Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Burritos at the Border - full transcript

What do you like to eat here?

What's your favorite menu item?

- Soft scrambled eggs...
- There you go.

With that sauce they
put on the huevos rancheros.

- I love it.
- Hold that thought.

I wanna hear this really
clearly without the plane.

Wait one second.
Hold that thought.

We are really being upstaged
by transportation here.

Yeah.

We're just gonna wait
for this helicopter.

There's
that constant border sound



of a community
under surveillance.

- So that was border patrol?
- That's border patrol.

They're always
surveilling the border.

God damn it, la migra!

I came to America
when I was four.

I'm an immigrant,
and I'm not alone.

I've spent my life
writing about food

and tasting the world.

Now I wanna explore who we are
through the food we eat.

My game is strong.

What exactly is American food?
And what makes us American?

I'm Padma Lakshmi.

Come with me
as we "Taste the Nation."

So this is the barrio, right?



This is downtown.

This is the working class
of El Paso,

the working folks of El Paso.

I think, anything you need,

people always start here
at the center.

They call it, you know,
"Vamos el centro,"

or "Let's go downtown."

This is Gina Nuñez‐Mchiri.

She's a food scholar
and professor of anthropology,

and she's giving me
my first tour of El Paso.

This is a wonderful mural.

It represents Ciudad Juárez
and El Paso, the sister cities.

So you see the braids.

I love the idea
that we are a community

braided together because people

have been coming and going
through El Paso

for hundreds of years.

There's a local saying

that Mexicans
didn't cross the border.

The border crossed them.

Because this area was taken
from Mexico

in 1848 as a result
of the Mexican‐American War.

Residents have been crossing
back and forth

for work
and for family ever since.

The El Paso‐Juárez border
or frontera

has become one of
the busiest border crossings

in the country.

But the bond between these
sister cities is under threat.

The violence of the drug cartels

in recent years
has made El Paso residents

afraid to go to Juárez.

On top of that,
Central Americans and Mexicans

are being increasingly
vilified in the U. S.

We literally walled off
the two cities,

and families have been
separated and jailed.

America loves Mexican food.

In fact, we eat more salsa
than we do ketchup.

But what about the hands
that make that food?

There's been so much talk
about the border,

and everyone has an opinion.

But how do those who live here
actually feel?

I wanna find out, and if I can
eat a few burritos on the way,

that's an added bonus.

Look at this building.

They're absolutely

these buildings
are over 100 years old.

There's theaters, plazas.
You can get jeans, shoes.

Where do you get a burrito?

Oh, there are these
little gems hidden in the wall.

The burrito has always
been one of my favorite foods.

There's some debate
about its origin,

but locals here insist
it was invented at a burro

or donkey‐driven food cart
in nearby Juárez

during the Mexican revolution,
hence the name burrito.

A burrito is comfort food.

It's something easy.

It's something
you can eat on the go.

It's
the greatest culinary heritage

that La Juárez
has given to the world.

A burrito is a Mexican food

that is delicious.

Everyone has their
favorite local burrito spot.

For Gina, it's Jalisco Café.

Can I help you ladies?

Yes, can I have
one bean burrito?

And I'll have a chorizo con huevo
con frijoles.

You got it.

Hector, what makes
the perfect burrito?

It's just attention to detail,

plus a lot of it's got to do

with the way
the tortilla's made.

We've had a recipe in the family

and the factory that does it
makes it exclusively for us.

- Did you want beans on yours?
- Yes, please.

Yes, you got it.

How long has Jalisco's
been in business?

Over 65 years.

Has the menu changed at all?

Not that much.

When I was young,
I ate a lot of burritos.

At some point, there began
to be rice inside the burrito.

These burritos
look normal sized,

but now you've got burritos

that are this big and this long.

That's not
a traditional burrito.

That's not tradition.

This is a traditional burrito
right here.

Every morning,
fresh made tortillas,

beans, meat,
and whatever was available.

When we get to work,
that's your lunch.

Put 'em on the dash of your car.

- Hit the sun on it, you know.
- Keeps it warm?

Keeps it warm, yeah.

