Fondita Mestiza is a project “exploring the intersection of food, culture, and creativity” in Dublin City. Inspired by Mexico’s food culture, the project looks to build community around good food, dance music, and local art. Originally from Mexico City, Eric and Andrea have been living in Dublin for 5 years now. Bogged down by their work in retail, they decided to host their friends’ art in their house. Depending on the nationality of the person exhibiting, Andrea would design a three-course menu to go alongside the art. This is how Fondita Mestiza began.
Cooked Tacos. Chad Montano. Unsplash.com. 2019.
The project began as a fun way to gather his friends around artwork and good food, but soon the project gained attention, and people they had never met showed up. Hosting unfamiliar people was not an issue for Eric and Andrea: “in Mexico, I can know you from two hours ago and I would invite you to my home.” Eric goes on to explain the dining situation, “it was only one table for 8, 10 people, so there would be people that didn’t know each other, and they would share the Mexican menu and talk about the exhibition.” After outgrowing his apartment, Fondita Mestiza began searching for new homes in Dublin.
Eric hopes that Fondita Mestiza can inspire curiosity around people’s meals. He spoke to me about the forgotten recipes and ingredients, such as Irish meals that were made from seaweed. “JP McMahon writes about how important it is to rescue forgotten ingredients. There are a lot of new people coming to Ireland, it’s important to save that culture.”
Eric went on to say he wishes that people approached food with more curiosity, saying that he sees Irish people treat lunch “more like fuel, gasoline.” Despite this difference, he thinks that the Irish and Mexican cultures share a lot, such as a love of drinking, for instance. We Irish are just missing some good grub to go along with it. “What is missing in the pub here is having nice food as well.”
The largest Fondita Mestiza events are the block parties, recreating a Mexican tradition which goes back to the 1950s. In Hen’s Teeth the previous Summer, they hosted an evening to cumbria dance music and traditional Mexican street food, recreating the atmosphere and community found at a Mexican Sonidero.
The next Fondita Mestiza event is Alcas Tortas Pop Up on the 28th of March. The event, happening on Exchequer Street, will be recreating the style of Mexico’s traditional torta stalls “with an Irish twist”. Tickets are available here.
