Aqui es Texcoco uses the freshest ingredients and traditional techniques for every dish they create in this popular north-of-the-border restaurant – including their delicious dessert menu. A delightful and refreshing ending to every meal, these homemade specialties represent the best of authentic Mexican cuisine.
Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche)
Served throughout Mexico and popular at Aqui es Texcoco, homemade rice pudding is a soothing dessert for adults and children alike. The dish entered Mexico with the Spaniards in the 1520s, and the inclusion of cinnamon and lemon suggests a Moorish influence as well.
As a cereal grain, rice is one of the most important staple foods for most of our earth’s human population. It is gluten free and is also as a flour, and made into various beverages such as horchata, rice milk and rice wine. It is a good source of protein but does not contain enough amino acids for sustaining good health; which would require adding nuts, seeds, fish, meat or beans.
Flan
Probably the most popular dessert in most Mexican restaurants, this delicate custard dish is a homemade specialty at Aqui es Texcoco. Its name is derived from the Old Castilian flado, a sort of flat cake. Flan originally made its way from ancient Rome, where it began as a savory custard dish, to Spain where caramelized sugar turned it into a new signature recipe. The Moors influence also added citrus fruits and almonds to the mix.
Honey Yams
The combination of yams and honey, sometimes served with fresh herbs, is a traditional Mexican favorite – especially for the children. The dish has historical significance as well as important nutritional contributions.
Honey is an important product in Mexico, dating back before the Spaniards first arrived in 1600 A.D. It is 80% natural sugar and rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids – as well as being fat free and cholesterol free. Hardworking honeybees must fly a distance equal to more than 3 times around the world to make 1 pound of honey!
Yams are related to lilies and grasses, and there are over six hundred varieties; 95% are native to Africa though they are farmed in over 45 countries around the globe (over 48 million tons of yams were harvested in 2010). Their 6-10 month growing season, high labor cost and short shelf life makes yams inefficient as a staple food to most developed countries. However, the high caloric content (200 calories in one-half pound of yams) and year-round availability makes them important to economically challenged populations.
Jamaica (Hibiscus) Sorbet
This dessert is custom made for Aqui es Texcoco by Niederfrank’s Ice Cream, another local institution famous for its natural ingredients and old-fashioned quality. With a similar color and flavor to the cranberry, Jamaica (huh-my-ih-kuh) Hibiscus flowers can be found in most Hispanic stores as it is used in Mexico to make flavored waters and teas, adding sugar, ginger and even rum.
In 1972 Celestial Seasonings introduced “red zinger” tea, bringing popular hibiscus tea to the U.S. Jamaica contains Vitamin C and minerals and has a mild medicinal quality as well – studies have shown that drinking Jamaica tea can reduce high blood pressure!