- It's a good idea.
- Yeah.

When I have
a very long day ahead of me,

I start with a burrito.

That's in your pocket for later.

It might not even get there.

I might eat it before.

But if I have a burrito in me,

I know I have enough energy
and fuel to carry me over.

It's so comforting.

What does the burrito mean
to Mexican‐American culture?

It can mean the love of a mother

when I send my child
with a burrito to school.

It's a blessing when someone

gives you a burrito
and you didn't expect it.

I have friends who are like,

"Wait, we're gonna have a talk?

Let me get the burritos."

- How big is El Paso?
- Over 800,000.

So it's a big city,
but it has a small town.

People will always ask you,

"What high school are you from?"

So if El Paso
has a small town vibe,

then Juárez,
which is twice its size,

- must be the big city.
- It's the big city.

El Paso literally means
"the pass."

- This is the path of the north.
- Yeah.

Often times referred to

as the Ellis Island
of the Americas.

Here, we're
in a very special place.

We're not like the rest
of the United States.

We're not like
the rest of Mexico.

We're the borderlands,
and in this third space,

we hope to take the best
from both cultures,

and we make it our own.

Which sounds like a microcosm

for American culture in general.

You know, we take the best
of all cultures

that land here,
spin it into something

new and wholly American.

It's who we are as a country.

We're constantly
replenishing our identity.

When you go away
from the border,

you constantly
have to defend who you are.

People are afraid
of speaking Spanish.

Here, everybody speaks Spanish.

So to be Mexican on the border,
it's to be in a homeland

where other people
look like you, eat like you,

share life with you.

They don't always
have to be the other.

They can just be.

This unique dream of harmony

was recently shattered
by one of the country's

worst mass shootings in history.

Here in El Paso tonight,

a gunman showing up at a Walmart

armed with
an assault‐style rifle.

- Go, go!
- Run, mija, run!

There are at least
20 dead and 26 injured.

His goal was

to "shoot as many Mexicans
as possible."

Why would someone
come hurt people

at a city
that is so kind to others?

Our bodies
are different shades of brown,

and we can't change that.

What are we gonna do?

I teach and try to change
people's hearts and minds,

but in the meantime,
when people are grieving,

you send them food.

To acompañar
is to walk with someone.

- And give them comfort.
- And we do it through food.

As iconic and revered
as burritos are,

they might not be as Mexican
as you'd think.

It's extremely hard
to put in a box

what Mexican cuisine is.

The burrito symbolizes
Mexican culture

but also the influences
of the Spanish.

A burrito is a tradition
wrapped in colonization

because a burrito
is a flour tortilla.

Flour is not one
of our ancestral foods.

It's an imposed food.

The Mayans
domesticated corn or maize

thousands of years ago.

It wasn't until
the Europeans arrived

in the 16th century, bringing
wheat, dairy, and rice,

that flour became
a staple of the Mexican diet.

For some, flour remains a symbol

of that earlier colonization.

My favorite Mexican foods

are rooted in ancestral gardens

that come from our great,
great grandmothers' recipes.

This is the movement
that I think we see now

as food as resistance.

Food is a connection
to our ancestors

that some of us might not know.

It's only gonna stay alive
if we just keep doing it.

This is Emiliano Marentes,

chef and co‐owner

of Elemi,

a restaurant known
for an authentic Mexican menu

that changes daily.

His dishes focus on classic,
ancestral cooking methods‐‐.

Mexican food as it was
before European influence.

A purist at heart, he likes
to get his ingredients

from small farmers markets
in Mexico whenever possible.

As much as possible,
I just want to get down

to the raw ingredient.

I want to know
where I come from,

and I don't know how
to get there but through food.

At the heart
of Emiliano's success

is a traditional approach
to every detail.

One of the conventions
he maintains

is making corn tortillas
from scratch.

He's agreed to show me
the process that becomes

the foundation for one
of his favorite tacos,

but first, a local drink.

So we're doing sotol
instead of mezcal.

- I've never had sotol.
- Sotol is really good.

"Flor del desierto."
Flower of desert?

Yes, you smell the cactus.
You smell the desert.

