Mexican Cocina (Kitchen)?

We're pretty lucky in California to have some awesome Mexican eats. But trying the really thing is authentic...so,

Thought I would highlight some Mexican cuisine that you might have tried or not. Here are a small listing that might be helpful to you as you are wandering through PDC or Puerto Morelos for some local eats.

Also check back on the blog articles "PDC - Playa del Carmen" & "Puerto Morelos -eats & Drinks" for more restaurants & eateries.

Lomo - Pork Loin

Asada - Steak

Pollo - Chicken

Lengua - Tongue

Pata - Pig or Beef Feet

Tacos Dorados - Crunchy Tacos

Tacos Suaves - Soft Tacos

Ceviche - Fresh raw seafood marinated in fresh lime juice garnished with tomatoes, onions, chillies and cilantro

Sope - thickish small circle of fried masa with pinched sides, topped with meat or fish, onions, salsa, lettuce

Machaca - Shredded beef scrambled with eggs and some vegetables

Carnitas -pork deep cooked in lard & simmered served with tortillas

Chile en nogada - Problano pepper stuffed with ground pork & beef spices, fruits,raisins & almonds, friend lightly battered with a walnut cream sauce

Gorditas - thickish fried corn tortilla, slit & stuffed with choiceof beef pork or chickenwith or without lettuce, cheese, tomatoes & onion.

Tacos al Pastor - Thin sliced of flavored pork roasted on a revolving cylinder dripping with onions slices and juice of fresh pineapple slices. Served in small corn tortilla ith chopped onions & cilantro.

Torta - a sandwich , usually on bolillo bread, typically with sliced avocado, onions, tomatoe with chice of meat and often cheese.

Photo provided by Flickr.christophermacsurak

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

Food and Wine - Yucatan Adventure

Colors & Flavors of Yucatan Cuisine - Cancun.com

YucatanToday.com -Yucatan Cuisine

MexConnect.com - Cuisine of the Yucatan - a Gastronomical Tour of the Mayan Heartland

Photo provided by Yaxche Restaurant website gallery

R & D for "Yaxche" Mayan Cuisine

That's Roger & Diana, not Research and Development...well hold on, hmm? Maybe it is...

Not to take away from our incredible snorkeling adventure to Yalku Lagoon. But after a good swim and enough salt water in your mouth. I know Roger and I are gonna be ready for a cold drink and lunch! Well anyone who knows me (and can see me), knows that I am a "Foodie" and since I've never been to the Yucatan, well Mayan cuisine has got my curiosity. So through some research... here we are.

During our visit to Playa del Carmen (PDC) the Yaxche Restaurant has me personally intrigued. So that is our PDC tourist destination - First Mayan cuisine and if there's time after we will stroll and explore.

Below are some information and links about this very unique restaurant. It is not a "hole in the wall" joint and not the 5 Star restaurant either. Moderately priced is what my 2010 Frommer's Guide stated. Meal to cost between $10-30 pending what you get. The draw here is that this is the closest we can get to on this trip for true Mayan cuisine without having Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern with us from the Travel Channel! So check out the information if this is of interest for you. R & D are planning to head to Yaxche (that's pronounced, jag-shey)!

Yaxche Restaurant Website

PlayaInfo.com - Yaxche Restaurant

TripAdvisor-Restaurant Review

Chowhound- review

Photo provided by the Yaxche restaurant website gallery

PDC ...Playa del Carmen

PDC otherwise known as Playa del Carmen. Located about 30 minutes drive south of our resort. This is the second largest town next to Cancun in the Riviera Maya. It was once known for it's quiet fishing village, deserted beaches and the only foreigners were those catching the ferry to Cozumel. Now PDC has become one of Latin America's fastest growing communities with a population of 135,000 plus, ugh!

La Quinta Avenida is considered the town's main thoroughfare. Running parallel to the beach so you get your bearings down. Fifth Avenue is a pedestrian walkway full of colorful street performers, little shops and cafe for people watching. Avenida Juarez is the town's commercial strip. You will find banks, grocery & gas stations. The other area that has buzz is the street that leads to the dock where the ferry heads back & forth for Cozumel. Shops, restaurants, cafes, hotels & food stand are located here. Want more sun & beach...head north along Playa Mamitas!

Listed below are some source of restaurant options in case you want to do some pre-checking...

Playa del Carmen seem to pride them self on a International Palate. There is Italian, Lebanese, Asian, Swedish, Dutch, American Fast Food., Mexican and yes Mayan cuisine as well. The cost of the restaurants are definitely higher on the 5th Avenue walkway as they do cater to tourist. Oh and this goes for shopping as well. In fact I have been reading that the vendors can be aggressive so be careful and cautious.

This might also be a good time for me to warn you to be careful with theft and safety. There is no doubt lurking among the crowd of tourist little banditos...so be alert and watch how many margaritas and cervesas you drink...ok?

Below are some restaurant links you can explore and decide what sounds worthy of your adventure...

Travel Yucatan.com

Playa del Carmen Restaurant guide

Playa del Carmen Restaurant guide

PDC Restaurant Guide - May Cuisine an Mexican

Bars & Restaurants

Recommendations for PDC Restaurants & Bars

Good Graphic map

TripAdvisor.com

"Cheap Eats" Recommendation from TripAdvisors

Sounds like a Travel Channel Andrew or Tony kind of place to eat!

LocoGringo.com

Loco Gringo - "Cheap Eats"

Chowhound.com

Chowhound-Cheap Eats

Foodie running post of recommendations for cheap eats in PDC

Map provided by mexonline.com

Other Things To Do...besides the resort?!

Not that there is anything wrong with hanging around our resort. It's truly one of the highlights of the Riviera Maya. After all you will soon see by the growth and development of hotels and other resorts along the shoreline that this in itself is a major attraction. So if you just want the sun and hang out, please do so and enjoy... "oh pool boy!"

However for those curious for more? Roger and I will only be offering these two excursions for a no-host option excursion: Coba/Tulum Ruins & Cenote plus the Cenote Scuba Diving that Alex has graciously offered to lead as she is our resident Scuba Diver expert. Just ask her where she journeyed to dive, oh my! So sign up for either excursions and explore the option below by adding one or two more adventures and you will find that your week will be over in a flash. Here are some ideas that you will need to further your research or talk to the resort concierge when you get there for possible excursion options. But remember relaxation is okay too!

Xcaret Park - eco-themed recreational waterpark.

Cozumel - require a ferry ride to the Island of Cozumel. Check with resort concierge for transportation and with Russell and randy who will have completed a pre-Now jade resort stay!

Playa del Carmen-shopping, looking, drinking & eating are the professional sport here in this town. Check with concierge about transportation. Might want to share a cab ride?

Cancun - if you want the hustle & bustle of the city. Cancun is your place with beaches, hotel zones, shopping, restaurants & bars...on a much larger scale then anything on the Riviera Maya!

Chichen Itza - More ruins? Here's wonders of the world for ruins! It's about 100 miles one way from our resort. So if Coba & Tulum wasn't enough...you will need to ask the resort concierge for options.

Photo by AppleVacation NowJadeResort