What to eat Yucatán Peninsula? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Discover Yucatán Peninsula : Gastronomy

Listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010, Mexican gastronomy is renowned for its aromatic, spicy and unique flavors. Whether traditional, itinerant, family-run, street-food, gourmet or fast-food, Mexico City's restaurants attract travelers from all over the world, who come to revel in the gustatory, sensory and authentic experiences offered by its cooks, producers, artisans and waiters. These are the people who will make you want to set foot in the country again. They are the real heroes of your odyssey. It's up to you to encourage them, enthuse them and, in that sense, make them gods. All for the simple reason that, once you're back home, you'll be curiously, almost magically, close to your ovens. You'll still be celebrating the glory of tortillas, mole and enchiladas!

Aztecs, Mayans and corn

Many of the foods we eat in Europe today were imported from the New World with the Spanish conquest from the ^15th century onwards: corn, potatoes, beans, chillies, sweet potatoes, manioc, cocoa, tomatoes, vanilla and many other products without which our European gastronomies would seem far more bland.

Corn has been consumed in Mexico for at least 9,000 years. Cultivated by the Aztecs and Mayas, it later reached the rest of the American continent thanks to trade with the Incas 3,000 years ago, while the less cold varieties were planted by the Pueblo Indians in the south of today's USA.

Mexico is considered the grain's center of diversity, and there are officially 64 varieties of corn in the country. This genetic diversity has been under threat since the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA, now ACEUM), with the Mexican government favoring the import of corn from the USA, leading many farmers to abandon its cultivation. The corn is yellow, GMO and well graded, in contrast to the white, black, purple, brown, red, blue and even rainbow varieties that have been used by Mexicans to prepare their specialties for thousands of years. These corn kernels are treated with nixtamal, a mixture of water and lime that softens them before being ground into a paste(masa) used to make tortillas.

Chili peppers(chile) - originally from tropical America - are an integral part of Mexican culture, and the country boasts no fewer than 150 varieties, both fresh and dried. The powerful jalapeño is green, crunchy and smooth. Once smoked and dried, it is known as chipotle. The poblano resembles a small bell pepper and is usually stuffed. When dried, it is called ancho. The bola - called cascabel when dried - is shaped like a small ball. The habanero, resembling a small crumpled yellow or red bell pepper, is also very common in the West Indies. It is one of the strongest peppers in the world. Finally,árbol - also known in France as "bird's-tongue pepper" - is also extremely hot. Other condiments include cumin, coriander, oregano and epazote, also known as "false ambrosia". Mexico produces a number of cheeses, including queso fresco, a light, barely-aged cheese. Queso añejo is more mature and hard, while queso Oaxaca resembles mozzarella, often spun into a ball.

It is likely that it was the Aztecs who first cultivated tomatoes, giving us the word "tomatl". In Mexico, the term "tomato" refers to a green tomato, while "jitomate" is used for a classic red tomato. There are also over 70 varieties of frijoles or beans in the country: black, beige, white, red or spotted. In fact, many species are native to Mexico, and the Aztecs have been eating these legumes for thousands of years. Cultivated in central Mexico for over 7,000 years, the avocado is one of Mexico's best-known fruits, accounting for around a third of global production. Over 90% of the country's avocados come from the small state of Michoacán. Other tropical fruits include citrus, lychee, pineapple, banana, papaya, guava, coconut, zapote, mamey, pitaya and tomatillo.

Mexico is also home to a number of culinary oddities. These include nopal (the leaf of the prickly pear), which can be boiled or grilled over a wood fire and tastes a little like green beans, or huitlacoche or corn charcoal, a parasitic fungus that transforms corn kernels into large, spongy, grey balls. It's a delicacy of choice as a tortilla filling or in soup. Insects are also common. The chapulin (grasshopper), an Oaxacan specialty, is generally eaten grilled in a taco with guacamole, but escamoles (ant larvae), chinicuiles or gusano (called "agave worm", it's actually a caterpillar) or even salsa de hormiga, prepared with chillies and ants of the chicatana species, are not to be forgotten.

