The food culture of México has been poorly represented. We take ingredients such as corn, tomatoes, avocados and chocolate (and a hundred other things) for granted. There is no continent, except perhaps Antarctica, where a Mexican plant has not gained a foothold and thrust its roots into both the soil of that land and the kitchens of its people. In many circumstances this has happened so completely that the inhabitants of that land believe the plant involved actually came from right where they live. More than one culture believes that the chile is indigenous to their homeland. As a chef I was enamoured of all things herb and spice. I was known as the “herb guy” even as an apprentice but my knowledge was limited to Western and Asian herbs and spices. My knowledge of Mexican food was truly non-existent. I was almost completely unaware of the herbs that were endemic to México. I had only been exposed to the most hideous of Tex-Mex food, you know, the kinds of restaurant where your pina colada (also not Mexican) came in a 1 litre bucket. Oh the travesty. Then I stumbled over one word. Papaloquelite. By this time I was studying as a Naturopath and herbs had taken on a new meaning and I realised that my knowledge of México was abysmal. And thus began my journey. I have since been to México with the intent to study the herbs and the street food and will again return one day to delve more deeply into the practices of Curanderismo. What you now read is my take on México. It is a culinary, botanical, medicinal and mythological look at only a very small portion of Mexico’s impact on me. The stones of this land speak to me. I hear their songs in my dreams.