Food guide for beginners in Yucatan

Many restaurants in Yucatán are geared towards tourists. Often this leads to the fact that one looks for the authentic Mexican kitchen in vain. This is especially true for tourist centers like Cancún and Playa del Carmen. So here is a little food guide for beginners in Yucatan.

Queso Relleno and Tamales in Valladolid

Queso Relleno is baked Edam cheese, filled with minced meat and prepared in a delicious, refined spicy sauce. A real treat for the palate that is also visually appealing.

Fish, seafood and poc chuc

It will come as no surprise, the coastal regions are dominated by fish and seafood in a variety of preparations. The colonial town of Izamal offers other Yucatecan specialties. Poc Chuc, pork grilled in a marinade of orange juice and various spices, is served with red onions and beans. The popular market hall in the center of Izamal also invites you to try variously prepared tortillas surrounded by locals.

Poc Chuc

Mérida, the capital of the state of Yucatán, turns out to be a gourmand’s paradise, a mecca for foodies. There is not only a large selection of eateries, but also many snack bars and cookshops, especially in the local markets. Relleno Negro is served on the first evening; the dark color of the soup-like dish is characteristic for this Mayan dish. Turkey (or chicken) is enhanced with spices and usually cooked underground in banana leaves. It is served, like almost every dish, with tortillas. It’s a little spicy, but not spicy at all. Yum!

Food guide for beginners in Yucatan: Cochinita

Cochinita Pibil is also a specialty from Mayan cuisine. It is suckling pig ragout in an achiote marinade (made from ground seeds of the annatto bush). Always worthwhile in Mérida is a visit to the central market, not only to try a snack or two. You can spend several hours there looking and tasting.

Panuchos and Salbutes

Panuchos are filled with beans and deep-fried, accompanied by tomatoes, onions and white cabbage, each previously pickled in salt and lime juice, as well as chicken meat. Salbutes are not stuffed, but topped similarly, also with boiled eggs or meat. There are other ways of preparing them and it is difficult to tell the individual bites apart.

Food guide for beginners in Yucatan: to pair it all

Mexicans prefer to drink beer, they love it. Sol and Corona, the best-known brands, are also successful export products. Montejo and León are also regional Yucatecan beers. To drink, Mexicans usually go to bars, where the atmosphere is quite rustic. Plastic furniture is characteristic, and TV shows or music videos are on the indispensable screens. Of course, tequila and mezcal, the traditional agave spirits, are not to be missed. They are also popular and of course I tried them. What is special about it? Mezcal is served with a wedge of lime, sprinkled with reddish chili salt.