Las Flores, a Mexican store that opened three years ago, is located in a residential neighborhood of Woluwe Saint-Pierre. Behind the counter and the stoves is Olivia, a chilanga (born in Mexico city) eager to share the secrets of Mexican cuisine.
Reproducing Mexican dishes in Belgium is no easy task. This popular cuisine often requires a lot of time and, above all, special ingredients that are impossible to find on the market. But that was before Las Flores. For the past three years, this store, located a stone's throw from the Woluwé Saint-Pierre town hall, has been stocking all kinds of Mexican food, with a constantly evolving range of products.
During my visit, I met Olivia, the driving force behind the project, with her inexhaustible energy. She has been in Belgium for sixteen years and takes her time to explain to me her story, the genesis of the store and all the products it offers.
From Mexico to Woluwe, non-stop.
There are several things that set Las Flores apart from other Latin American grocery stores. First, the product selection. As a specifically Mexican store, Olivia selects her products with great care. Before opening the store, she and her husband were already importing Mexican wine, tequila and mezcal. This experience gave her the resources and contacts she needed to import these products herself and offer a unique range. For example, I had never seen products like atole (sweetened hot drink made from corn flour) or some of those chiles in Brussels before.
Because when you think of Mexican cuisine, you think of chiles. In Mexico there are more than sixty different types of chili peppers. At Las Flores you will find the most used in traditional cooking: pasilla, guajillo, árbol and ancho (5€ for 100g). The more adventurous will head for the dried chiles to start recipes from scratch. Others will find ready-made chili sauces or pastes to reduce preparation time. In addition to chiles, Olivia also packages aromatic herbs to add a final touch of flavor to all your recipes: Mexican oregano, epazote, avocado leaves (used in a preparation called birria) or hoja santa (often used in tamales or as an infusion).
Obsession with authentic flavors
Despite this, some products are still banned in Europe. In particular, dairy products. But there's no stopping Olivia. Oaxaca cheese, a must in the famous quesadillas, is banned. Olivia set out to find a local version and tried all the cheeses on the market until she found the rare gem. In the end, it was in a Turkish store in Germany where she found the lucky one (5.2€ a pack). The result is impressive in texture, color and flavor, even in the way it melts!
Another special feature of Las Flores is that it is run by a cook. Before opening the grocery store, Olivia worked in a Mexican restaurant in Ixelles, “El Mexicanito”. It was there that she gained her first experience behind the stove. An experience she brought with her when she opened the grocery store. At the counter, you'll find a series of vacuum-packed preparations ready to heat up. The perfect plan for an impromptu taco night: several fillings (carne al pastor, cochinita pibil, €12 for the equivalent of 6 tacos), shredded meat and guacamole!
To complete the offer, Olivia also sells fresh tortillas (blue or white corn, 6.5€ for twenty), straight from her small workshop in Anderlecht. A workshop that supplies tortillas to the best restaurants in Brussels. In recent years, the boom in Mexican cuisine in Europe has led her to start supplying restaurants, both Mexican and non-Mexican. “It's word of mouth, but you see, you've been my customer for years without knowing it!” she laughs.
And if you get a little hungry while shopping, she offers a series of tortas and tacos, straight to takeaway. Located opposite a high school, her hot sandwiches are a hit with teenagers. “People here aren't afraid to discover new flavors,” enthuses Olivia. Proof of this is a little globe behind the counter showing the origins of her customers. Mexican cuisine delights palates from all over the world. “Asian customers come for the chillies and the sweet and sour flavours, I also have an African clientele who specifically look for Maseca corn flour, to make breads with”. The store also attracts a large number of people from the United States, familiar with the Mexican street-food that can be found in any US city.
The essence of Las Flores is this love of sharing. As I spend two hours with Olivia, the store is never empty. The phone never stops ringing. For each customer, she slips in a recommendation, a piece of advice. As I approach the counter with atole and zucchini flowers, she shares with me how she prepares them. Her dream? The store becomes so popular, she'll be able to serve people straight from the pan. “Food is the basis of our culture. It's our way of saying 'I love you'. And that's how you come out of Las Flores with a recharged stomach and heart.
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