Saturday, February 26, 2011

Foodie, the Brave & Curious...Mayan Cuisine


What is Yucatan or Mayan Cuisine? Without going into the details of the Yucatan history and periods, what I can gather is that an influence of the Mayans who introduced to the New World corn, chocolate, honey, venison, wild turkey, pheasant, squash, cucumbers, chillies & tomatoes AND Spain who brought Pork and Seville Orange which is a sour flavored orange AND finally the Dutch who shared Edam and Gouda Cheese.

Add the Yucatan cuisine spices that seem to influence it's international fame such as pumpkin seed powder, oregano, red onion, sour orange, sweet pepper, lime, achiote or recado colorado paste-sauce,capsicum pepper (Xcatik), Habanero pepper & corander.

Plus, bring habaneros and recados, the basic ingredients in Yucatan cuisine - recados are marinated pastes made of cloves, black pepper, oregano, cumin,garlic, coriander and vinegar. Most common is the red paste version which gets its color from adding "achiote" (annatto seeds) to the mixture.

Replace the local pheasant and deer with turkey & pork (Don't panic for those not that brave). And don't forget an important table sauce often used is called "Xnipek" which is a type of salsa/sauce that is made of habanero chilies, scallions, citrus juice & cilantro. Then you have the basic foundation of Mayan cuisine.

Listed below are some of the Mayan cuisines I have found through my exploration and hope to try at the Yaxche Restaurant in Playa del Carmen. After all basic ingredients don't come about with a good chef or cook, right?

I have also added below some links that were helpful to me and hopefully for you to visit and enhance my very limited snapshot of what this fascinating cuisine has intrigued me to taste and savor . Hope this helps!


DRINK

Xtabentun - similar to icy margarita. Made with local anise & honey Liquer

Chaya Drink - made of ground rice, chaya (regional plant or Pitahaya)

Micheladas - tangy mix of lime juice, worchestshire sauce or soy sauce,tabasco & good dark Yuctan Beer

Chelada -which is a Michelada without the tabasco,peppers & other seasoning Just,beer/Lime & Salt


SNACKS/APPETIZERS/BOTANAS

Papadzules -hard cooked eggs wrapped in corn tortilla with pumpkin seed sauce

Soap de Lima - chicken tortilla soup flavored with local variety of sour lime.


MAYAN (YUCATAN) ENTREE

Cochinita Pibil - pit roasted pig marinated in sour seville orange juice, garlic, achiote & yucatan spices

Queso Relleno - stuffed cheese rind of edam cheese filled with mixture ground beef,raisin, olives, almonds & spices

Panuchos - layered hand made corn tortilla stuffed with beans, topped with shredded turkey or chicken, lettuce, red onion rings and xnipek salsa

Chilmole - turkey in a dark spicy sauce

Poc-chuc - charbroiled slices of pork with onions, marinated in a sour orange sauc

Pescado Tikinxic: fish marinated in achiote sauce wrapped in banana leaves and charbroiled. Served with a tomatoe & habanero sauce.

Huevos Motulenos - Friend eggs atop a tortilla garnished with beans,peas,ham,sausage, plantains & grated cheese - Yucatan specialty

Pavo relleno negro - a stuffed turkey yucatan style, filled with chopped pork & beef cooked in a rich dark sauce











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