Cheers, man.

I love how there's a cross
on the bottom of it,

so, as you drink, you're like,
"be judicious."

Yeah. You know?

Two people could finish
a bottle and be fine.

Really?

You just need to take it slow.

Just gotta do sips...

Not my strong suit, but okay.

All right, will you teach me

- how to do nixtamalization?
- Nixtamalization.

Nixtamalization.

- Nixtamalization.
- Nixtamalization.

Yes. Nixtamal.

A little too much sotol.

Nixtamalization,
that's a process

of cooking corn
in an alkaline solution.

We only cook it with water
and with limestone.

- Oh, my God.
- Yeah.

They're still big chunks.

- Yeah.
- Like, that's a really.

Yeah.

The limestone
dissolves in boiling water.

It makes the corn easy to grind

but also initiates a protein
enhancing transformation

that has been
historically important

for populations
with limited access to meat.

Iron and calcium
just skyrockets.

The smell is incredible.

That smell is my childhood.

Mexican people are known
as the children of corn.

It was our diet
for hundreds of years,

so if you could say
what belongs to Mexicans,

it's the corn, the maize.

It's the corn that they've
coaxed out of the ground.

Yes.

So it's hard for me
to think that people

are gonna accept my tortillas
before they accept my cousins.

You know, we're just here
to make a living

just like everyone else.

- Right into this little tray.
- This feels good.

So whenever you're ready,
we'll turn it on.

Look at that. This is so cool.

Now it's like quicksand.

It feels so good to touch it.

And all I'm gonna do

the press is heavy.

You don't need to add
too much pressure.

Okay.

And then you form your tortilla.

Wow.

Perfect,
that was actually pretty good.

- That looks good.
- It is.

- Melted cheese...
- Yes.

On a homemade tortilla.

And this is
the best part right here.

Oh, yeah.

Ooh.

And just flip it, and that's‐‐.

That is a thing of beauty.

And‐‐.

Are these your microgreens?

Just a few microgreens.

Okay, go on, be chef‐y about it.

I would make this at home,
and I'm gonna put

- regular cilantro.
- Cilantro, yes.

Oh, my God.

It's so good.

I'm gonna cry.

The mushrooms are savory.
The beans are creamy.

Cheese is oozy
and crunchy and salty.

Mmm, this alone is reason
to come to El Paso.

It's so delicious. Thank you.

You're a good man.

And that's one damn good taco.

You can't visit this area

without acknowledging
what's going on

in Washington right now.

President Trump
promised there will be

400 miles of the border wall
in the next two years.

Protesters
in cities across the U. S.

Demanded that
the Trump administration

end its zero tolerance policy
at the border.

This policy has led to

many migrant refugee families

being put in cages as they
await asylum protection.

The border has become the center

of a polarizing
national argument

about immigration policy,

but on the ground, the situation

is a whole lot more complicated.

Inside this tiny kitchen,

all of that seems a world away.

This is H&H Car Wash
and Coffee Shop,

recipient of a James Beard
Classics Award

and hands down the most
frequently suggested place

for an authentic El Paso meal.

Here, immigration isn't
a controversial topic.

In fact, many of the employees
commute from Juárez daily,

but no matter which side
of the border they wake up on,

the women that work here
are masters at their craft

and the backbone
of this business.

Today's specialty, chiles rellenos.

Oh, my God.

Those are the best beans
I've ever tasted.

It's so warm and crunchy,
and it feels really simple.

It's delicious.

Do you do burritos with this?

Yes.

I may have to have another one

just so I can have it
with a tortilla.

H&H is about as Mexican
as an El Paso diner can get,

so I was surprised
to meet the owner

who's not exactly
what I expected.

This is Maynard Haddad.

How long have you been here?

25 years?

Shit, October '58. How about 61?

Wow. Big deal, right?

It's a big deal to me.
I'm only 49 years old.

Well, I know,
but you're a knockout,

so what the hell's
the difference?

Thank you. Thank you.

There's no difference,
but I mean, that's a long time.

You know, I'ma tell
you about my politics.

