Yucatan (mainly)
To reply to a 'What is your favourite food?' question becomes much more simple after you try Mexican food. It can hardly get tastier and at the same time simpler than this (in the very best sense of the word simple). Of course, our home-made Mexican meals were a bit fused with other cuisines :D and we also preserved some of our Costa-Rican favourites but we also tried to make it as Mexican as possible considering we had all the ingredients available.
When it comes to food, Mexicans are very Mexican - meaning it does not matter they have loads of delicious fresh fruit, they could eat tacos and various corn-based meals all day every day - and they actually do. Despite street vendors selling cut and take-away-ly packed fruits, you will not see many of the Yucatecans buying those. On the other hand, you will see many 'Molino y tortilleria'-s which is the place where you can bring corn and they will grind it for you so you can make tortillas at home and where you can also buy fresh tortillas.
Besides gristmills and tortillerias, you may also notice bakeries which are separate from the grocery stores. You come in, take a big metal tray a pair of tongs and you're ready to start "loading" :D. This took us a bit by surprise, but in hindsight, it seems logical - you can wander the store as long as you want, not blocking anyone when you can't decide at the counter, and then when you are no longer able to hold the tray in one hand because of its weight you go to the counter and pay. Generally, if your standard level of bread and pastry is French, you will probably be a bit let down here. BUT! what is special to Yucatan and what I grew to love is them combining savoury taste with sugar on top - my favourite example of all is Campechana. It is a kind of puff pastry with ham and cheese inside and sugar coating outside. Weird at first, that's true, but as I said- it had grown on me and now that I'm telling you about it, I'm craving it. However, not everything turned out great. Even before I tried Campechana, I noticed there are lots of pastries with camote filling in every bakery. Not knowing what camote is, I went for it. It turned out to be sweet potato and the pastry turned out to be not that good - mainly if you're looking for something really sweet.
Besides from Campechana and Camote pastry, there is one other sweet and salty invention of (tbh not sure about the name) Meridianos: Marquesitas. Marquesitas are similar to crepes but the dough is more wafer-like. So far, pretty normal. When it comes to the fillings you can choose from various jams, caramel, hazelnut spread and cheese (Queso de bola, Edam style). Naturally, one might think that marquesita with cheese is a savoury alternative for those who don't like jams. But no, it's not an alternative at all. Instead, it's the most typical way, the way the locals eat it. One marquesita with Nutella and cheese - you can hear that all over the place. But again, weird as it may sound, it had grown on us and it's yummy! And I would buy one immediately if they sold them here. It wasn't like that at first, though. We stuck to the expected sweet flavour and Telchac (of course, #eyeroll) found the courage to try it first. And not only that, he topped it (quite literally :D) with blackberry jam. Some time (weeks maybe :D) later I became curious and it turned out delicious!
On the other hand, Telchac was a bit more cautious when it came to water (of unknown origin - restaurants, for example) and ice (of unknown origin - food stands). I was the one to suggest to try some sorbets at the famous El Colon and I was the one (and only) who tried Meridianos' favourite ice chunks with syrup of one's choice (really really sweet and practically bottomless - the ice keeps melting - refreshing drink :)). No harm done, no additional toilet time :D.
There are few more things that none of us had dared to try: chamoy, elotes (we did try a fancier version - here - but I am talking about food stands now ;) and esquites. One thing at a time: chamoy - a chilli topping they use on their fruits or as a "chamoy rim" on their glasses. We never deemed it necessary to go for a sweet chilli combination, or more specifically a fruity chilli taste. So, no regrets here. Same goes for elote, which (I admit) may taste better than it seemed at the time. The last and the most unusual of these are definitely esquites. It consists of a layer of corn, then layer of cream, then layer of mayo, a little bit of mchilli and any topping that you might possibly imagine - for better understanding I am, again, coming for help to Lalo from La Ruta de la Garnacha (Esquites: 5min 8sec but recommended to watch the whole video) who will take you directly to the esquites stand that I am talking about (at Parque de las Americas in Merida). Now you get it, don't you? Still not sure if I went for this, especially when you can have tacos and sandwiches and marquesitas :) This really does seem as torture now, bring me some Mexican food, NOW!
