argentina

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Mate, Pastries and Dulce de Leche Mate Are you coming for some Mate? A common expression used in Argentina denotes the warmth in the treatment and symbolizes union and sharing.

This has facilitated the generation of relations in the region. It works as an excuse for a gathering with friends or family. The Mate is an infusion made with mate leaves, a plant native to the river basins of Argentina and Paraná.

These previously dried, cut, and ground plants form mate, which has a bitter taste due to the tannins in its leaves. Subjectively, it can be drunk with or without sugar. It is worth mentioning that every moment is ideal to have a mate.

Locro This dish is very suitable for consumption during winters or in cold areas. It is traditionally consumed on a massive scale on May 25, the day that commemorates the formation of the first Argentine patriotic government. It is made from white corn, beans and pumpkin. It requires a long cooking period, so the hard cuts of meat such as skirt steak can cook properly. Its origin comes during the time of conquest and a rich tradition that reflects the fusion of both cultures.

Argentina

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Dulce de leche An essential sweet on a gastronomic menu, this dish is prepared with milk, sugar, baking soda and vanilla essence to intensify its flavor. You will find it in an infinite number of desserts, from pancakes, cakes and the longed-for choco cake. It is also found in candies, as a filling for bonbons, chocolates, sweet rolls, spanish churros, sweet Pastries called “facturas”, canons and bombs of dulce de leche, and even flan.

However, the most outstanding is "El Alfajor". The Alfajor is one of the most sold sweets, and it is easily available at candy stores. The product is made up of two or more cookies or baked doughs, stuck together by dulce de leche dipped in dark chocolate or white chocolate, with peanuts or grated coconut.

Our star is the “Cornstarch Alfajor”; this delight has been a tradition for more than 130 years in Argentina.

Pastries Essentials on national celebrations, much like May 25th (May's Revolution Celebration), the "Creole Pastries" cannot be absent during this celebration as they are a staple symbol. This dessert is a crunchy puff pastry dough, filled with sweet potato and dulce de leche, depending on personal preference, but the most traditional ones are made with quince sweet.

Argentina

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The squad that continues to make YOU look GREAT!

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Surely you have heard of edible insects, since they are truly delicious. In Mexico, the variety of them is quite wide; there are chicatana ants, maguey worms, escamoles, jumiles and yet none compares to the famous “chapulines”.

You can find them in different parts of the Mexican Republic usually prepared with chili, lemon and salt, or garlic, however their preparation can vary depending on the dishes you prefer to eat them with.

They have been present in Mexican gastronomy since pre-Hispanic times and their crunchy texture is ideal as an accompaniment to different dishes such as tacos, tlayudas, sopes, salads and even, if you are brave, you can eat them alone as a nutritious snack. We assure you that once you try them you will only look for excuses to eat them again.

Mexico

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Our Loyal Clients 10 Pinnacle Loyalty Club

Mexico

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What our client’s have to say.

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I truly enjoyed working with Ximena both during the planning phase of the site visit as well as the actual visit. Ximena answered all of our questions honestly and was very prepared. The staff was friendly, kind, and approachable.

We look forward to working with you.

Lissa Evans | Manger, Events Operations

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Thank you for going above and beyond to help this client.

I know due to his mobility issues this was not easy and required a lot more attention than normal. We very much appreciate the way you patiently helped him and accommodated him.

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Fernando and the team were fantastic to work with! The client needed flexibility and guidance and your folks embraced that opportunity and made us look great for recommending you.

Fernando and the support team were extremely responsive and professional every step of the way.

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Essential Travel Tips Do your due diligence Get to know your destination in depth before you arrive. Read traveler reviews and consult with locals for information about the safest neighborhoods, places to stay, and most importantly the best places to eat.

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Dear reader!

Thanks for reading CommuniQuest Incentive Travel Digest I hope you find in this newsletter a useful tool that will help you make decisions for your successful business.We would be delighted to know if there anything else you’d like to see or experience in this monthly newsletter. Your suggestions are more than welcome.

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