I'm conservative,
and if I'm not, I'm stupid.

Did you vote for both Bushes?

Yes.

- Did you vote for Reagan?
- Of course.

You support Trump?

He's full of shit,
but I like him.

Am I gonna vote
for him right now?

Yes.

What choice do we have?

So you support Trump
because there's nobody better?

That's my opinion.

What would you say
to people who say,

"I don't like Mexicans"?

You work with a ton of Mexicans.

I mean, I grew up with 'em.
I love 'em, and they know it.

In El Paso, nothing
is ever black and white.

Maynard's own Syrian family
immigrated to Texas

a generation ago,
crossing over from Juárez.

My dad's idea to have

the old‐fashioned
fountain stand so people

could have a sandwich while
we were washing their car,

and he taught us
to be proud Americans.

Even a hardcore
conservative like Maynard

has trouble making sense

of all the recent changes
to border policy.

Hey, Cesar!

You go, every day, back and forth.

That's incredible.

So what used to take 30 minutes,

- now takes hours...
- Oh yeah.

Every day.

We open at 9:00,

so they have to get up
at 6:00, 5:30

to come over, and they do it.

Why are they being harassed?

I chatted with a couple
of his other employees

on their lunch break
about what it's like

to work for Maynard.

How did you first get to Maynard?

Do you agree
with everything Maynard feels?

- No.
- No.

I always feel like if we looked

at the immigration issue
like we are a big family‐‐.

Mm‐hmm.

You know, everyone
has people in their family

that they have to deal with,
you know what I mean?

That maybe we would have more
empathy.

Mm‐hmm.

Mm‐hmm.

For Maynard's daughter Julie,

it all comes down
to relationships.

She's been immersed

in the Mexican‐American
community her entire life.

I was raised by Mexicans

because we worked
our whole lives.

I mean, as kids, we were
washing cars, so I mean

I think the problem when
I listen to stuff on the news

it's not like that.

There's so much love
in this community.

I don't feel hate
towards anybody

that's trying to make
a better life for themselves.

So what would
your business be like

if you weren't able
to hire immigrants?

We wouldn't have
a business, I don't think.

I really don't.

Here's the deal.

They waste
all that money on the wall,

and they can build
all the walls they want.

You're not gonna stop 'em.
You know why?

Hunger. Hunger.

They're hungry,

and this is the greatest
country in the world.

As El Paso navigates
these thorny issues

of cultural identity
and life on the border,

many in the community
are working together

to make sense of it all.

This is Café Mayapan,

a job training,
non‐profit restaurant

that also functions
as a community center.

Today, the ACLU is here

making sure that both
residents and immigrants

are aware of their rights.

This is for people's
lives that we're talking about

whether you are
a border resident

or whether
you're a recent arrival.

It's not illegal
to come to the border

and seek for protection.

And present yourself
to an authority.

Exactly.

You guys were defending, also,

extreme, ultra‐right people.

We can't pick and choose
what we want to defend.

There's obviously
a lot at play in El Paso.

It's both political
and emotional,

but for me,
the thread that connects

the whole city
always comes back to food.

I'm on my way to visit a chef

who's very in tune
with tradition,

but is also just as focused
on the future.

First, let's get started
with all the stuff

that we need for the salsa.

- Okay.
- This salsa is then

going to go
over a pork shoulder.

It's gonna braise. Yum.

And then, in the end,
we're gonna make a crepe

and put the beggar's purse
right on top.

Sounds delicious. I can't wait.

So the first thing
we need to do is

I need to get
all of these charring.

Do you need these first?

I need all of it
at the same time.

Great.

So no pressure. Oui, Chef.

Yeah.

A native of El Paso,
Rico Torres is the co‐owner

of San Antonio's Mixtli,

an award‐winning traditional

but inventive
Mexican restaurant.

He sees the kitchen as a way
to honor Mexican ingredients

and regional diversity,

and he's passionate
about elevating all of it.

Mixtli is a Aztec word,
and it means "cloudy."

And so in the way
that clouds move,

our menus also travel.

Every time we switch out a menu,

we're focusing on region,
a time in history,

cooking ideals.

