Raul Hernández is a huge fan of traditional Guadalajara cuisine and a blogger turned gastronomic guide.
Through his Web-based business, Jitomate Tours, he escorts mostly foreigners to authentic and small but well-known eateries, as well as to some where, he says, “I would never expect to see a tourist.”
Hernández explains that he realizes most adventurous foreigners, with a standard guidebook and a little Spanish, can fare pretty well eating and drinking at places such as the cantinas on Chapultepec or even the vast San Juan de Dios market. But his tours generally venture beyond that, he says, and include less-known neighborhoods and varieties of food, and even almost-hidden cantinas that are more than 100 years old.
“Surprise is the usual reaction of my clients. When people think of Mexican food, they think tacos. They’re surprised at how much more there is.”Although Hernández’s web page, www.jitomatetours.com, names prices (one mentioned is 80 dollars) and standard itineraries, he says he normally custom designs tours, and that they can be in the morning, afternoon or evening and take in almost any part of Guadalajara or environs.
“Two weeks ago I took four people on a night tour. We started at a taco stand in Chapalita.” (Jitomate Tours, with exceptions, generally hits places such as stands and markets which, although established, cannot be called swanky.) “Then we went to a cenaduria (supper restaurant) for pozole, enchiladas, enmoladas (similar to enchiladas but made with mole) and sopes. Then another taco stand. Then Tortas del Santuario La Morenita, which is a torta place near the Santuario (downtown church honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe).”
One might imagine Hernández’s clients suffering from bloated bellies after such an evening, but he explains that, “some of the presentations you will taste in different locales aren’t available for normal customers. They design smaller portions especially for my clients. That way, my people can try more different dishes than they could on their own.”
Hernandez’s flawless English and dapper manners naturally lead one to wonder how such a sophisticated person came to be an expert in what might be called lowbrow food.
Hernández explains that he was born in Guadalajara and lived here as a child, then moved with his parents to places such as Panama City and the United States. He attended international schools, including the American School in Guadalajara, which help explain his excellent English.
“One thing that opened my eyes was being exposed to different countries other than Mexico. That gives you perspective. It makes you value what you have here in Mexico. Since then, I’ve always liked showing off our food.”
It helped that his mother is a great cook, Hernández says.
“At first, she cooked traditional Mexican dishes. Then, in South and Central America, she broadened my horizons. It’s like being exposed to art. The more you see, the more you appreciate it.”
Hernández notes that some of his clients are worried about safety — both unsanitary conditions and crime.
“It’s normal to be concerned about eating where you don’t know. I always explain that if I say it’s safe, you could still get sick, even from overeating. When I travel I always use common sense and stay aware of my surroundings. And it helps to be with someone local, a guide. As for the food itself, in choosing a spot, I look for certain signs. Of course, you wouldn’t expect a street stall to look like a place you would have surgery. But I check things like the pots. Does the food look like it’s been sitting there a long time? How are the utensils being used?
“One thing I look for is if a place is crowded. That’s a good sign to help you judge if people who eat there get sick. And if I see cops eating there … I figure they can go wherever they want, so if they choose a place, it’s probably clean and good.”
Jitomate Tours. Raul Hernández, www.jitomatetours.com and Facebook. Cell: (044) 33-3814-4301.