There is one thing that does not change, even when you go from (Mexican) state to state - when buying tacos, tortas (sandwiches) or any plate-requiring food at the food stands they will serve it on a plastic plate which will be inside the plastic bag. It's absolutely typical and if you hand me a plate like this, I will tell you at once that it's a Mexican "street food plate" :D.
I already told you (here) that we preferred to buy fruit at the market. We usually went to Parque de Santiago which was the closest one. They say the prices are better at the San Benito Market but Santiago was a lot more convenient as we lived nearby. It's true that the selection at San Benito is unbelievable - be sure to visit to have a look at least! - but this way we didn't have to take Uber everywhere. Moreover, Santiago has one HUGE plus - Taqueria La Lupita. Open from 5:15am to 1pm, it makes you go there even if it collides with your eating routine. Cochinita pibil to die for and also the typical Sopa de lima. You can grab a sandwich with cochinita as a take-away or sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. It's always busy, either with locals, ex-pats and/or tourist - simply everyone who's looking for some great food. HIGHLY recommended!!! (cannot stress enough! must-see! sensational! hidden gem!)
I got off the tack, didn't I? I wanted to tell you about mamey and caimito - both Mexican fruits that were recommended to us. Both good but I am only mentioning them to let you know that we are open-minded, not afraid to try new things :D. Caimito reminded me of a plum (both visually and taste-wise), I liked mamey better, it was unique and unexpected. It's not a problem at all if you decide to live off unknown fruits in Mexico, if you're European, you will have plenty of options to sample.
Last but not least are the Mexican favourites - tacos. There is a special foocumentary (did I just invent this word?! :D) on Netflix about different types of tacos but I will "just" tell you about the ones we had (or almost had). Let me start with the Cochinita pibil and Lechon tacos. Both with meat (different parts) and of different flavours. The best place to go is (already mentioned) La Lupita in Parque de Santiago. Generally, you choose only meat and they will adjust the rest of the garnishes - you do not have much choice - but trust them, they know what they're doing. Then tacos al pastor. There is one restaurant at Avenida Reforma where you can see the big stand with al pastor meat being prepared almost every night. It's one of the most famous types of tacos which we did not eat :D. The reason is simple - they put the meat together on a pole (kebab style) and they coat it with achiote - lots of achiote - which has a bloody red colour. Every time we went by, there was a lot of bloody coloured liquid spilling from the meat. Being the ignorant tourists we were, we assumed it's blood which we did not consider to be tempting. We learned what it was when we watched the tacos special on Netflix. There was nothing left to do but to have a good laugh at how stupid we were.
Now, let the drum roll begin, ladies and gentlemen, my favourite taco is taco de guisado or a stew taco. Oh, these were absolutely amazing. They're (unfortunately) not to be seen much in Merida but they had them at the slow food market (Av. Reforma x C. 33D, every Sunday morning) where we usually went to buy brownies from an American ex-pat who baked them at home - not Mexican, but definitely delicious! Well, there was this Meridian couple with lots of casseroles, serving the best (the only time and place we had tacos for breakfast) tacos! If I could only choose one type of tacos to eat for the rest of my life, I would be desperate. So I am glad I do not have to :D.
This is the end of this post. I hope you will appreciate it, especially because now I would do anything for any of the dishes mentioned here (maybe not for camote pastry, though :D). My mouth is full of saliva and my palms are sweating because I know these heavenly dishes are out of my reach. Well, let me make some quesadillas tonight, it's the closest I can get now.
Since this post is about food, and we will only be back after Christmas, we would like to wish you Merry Christmas, enjoy all the food that you love (no regrets!) and have calm and peaceful holidays with your beloved ones!