We're really trying
to separate Tex Mex

so we can reintroduce Mexican
cuisine to our customers.

Today, we're making
one of Rico's specialties,

a beggar's purse filled
with pork chili verde.

I like to have a lot
of this char into the salsa

- because it's such‐‐yeah.
- It adds flavor, right?

That nice bitterness.

I love tomatillos.

Rico takes pride in Mexico's
influence on the world,

but he also acknowledges
how borderless

our culinary experiences can be.

Mexico's an agricultural
cradle to the world,

so they discovered cacao
in Mexico and vanilla.

You hear French vanilla
and Swiss chocolate,

but no, these things
came from Mexico.

Spanish arrive in Mexico,
would do six months

over the Pacific Ocean
back and forth

bringing ingredients.

Spain brings it
into the Caribbean

and then into Mexico.

I mean, look,
it went all around the world,

and it's back home
where it started.

Well, that's
what food does, right?

It is.

It travels, and it unites us.

Yeah, that's gonna be good.

Rico's flavors aren't
limited by lines on a map.

Like his El Paso roots,

they're a fusion
of two cultures.

I don't know what it's
like to be one or the other.

I don't know what it's like
to be puro Mexicano

American.

All‐‐we're all so interconnected

into everything that we do.

I was lucky enough to be born
on this side of the border,

but I could have
easily been born

on the other side of the border

and had a completely
different lifestyle.

I grew up going to Juárez
almost every day

for about five years
when I was a baby.

My parents would drive over

and pick me up
from Grandma's house.

You're talking about
going back and forth.

Mm‐hmm.

Several nights a week.

Yeah, I wouldn't do that now.

It's much more dangerous.

After '97, '98,
it got really crazy.

You have people
on this side of the border

that have it a little bit easier

and people
on the other side of the border

that don't have
the same opportunities

and, in essence,
what do you want?

You want a better life
for yourself,

for your children.

When there's
an actual separation

a physical separation‐‐
that reminds you daily

that you can't have that

or that maybe you
don't deserve that,

I think that's really sad.

What do you say to people

who want
to keep things separate?

- That they're scared.
- I think it is fear.

It's fear.
It's fear of the unknown.

The most hardcore racist person

would probably really enjoy
any of these dishes.

Yeah‐‐ who doesn't like a taco?

- Right, exactly, exactly.
- You know?

So what do you think
will bring that acceptance?

A lot of love
and a lot of patience

and forgiveness on both sides.

- On both sides.
- On both sides.

Get this guy mashed up.

- This is nice, okay.
- This looks so good.

Mmm. Yeah?

It's perfect.

You get the sweetness
from the garlic,

- a little bitter from the char.
- Mm‐hmm.

I love it.

More? RICO: That's good.

If I don't drink it all.

Perfect, all right.

So we wanted
to marry the traditions

of the Europeans and ingredients

that were already native
in Mexico.

So this is a corn flour crepe.

We're gonna fill it up
with the meat.

It's a very elevated burrito.

You have European
techniques of making crepes.

You have the guisados which are
more indigenous of this area.

Stews. Yeah.

Yeah, it's gonna work.

We're gonna be okay.

Oh, my God... so good.

Kind of start scrunching it up
like a concertina.

Tight‐‐and just one more.

Yay.

I did it.

So grab it like this.

- Mm‐hmm.
- Eat it from the bottom.

Oh, man, look at that.

Mmm, that worked out real nice.

The dish is rich
with luscious pork

and tangy
with the tomatillo salsa,

but Rico's goals
go way beyond food.

I think that
if we understand each other's

cuisines and cultures

and where those foods came from,

I think that'll be a way
to open up doors.

Right now, we're so wound up

with Republicans
hating Democrats

and the wall
and all these slogans

that only work to separate.

What we need are people
that will show us

those similarities
as opposed to those contrasts.

The people here
in El Paso have reminded me

of just how similar
we really are.

Whether you live north
or south of the border,

we all want a better life
for ourselves

and for our children.

Our roots run deep,
and the world is too small

for us to be acting
like we don't know each other.

Delicious.