Mexican street food

Often called antojitos, local street-food snacks of varying sizes are generally made from tortillas. Tacos are small patties filled with meat, fish or vegetables. Tacos al pastor ("shepherd's tacos"), for example, are made with marinated pork, finely sliced with queso fresco, chopped onion and coriander. Tacos dorados or taquitos are also called flautas because of their flute-like shape. They are rolled with a filling, then deep-fried. Chalupas are similar to tacos, but in thicker brioche patties. Gorditas are small turnovers with taco-style fillings. Molotes are corn or potato dough fritters, stuffed and fried. Tamales, one of the most emblematic Mexican dishes, are prepared with steamed corn purée wrapped in the leaves that surround the corn cob. They are sometimes garnished with meat before cooking.

Antojitos can sometimes be very hearty. The pambazo is a sandwich made with bread soaked in a guajillo pepper sauce, then topped with chorizo potatoes. These snacks are often served with the inevitable frijol refrito, a black bean purée. These snacks are often served with the essential frijol refrito, a black bean puree. Other snacks include huarache, a large corn patty topped with frijol refrito, queso fresco, onions and minced beef tongue, or chilaquiles (fried tacos cut into triangles, topped with sauce, black beans, cheese and fried egg). And let's not forget quesadillas, tortillas folded in half, stuffed with meat and vegetables and, above all, lots of cheese, while the burrito is a tortilla rolled on a filling of meat, spicy rice and black beans. Finally, don't forget chile relleno, a chili recipe stuffed with cheese and/or meat, then breaded and fried.

The classics of Mexican cuisine

The most popular accompanying sauce is pico de gallo. This blend of tomato, onion, garlic, lemon, coriander and chili pepper is very fresh. The richer mole is made with various dried and ground chillies, to which cocoa and various spices are added. The best known is mole poblano (from Puebla), but there's also mole verde (made with green tomatoes) or rojo (red tomatoes). This sauce is generally served with poultry.

Chicken is indeed a popular meat, and can be prepared in many different ways, from the simple pollo asado (barbecued chicken) to the pollo encacahuatado, topped with a rich peanut sauce. It can also be found as a breaded cutlet(pechuga de pollo empanizada) for a derisory price. There's no shortage of egg recipes for breakfast: huevos a la mexicana (scrambled eggs with tomato, chilli and onion), a la ranchera (fried eggs with tomato and coriander compote on a tortilla) or motuleños (fried eggs with black beans, cheese, hot sauce, plantain and ham on a tortilla).

Among the most popular pork dishes are carnitas (meat cooked for several hours in lard and shredded), chilorio (shredded pork seasoned with chili, cumin and garlic) and calabacitas con puerco (spicy pork stew with zucchini). Cochinita pibil is a dish native to Yucatán, featuring pork marinated in citrus juice and roucou seeds (a natural red dye) and cooked for a long time in banana leaves. Chicharrónes, grilled pork rinds, are also eaten like potato chips.

In the north of the country, people eat machaca, dried beef simmered in a spicy tomato sauce and then shredded, often to garnish burritos. The term "bistec" refers to thinly sliced grilled beef served as a sandwich. Albóndigas are meatballs served in a chipotle pepper sauce. Other meat dishes include barbacoa (a type of barbecue over embers or a hole filled with hot stones prepared with beef or mutton), birria (spicy mutton soup) or cabrito al pastor (braised kid).

With over 9,000 kilometers of coastline, Mexico is a true paradise for seafood lovers. Fish (swordfish, tuna, grouper, dolphinfish, snapper) and seafood (shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, squid, etc.) are often served with mojo de ajo (butter and garlic) and mojo a la veracruzana (tomato sauce, onion, garlic, olives, capers). Ceviche (raw fish seared in lemon or chili juice),aguachile (shrimp and avocado marinated in lemon juice and coriander) or pescado zarandeado (finely spiced barbecued fish) are also popular.

Soups are also popular. Caldo de siete mares is a seafood soup, while caldo tlalpeño is a chicken, vegetable and chickpea soup. Pozole is a thick corn soup topped with shredded pork, radish, onion and chili pepper.Arroz a la tumbada is a seafood rice specialty, whilearroz poblano is cooked in a green chili, coriander and onion purée with pulled pork.

