Mexico City has turned into a major dining destination — and these stunning floating gardens help supply its most famous restaurants

Marco Ugarte/AP

Mexico City's dining scene is exploding.

With award-winning restaurants like Enrique Olvera's Pujol and Eduardo García's Máximo Bistrot, the city's dining options are increasingly gaining international recognition, and eager tourists are taking note.

While the farm-to-table idea is not new in the food world, some higher-end restaurants in Mexico City are beginning to source their ingredients directly from the famed floating gardens of Xochimilco. Sometimes referred to as the "Mexican Venice" for its canals and brightly colored boats, Xochimilco is home to gardens that use ancient cultivation techniques to produce over 2.5 tons of food per month. 

With the help of a business called Yolcan, Xochimilco's produce is now being served in Mexico City's most acclaimed restaurants. Ahead, a look at the techniques used there.

This technique of farming, known as chinampa, has been used since before the time of the Aztecs. It was then that farmers created the "floating" islands, which are bound to the shallow canal beds through layers of sediment and willow roots.

Marco Ugarte/AP

Source: Associated Press

Fennel, root vegetables, kale, chard, and herbs, like epazote, are all grown here.

Marco Ugarte/AP

Celebrated chef Eduardo Garcia, founder of Máximo Bistrot, uses produce from Xochimilco and other local farms for about two-thirds of the ingredients on his menu.

Marco Ugarte/AP


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