René Redzepi eats his way across Mexico to deconstruct its secrets

René Redzepi ignited an international culinary revolution with Noma, his restaurant focused on wildly innovative Nordic cuisine. Now, believing that Mexican food is the next big thing, the Scandinavian wunderkind eats his way across the country.

IT HAPPENS on a Thursday morning in Oaxaca, and everyone at the table can see it. René Redzepi takes a bite of a breakfast dish that has been placed in front of him, and something passes across his face like a wave of light.

Over the years there have been pilgrims who have travelled to Mexico to experience mind alteration with buttons of peyote, but for Redzepi, a man who is often referred to as the greatest chef in the world, transcendence comes in the form of enfrijoladas.