When it comes to food, Mexicans are very Mexican - meaning it does not matter they have loads of delicious fresh fruit, they could eat tacos and various corn-based meals all day every day - and they actually do. Despite street vendors selling cut and take-away-ly packed fruits, you will not see many of the Yucatecans buying those. On the other hand, you will see many 'Molino y tortilleria'-s which is the place where you can bring corn and they will grind it for you so you can make tortillas at home and where you can also buy fresh tortillas.
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| Heaven |
Besides gristmills and tortillerias, you may also notice bakeries which are separate from the grocery stores. You come in, take a big metal tray a pair of tongs and you're ready to start "loading" :D. This took us a bit by surprise, but in hindsight, it seems logical - you can wander the store as long as you want, not blocking anyone when you can't decide at the counter, and then when you are no longer able to hold the tray in one hand because of its weight you go to the counter and pay. Generally, if your standard level of bread and pastry is French, you will probably be a bit let down here. BUT! what is special to Yucatan and what I grew to love is them combining savoury taste with sugar on top - my favourite example of all is Campechana. It is a kind of puff pastry with ham and cheese inside and sugar coating outside. Weird at first, that's true, but as I said- it had grown on me and now that I'm telling you about it, I'm craving it. However, not everything turned out great. Even before I tried Campechana, I noticed there are lots of pastries with camote filling in every bakery. Not knowing what camote is, I went for it. It turned out to be sweet potato and the pastry turned out to be not that good - mainly if you're looking for something really sweet.
 |
| Campechana |
Besides from Campechana and Camote pastry, there is one other sweet and salty invention of (tbh not sure about the name) Meridianos: Marquesitas. Marquesitas are similar to crepes but the dough is more wafer-like. So far, pretty normal. When it comes to the fillings you can choose from various jams, caramel, hazelnut spread and cheese (Queso de bola, Edam style). Naturally, one might think that marquesita with cheese is a savoury alternative for those who don't like jams. But no, it's not an alternative at all. Instead, it's the most typical way, the way the locals eat it. One marquesita with Nutella and cheese - you can hear that all over the place. But again, weird as it may sound, it had grown on us and it's yummy! And I would buy one immediately if they sold them here. It wasn't like that at first, though. We stuck to the expected sweet flavour and Telchac (of course, #eyeroll) found the courage to try it first. And not only that, he topped it (quite literally :D) with blackberry jam. Some time (weeks maybe :D) later I became curious and it turned out delicious!
On the other hand, Telchac was a bit more cautious when it came to water (of unknown origin - restaurants, for example) and ice (of unknown origin - food stands). I was the one to suggest to try some sorbets at the famous El Colon and I was the one (and only) who tried Meridianos' favourite ice chunks with syrup of one's choice (really really sweet and practically bottomless - the ice keeps melting - refreshing drink :)). No harm done, no additional toilet time :D.
 |
| (Fancy) Elote by Molino El Pujol |
There are few more things that none of us had dared to try: chamoy, elotes (we did try a fancier version - here - but I am talking about food stands now ;) and esquites. One thing at a time: chamoy - a chilli topping they use on their fruits or as a "chamoy rim" on their glasses. We never deemed it necessary to go for a sweet chilli combination, or more specifically a fruity chilli taste. So, no regrets here. Same goes for elote, which (I admit) may taste better than it seemed at the time. The last and the most unusual of these are definitely esquites. It consists of a layer of corn, then layer of cream, then layer of mayo, a little bit of mchilli and any topping that you might possibly imagine - for better understanding I am, again, coming for help to Lalo from La Ruta de la Garnacha (Esquites: 5min 8sec but recommended to watch the whole video) who will take you directly to the esquites stand that I am talking about (at Parque de las Americas in Merida). Now you get it, don't you? Still not sure if I went for this, especially when you can have tacos and sandwiches and marquesitas :) This really does seem as torture now, bring me some Mexican food, NOW!
