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The celebration of the Día de Muertos is approaching, a very important date in the Mexican calendar, so the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Hotel, Madrid wanted to pay a small culinary tribute to the authentic flavor of Mexico with the collaboration of Chef Karla Cova Villa and Sergio de la Plata, Head Chef of Palm Court, which will take place in Pictura, one of the hotel’s gastronomic spaces.
From October 25 to November 8, this gastronomic proposal proposed by Karla will be based on an exclusive cocktail paired with a tapa, priced at 25 €. All this, of course, with a clear Mexican inspiration around the Día de Muertos, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008.
For this occasion, Karla Cova Villa, a Mexican based in Spain, proposes the Spicy Mango Margarita, a reinterpretation of the classic margarita with a base of tequila and fresh mango. It is a combination with a markedly sweet flavor that contrasts with the first impact of the tajín, lowered with dehydrated beet, around the rim of the glass. A festival of flavor and color, with a vibrant orange and fuchsia hue that emulates the cempasúchil and chrysanthemum, the iconic flowers of Mexico and especially of this traditional holiday.
Karla Cova & Sergio de la Plata
The snack that will accompany the Spicy Mango Margarita is the Taquitos Dorados de Papa, a tapa that Karla has created together with Chef Sergio de la Plata, Head Chef of Palm Court. They are crispy potato and tortilla tacos, served with three sauces composed of the traditional pico de gallo, guacamole and a smooth chipotle mayonnaise that adds a spicy touch and rounds out the proposal.
“This collaboration is very special to me because it unites my two homes, Madrid and Mexico, and has allowed me to pay homage to my origins and a truly magical party. Working with chef Sergio de la Plata has been spectacular, from the beginning everything was in sync and entering the kitchens of the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid has been very special. With the cocktail we have given a twist to my favorite drink, a Margarita sweet by the handle, but with a spicy touch that brings the tajín to brush the lips with the first sip. I hope visitors to Pictura love it as much as I loved the whole process,” explains Karla who, in addition to being a chef, is the creator of @chulacocinacreativa, where she shares recipes and organizes cooking workshops.