Sweets and drinks

Mexican desserts include tres leches (sponge cake soaked in sweetened condensed milk and topped with whipped cream), sopapillas (sugar doughnuts, sometimes topped with honey, made with wheat flour, but sometimes also containing pumpkin purée), buñuelos (small round sugar doughnuts), conchas (brioche covered with a sugar crust), roscón de reyes (Epiphany-style brioche ring), pan de muerto (orange and aniseed brioche decorated with a cross for Día de Muertos, November¹ ), pastel de elote (soft corn cake),alfajor (chocolate-covered dulce de leche cookies), churros and, of course, flan (crème caramel). As for traditional sweets, to mention only the most famous, you can try muégano (small cubes of fried dough agglomerated into a ball with caramel) and alegrías (nougat with honey and amaranth seeds).

Chocolate de agua is a typically Mexican hot chocolate, made with water rather than milk, and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Or enjoy a horchata, a milky Spanish drink made from rice or oats, flavoured with cinnamon and served iced. Finally, coffee was imported from Ethiopia to the American continent in the early ^18th century, entering Mexico via the state of Veracruz and then spreading to the southern states (Oaxaca, Chiapas) and the Pacific coast (Colima, Jalisco). Here, coffee is usually prepared in the American style, i.e. very diluted. Café con leche (coffee with milk) is a breakfast specialty. Cafe de olla is typical of the country: a coffee-based herbal tea with spices (mainly cinnamon), always served in earthenware jug-shaped cups.

Fresh drinks include licuados, delicious fruit juices made with milk, sold in stalls at ridiculously low prices. Or try chamoyada, a mango granita with lime juice and chamoy (a tangy chili sauce), oragua de Jamaica (an iced hibiscus infusion).

Tequila, mezcal and cerveza

Tequila is the Mexican spirit par excellence. This white spirit, which has a minimum strength of 35°, takes on an amber color with age. This brandy made from blue agave, a succulent plant native to Mexico, is made from agave hearts (known as piñas), which can weigh up to 100 kg. They are stewed in giant ovens called autoclaves, before being ground to extract a juice for distillation. It takes a minimum of 2 months to produce blanco tequila, and up to 10 years for añejo tequila. Produced since Spanish colonization, this drink owes its name to the town of Tequila (Jalisco state), and today the region boasts some 120 distilleries. Tasting it in its pure state is accompanied by a veritable ritual: a pinch of salt is placed on the back of the hand, which is then licked before taking a sip of tequila, before biting into the lime wedge. Tequila is also used in cocktails such as the margarita (tequila, lime, triple sec, crushed ice) and the tequila sunrise (tequila, orange juice, grenadine). Several distilleries can be visited, including Destilería La Rojeña, founded in 1758 and the oldest in Latin America, Destileria Herradura (founded in 1870) and Casa Orendain (founded in 1926).

Like tequila, mezcal is a spirit made from agave, but its production is generally much more artisanal: in the famous family-run palenques of Oaxaca state, agave hearts are cooked in traditional earthen ovens before their juice is fermented and then distilled. Unlike tequila, mezcal can be made from several species of agave. To protect itself from the industrial excesses of tequila, mezcal has had an appellation of origin since 1994, limited to four states: Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas. To differentiate it from tequila, producers came up with the idea of adding a gusano (agave butterfly caterpillar) to the bottle in the 1940s. It is served dry, with orange quarters and chili powder.

Beer(cerveza) often accompanies Mexican meals. The best blondes(claras) are called Corona, Tecate, Bohemia, Superior, Carta Blanca. For brunettes(oscuras), Negra Modelo. In recent years, there has been an upsurge in craft beer production. For those wondering, the Desperados brand is a French creation, not a Mexican one. Wine production is not negligible.

Enjoying yourself Yucatán Peninsula

Timetable Yucatán Peninsula

Meals are eaten later than in France, rather like in Spain. Breakfast can be taken directly from the market or on the street corner, where there is no shortage of stands selling fresh fruit juices and salads(coktel de frutas). Breakfast can be taken until 10 or 11 a.m., depending on your profession. For those in a hurry, a few tacos to be devoured standing in the street around the puesto (street stall) that makes them will do the trick. La comida (lunch) is the main meal of the day. It's never eaten before 2 p.m., often at 3 p.m. and even later; it can go on forever. Popular restaurants known as fondas usually only open for breakfast and lunch, and close around 5pm. Cena (dinner) is not very common in country villages where, because of the late lunch hour, it sometimes consists only of hot chocolate and pan dulce. The habit of dining out in the evening is not particularly widespread, except perhaps in towns where European habits have been introduced.

