There is a stretch of Quintana Roo street, right near the historic center of Morelia, where there’s a collection of shops–wedged into the beautiful, World Heritage colonial storefronts–that make pretty much just one thing. Gaspacho Moreliano. Which has nothing to do with gazpacho from Spain-no tomatoes or bell peppers or olive oil–except that the ingredients are finely chopped and served cold in a cup. Truth is, that's what the word gazpacho originally meant: cold, finely chopped soupy mixture. And in Morelia, that translates as a mixture of ripe tropical fruit with crunchy jícama, orange and tangy lime, powdered chile and hot sauce, plus crumbly, salty garnishing cheese. Think fruity with a touch of savory and spicy: gaspacho moreliano really gets all the taste buds going.
The original gaspacho moreliano–which, as far as I can glean, dates back only to the 1970s–included mango, jícama and pineapple. It may or may not have contained a handful of chopped white onion, which would definitely enhance the savory quotient. Today, you can still ask most vendors to add some onion, if you wish, plus a little papaya and watermelon, even serrano or jalapeño. You need about 5 cups of the fruit-and-jícama mixture, so feel free to work in what you like or what’s available.
Though ancho powder is available widely these days, you might choose to make your own: Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Stem dried ancho chiles, rip them open and remove the seeds. Tear them into flat pieces and spread into a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until nearly crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool (the pieces will crisp completely as they cool). In an electric spice/coffee mill, pulverize the chiles in small batches. (If you want very fine powder, pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.) Store in a tightly closed container, preferably in the freezer or a cool, dry, dark place.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large ripe mangos (about 1 pound total), peeled, flesh cut from the pit and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 of a large ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ -inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- About 1/4 of a medium jicama, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- About 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion (optional)
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- Salt
- About 3 to 4 teaspoons powdered ancho chile
- 3 ounces Mexican garnishing cheese like queso añejo or queso fresco (in Michoacan AKA queso Cotija), crumbled (about 3/4 cup) --OR-- OR 4 ounces fresh goat cheese or dryish (true Italian-style) ricotta- you'll need a cheese you can coarsely crumble
- A few tablespoons Mexican hot sauce (like Tamazula or Valentina)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the Gaspacho Moreliano. Combine the mango, pineapple, jícama, (optional) onion, orange and lime juices and ¾ teaspoon salt. Taste and add a little more salt if necessary to give the mixture a nicely sweet-savory balance. Let stand for 10 or 15 minutes.
Layering and serving the dish. Divide ⅓ of the mixture between six glasses (7- to 8-ounce single old-fashioned glasses are perfect here). Top each with a big pinch of the ground chile, then divide ⅓ of the crumbled cheese between the glasses. Repeat the layering, then tip off all the juice from the fruit, dividing it between the glasses. Finally, top each glass with a portion of the remaining fruit mixture, another portion of the chile and cheese, and a nice splash of hot sauce. Serve right away.
