After the rich and hearty stews of winter, I am craving lighter textures and brighter flavors, and everything I see — little green peas, thin spiky asparagus, feathery fronds of fennel — I want.

Teuchitlán is a bustling agricultural hub of 40,000 near the touristy “tequila route,” a road lined with expanses of sugar cane and agave, the spiky plant that yields tequila.

And if it hadn’t been for that spiky little virus, would we all be one happy family?

The Toy Fair is his organisation's marquee event, drawing businesses from around the world who line New York's convention center with cheerful displays of blocks, high-contrast baby books and spiky coloured balls.

He has built a large social media following along the way thanks largely to his crowd work, which is spiky but never mean.