Budget & Tips Yucatán Peninsula

To eat local and cheap, turn to the fondas, puestos or comedores of the markets. In all cases you can eat for the equivalent of 3 or 4 euros for a full meal, to be paid in cash only. The fondas, also called cocina económica, where the working and middle classes mix, are small restaurants offering hearty and often tasty family cuisine. You can find the real Mexican flavours there, so be careful with the chillies! Puestos are street stalls where tacos or burritos are prepared and eaten standing in the street. These are convenient when you are hungry or need to eat quickly. Taquerías are small restaurants or shops that specialize in making tacos. You will find a wide variety, it is ideal to try new flavors for cheap. Finally, you can also have breakfast or lunch in the comedores, which are grouped together in the market area. Everything is prepared on the spot with fresh products from the market. Be careful with the hygiene conditions, which are sometimes limited.

Concerning the restaurants, there are of course all prices and the variety of dishes is greater. The more chic and touristy the area, the more difficult it will be to find cheap establishments. In most restaurants you can pay by credit card, especially in the tourist areas.

What costs extra Yucatán Peninsula

In restaurants and cafés, it's customary to leave the waiter at least 10% of the final bill, and 15-20% if you're really satisfied with the service. It's important to respect this rule, as waiters in Mexico don't necessarily have a fixed salary: their income therefore depends entirely on the tips they receive from customers. For those who choose to pay by credit card, don't forget to fill in the " tips " or " propina " box. As not all tourists visiting Mexico are familiar with this rule, some restaurants sometimes add the tip to the bill, to ensure that foreign customers don't forget the propina. The French have a bad reputation in this area. They are said to be " codo ", meaning "elbow" (the gesture of touching one's elbow with one's hand): used to not tipping in France, they are probably less generous than Americans and Canadians.

The local way Yucatán Peninsula

In Mexico we say: desayunar como un rey, comer como un principe y cenar como un mendigo (breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a beggar). Indeed, breakfast and lunch are traditionally much more substantial than dinner. The desayuno often includes juice or fruit salad, eggs or a portion of meat and tortillas. For lunch, in the fondas, the famous comida corrida is served, a three-part menu of the day. You can choose between two soups as a starter, two or three guisados (meat dishes in sauce) as a main course, and finally a small dessert, all accompanied by an agua de fruta. In the trendier neighborhoods, this formula has survived with the appearance of fondas that offer more elaborate dishes inspired by international cuisine, often with vegetarian dishes.

Mexicans are also in the habit of snacking between meals on snacks that are often quite fatty, accompanied by a refresco (soda) in fluorescent colours: tacos, quesadillas, tamales, green mangoes slathered with chilli and chamoy, corn on the cob covered in mayonnaise... As a result of these poor eating habits, Mexico now has the highest obesity rate in the world, ahead of the United States: 32.8% of Mexican adults are obese, and 70% are overweight. Obesity in Mexico remains strongly linked to poverty, as the vitamin T diet (tacos, tortillas, tortas) has the advantage of satiating hunger, while being very economical, making it accessible to poor families.

To be avoided Yucatán Peninsula

Don't be fooled by the color of chilies - whether red, yellow or green, they can be extremely hot or very mild - color and appearance are deceiving! And when you order pizza or snack portions in bars, don't do it just for yourself. It can be frowned upon in Mexico to order only your own portion without inviting other diners to share it. Finally, gentlemen, if you're dining with a woman, don't offer to share the bill, as you risk losing a good part of her esteem.

Kids Yucatán Peninsula

Children are always welcome in cafés and restaurants, even those serving alcohol. Mexicans are used to going there with their families, so no worries there. For the little ones, high chairs(silla comedor or silla para niños) are often available in upscale and mid-range establishments, as are children's menus (often with many quesadilla options). If this isn't the case, don't panic, portions are generous in Mexico and you'll certainly be able to share your dish with your little one (again, beware of the chillies!). Changing tables are also sometimes available.

Smokers Yucatán Peninsula

Smoking is prohibited inside restaurants, as well as outside on the terrace or in front of the establishment. Smoking-only areas are rare, and are off-limits to minors.

Tourist traps Yucatán Peninsula

Check your bill carefully when paying, there are often mistakes, voluntary or not. The 10-15% tip is sometimes included, so check this too, to avoid paying a double tip.