The state of Yucatan to Launch the Year of Yucatecan Gastronomy

Starting on June 18, the World Day of Sustainable Gastronomy will highlight the recipes, ingredients, and gastronomic experiences of the Yucatan.

Yucatán gastronomy is culturally rich in traditions that bring together Maya, Spanish, Caribbean, Dutch, and Lebanese influences. It mixes ingredients such as corn, tomato, honey, and beans, with endemic products such as habanero chili, sour orange, and the popular Achiote, used to create a red paste called recado that is used in tamales and over proteins, most popularly wild turkey and pig.

Some of the more traditional dishes of the state of Yucatan include Sopa de Lima (chicken broth seasoned with local Yucatecan lime), Huevos Motuleños (tortilla with beans and fried eggs), and the Cochinita Pibil (pork marinated in Achiote paste and sour orange juice and cooked in an underground pit). Visitors to the state will find these dishes served at posh haciendas converted into restaurants or hotels, others may take a meal in the home of the living Maya while visiting the southern part of the state and the PUUC route.

Modern Yucatan offers of one Mexico’s trendiest foodie scenes spanning across its six regions and including rooftop dining in Valladolid, beach clubs in Progreso, and Mezcal tastings in the yellow city of Izamal. Its capital, Merida, is home to traditional cantinas, modern restaurants, and mixologists.

Yucatan will have Restaurant Week and the first-time editions of food festivals promoting its honey, tacos, and recados.