A New Culinary Destination
While many travelers are flocking to Mexico City to experience the famous madre mole at Pujol or the popular tuna tostadas at Contramar, there’s another culinary gem in Mexico worth exploring. Just a 90-minute flight west of Mexico City lies Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, which is becoming a new hotspot for gastronomy, art, and culture.
In the heart of Guadalajara, nestled in the Santa Teresita neighborhood, is Xokol, a restaurant redefining Mexico’s fine dining scene with its deep respect for indigenous culture and ingredients.
Stepping Into Xokol
From the outside, Xokol’s black, minimalist exterior may not seem extraordinary, but stepping inside is a transformative experience. As you pass through a short tunnel, you enter a space that feels almost ceremonial. The room is dark and monochromatic, with occasional bursts of yellow light highlighting key features like a long oak table that seats up to 50 guests.
Above the table, a skylight is adorned with hundreds of hanging corn cobs, one of the room’s few light sources. The aroma of copal, a tree resin used in ancient Mesoamerican rituals, fills the air, adding to the spiritual atmosphere of the space.
Preserving Ancestral Knowledge
At Xokol, you won’t find tacos or burritos on the menu. Chefs Xrysw Ruelas and Óscar Segundo, the wife-and-husband duo behind the restaurant, focus on something far older and deeper — the preservation of indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques.
Chef Ruelas recalls the moment that inspired her to shift focus: “¿Porque estoy comiendo en lo extranjero en lugar de conocer mi raice?” (Why am I eating in foreign lands instead of learning about my roots?) This question led her to return to Mexico’s indigenous culinary traditions after initially training in French and Japanese cuisine.
A Revival of Indigenous Ingredients
One of the key issues Ruelas noticed was the rejection of indigenous ingredients like blue masa tortillas by Mexican customers, who often preferred the more common white masa tortillas. However, blue masa offers superior nutritional benefits and has deep roots in Mexican culinary history.
Her husband, Óscar Segundo, brings his own heritage to Xokol, identifying as Mazahua, an indigenous group from the state of Mexico. Together, the couple is working to revive and preserve centuries-old cooking techniques and ingredients that have been passed down through generations.
Cooking As a Labor of Love
The chefs’ commitment to their roots extends beyond the kitchen. Their Instagram, with nearly 100,000 followers, features a touching video of Segundo’s mother and grandmother preparing sendecho, a ceremonial Mazahua beverage made from heirloom corn. The video highlights how this pink, thick drink varies in color each year depending on the corn harvest, symbolizing the deep connection between the people and the land.
This ancestral knowledge is infused into Xokol’s dishes. For example, the pescado con leche de tigre de espirulina is a ceviche made with blue-green spirulina algae, a food revered by the Aztecs. Another dish, taco ceremonial mazahua, features tortillas decorated with designs made from a natural ink derived from insects on cactus paddles. These ancient techniques are woven into every bite, creating a dining experience that is not just about flavor but about cultural preservation.
More Than Fine Dining: A Family Legacy
For Ruelas and Segundo, Xokol is more than just a restaurant. It is a way to honor their family and give their indigenous heritage the recognition it deserves. Chef Segundo’s grandmother, Juana Segundo Alcántar, is memorialized in a portrait on the back wall of the dining room. She holds an ear of blue corn, inviting diners to connect with the centuries-old traditions that have shaped Mexican cuisine.
The couple’s dedication to authenticity and cultural preservation has attracted attention from culinary icons like Enrique Olivera of Pujol and even artist Patti Smith. But for Ruelas and Segundo, their mission remains clear: “No es negocio, es para alimentarse” — It’s not just business, it’s about nourishment.
At Xokol, diners aren’t just eating food; they’re participating in a cultural and historical journey that spans generations, ensuring that Mexico’s ancestral cuisine continues to thrive.
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