Mexican Food in the Yucatan Peninsula, Merida, Mexico

Who loves Mexican Food? How about enjoying traditional Mayan food whilst on vacation in the Yucatan? We were keen to find out more about Mexican Cuisine whilst we were travelling around the region. There is more to Mexico than just the food and its silvery white sand beaches. Some travellers travel to Mexico just for the food, some for the beaches but for us it is a mix of both plus the people and the culture.

We searched Yucatan Cuisine Wikipedia to find out if there was a difference between types of Mexican food in each region of Mexico.

Wikipedia states: “The food of the Yucatán peninsula is distinct from the rest of the country. It is based primarily on Mayan food with influences from the Caribbean, Central Mexican, European (especially French) and Middle Eastern cultures.” We were surprised about the French and Middle Eastern influences.

What excites us about Mexican cuisine? The freshest of fresh produce avocados, tomatoes, onions, chillis, peppers, tortillas, enchiladas, assortments of meats, beans….we could go on and on. Oh, and shopping at the local green markets.

Prior to the Spaniards arriving and conquering the Yucatan in the 16th Century, the Mayan food consisted of vegetables such as maize, squash, pumpkin, red and black beans, chili peppers, tomatoes, yucca and sweet potatoes. Fish and seafood were plenty because of its location close to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Turkey and iguana were popular meat dishes. Cacao beans were used to make the Mayan chocolate drink and honey was used as a sweetener. Cacao beans were also used for currency. The most important staple food of Mexico has and always been corn or maize. It is the base for tortillas and cornstarch which is a thickening agent is made from Corn. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).