There is one thing that does not change, even when you go from (Mexican) state to state - when buying tacos, tortas (sandwiches) or any plate-requiring food at the food stands they will serve it on a plastic plate which will be inside the plastic bag. It's absolutely typical and if you hand me a plate like this, I will tell you at once that it's a Mexican "street food plate" :D.
 |
| Enfrijoladas |
I already told you (here) that we preferred to buy fruit at the market. We usually went to Parque de Santiago which was the closest one. They say the prices are better at the San Benito Market but Santiago was a lot more convenient as we lived nearby. It's true that the selection at San Benito is unbelievable - be sure to visit to have a look at least! - but this way we didn't have to take Uber everywhere. Moreover, Santiago has one HUGE plus - Taqueria La Lupita. Open from 5:15am to 1pm, it makes you go there even if it collides with your eating routine. Cochinita pibil to die for and also the typical Sopa de lima. You can grab a sandwich with cochinita as a take-away or sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. It's always busy, either with locals, ex-pats and/or tourist - simply everyone who's looking for some great food. HIGHLY recommended!!! (cannot stress enough! must-see! sensational! hidden gem!)
I got off the tack, didn't I? I wanted to tell you about mamey and caimito - both Mexican fruits that were recommended to us. Both good but I am only mentioning them to let you know that we are open-minded, not afraid to try new things :D. Caimito reminded me of a plum (both visually and taste-wise), I liked mamey better, it was unique and unexpected. It's not a problem at all if you decide to live off unknown fruits in Mexico, if you're European, you will have plenty of options to sample.
 |
| Fresh caimito |
Last but not least are the Mexican favourites - tacos. There is a special foocumentary (did I just invent this word?! :D) on Netflix about different types of tacos but I will "just" tell you about the ones we had (or almost had). Let me start with the Cochinita pibil and Lechon tacos. Both with meat (different parts) and of different flavours. The best place to go is (already mentioned) La Lupita in Parque de Santiago. Generally, you choose only meat and they will adjust the rest of the garnishes - you do not have much choice - but trust them, they know what they're doing. Then tacos al pastor. There is one restaurant at Avenida Reforma where you can see the big stand with al pastor meat being prepared almost every night. It's one of the most famous types of tacos which we did not eat :D. The reason is simple - they put the meat together on a pole (kebab style) and they coat it with achiote - lots of achiote - which has a bloody red colour. Every time we went by, there was a lot of bloody coloured liquid spilling from the meat. Being the ignorant tourists we were, we assumed it's blood which we did not consider to be tempting. We learned what it was when we watched the tacos special on Netflix. There was nothing left to do but to have a good laugh at how stupid we were.
 |
| Lunch at La Lupita |
Now, let the drum roll begin, ladies and gentlemen, my favourite taco is taco de guisado or a stew taco. Oh, these were absolutely amazing. They're (unfortunately) not to be seen much in Merida but they had them at the slow food market (Av. Reforma x C. 33D, every Sunday morning) where we usually went to buy brownies from an American ex-pat who baked them at home - not Mexican, but definitely delicious! Well, there was this Meridian couple with lots of casseroles, serving the best (the only time and place we had tacos for breakfast) tacos! If I could only choose one type of tacos to eat for the rest of my life, I would be desperate. So I am glad I do not have to :D.
This is the end of this post. I hope you will appreciate it, especially because now I would do anything for any of the dishes mentioned here (maybe not for camote pastry, though :D). My mouth is full of saliva and my palms are sweating because I know these heavenly dishes are out of my reach. Well, let me make some quesadillas tonight, it's the closest I can get now.
Since this post is about food, and we will only be back after Christmas, we would like to wish you Merry Christmas, enjoy all the food that you love (no regrets!) and have calm and peaceful holidays with your beloved ones!