Eating Our Way Through Mérida, Mexico
Mexico is a beautiful and historic country that offers visitors so much variety in terms of food and culture. Yucatán cuisine in particular is very interesting because it offers many regional dishes that cannot be found elsewhere in the country! Some traditions and tastes can be traced all the way back to the Mayans, one of the oldest civilizations in history. There is so much more to the Yucatán than Cancun, and we cannot wait for our readers to discover it.
Mérida is the capital of the Yucatán. It is a vibrant, modern city full of fun and culture. There always seems to be live music playing in the distance, and one can often hear the “clop” of horseshoes on the cobblestone streets in Centro Historico. We enjoyed strolling through the colorful streets during the day and going to the myriad of bars and restaurants at night. Many of the buildings are deceiving; from the outside they are short and unassuming, the paint is chipped and the cement is crumbling… but upon entering we found that most were triple the size, with gorgeous original tile and architecture. Restaurants and bars have open air courtyards, perfect for sipping mezcal and dancing salsa under the stars. Mérida is not far from hundreds of cenotes and Mayan ruins, making it a perfect base from which to do day trips.
With all of this history, nightlife, and culture, it isn’t a surprise that the food is top notch. However, one must do a little digging. Like any popular city, there are many tourist traps and overpriced spots. We are going to do a deep dive into some traditional Yucatán foods, as well as some modern twists, and where to find both in the beautiful city of Mérida!
We began our introduction to Mérida with a cooking class. This is something Luis and I try to do in every new country we visit. There is no better way, in our opinion, to experience a culture than through its cuisine. We were welcomed with delicious “Chaya” drinks. Chaya is a leafy green shrub that grows freely in the Yucatán. It can be prickly and the leaves release a toxin, so it must be removed from the stem with care and then boiled to become edible. Chaya seems to be the drink of the Yucatán. Many restaurants, hotels, and markets offer it. It is served over ice and is a delicious escape from the hot Mérida summers. It is also said to have many healing properties and is very healthy, like spinach or kale on steroids! Think “superfood green drink” but actually refreshing and tasty.
Rachel drinks Chaya while Luis tries Hibiscus Tea
After our Chaya, we took a trip to “Mercado Santiago”. This is where the local chefs and residents shop for all of their produce and meat. The market was full of fresh and colorful fruits like orange papayas, red tomatoes, and peppers ranging from mild to excruciating. At the butcher shop, I couldn’t believe how clean the work surfaces were. Raw meat of every kind sat on the tables, perfectly fileted. Yet not a single fly buzzed in the stalls. One of our favorite sights at the market was the women making homemade tortillas. They fed their dough made of corn through a grinder that cut and flattened the mixture into perfect tortillas. The tortillas rode down a conveyor belt where more women skillfully packaged them for hungry customers. We bought a bag of the corn dough, called masa, to use later.
Ripe Papaya at Mercado Santiago
After gathering our supplies, we headed back to the hotel to begin cooking. Our first dish was very traditional: Papadzules. Papadzules are tortillas filled with an egg mixture and topped with a creamy pumpkin sauce. They can be eaten for breakfast or in our case, an appetizer. Here is a recipe I found online for traditional papadzules.
Next, we moved on to what I thought was the star of the show- Sopa de Lima. Sopa de Lima is a savory lime soup in a light, meaty broth. We used chicken as the meat base for our soup and topped it with carrots and cilantro. However, turkey is most commonly used in the Yucatán for this soup. It is flavorful, rich, and hearty while still somehow light enough to be enjoyed in the heat of the day. Sopa de Lima is served all over Mérida. However, we found that the best ones we tasted were actually at the cenotes outside of the city. Make your own Sopa de Lima here.
As the soup simmered, we moved on to a very fun part of the class- Empanadas. Our Empanadas were stuffed with a cheese mixture and topped with pickled onions and a little tomato sauce. We used a tortilla press to flatten our own tortillas from the masa we bought at the market. We filled the freshly pressed tortillas with the cheese mixture and folded them over, making sure to crease the edges. Once fried, the Empanadas were beautiful golden flavor bombs. I think this would be a fun and interactive meal to make at home with children, as they could help participate every step of the way! Empanada recipe here.
Lastly, we made dessert. Custardy and sweet, Flan was the perfect end to a perfect meal. Flan is made with sugar, milk, and eggs and baked in a bath of water- the result is a rich and creamy custard dessert that is silky and sweet. To be extra fancy, we topped our Flan with some candied nuts and whipped cream. Make your own flan here.
After our cooking class, we decided to go back to “Mercado Santiago” for some world-famous tacos. The latest buzz was that Eva Longoria had just visited the market a few months before us, eating all of the traditional cuisine. We hunkered down at “Taqueria La Lupita” and ordered a few famous tacos, one of them being “Relleno Negro”. This taco filling was made of shredded turkey simmered in a black sauce of savory chiles and spices. To our surprise, the taco also had egg in it! Luis admitted this was the best taco he has ever had in his life. We wished we would never get full so we could stay there all day and continue eating.
To wash it all down, we headed to the cutest restaurant near our Airbnb that doubled as a library during the daytime. We sat in the open air courtyard and soaked in the sun, grateful for the orange trees above us providing a sliver of shade and sweet aroma of citrus. We ordered lemonades sweetened with Melipona (traditional Yucatán honey made from stingless bees). The waiter recommended some local brews, which we had to try. I ordered the “Erraticas” made by a group of female brewers called “Mujeres Cerveceras”. These Yucatán women whip up all types of excellent craft brews!
On our last night in Mérida, we opted for a more modern route and headed to “Mercado 60”. This “cultural market” is a collection of local vendors selling all sorts of cuisine from woodfired pizza to sushi. Every night of the week they have different types of live music, from pop music to salsa bands, with a young and hip crowd in attendance. It transported us back to living in NYC where all types of food were at our fingertips. “Mercado 60” was an impressive fusion of old and new that we really enjoyed.
Overall, Mérida was a refreshing, interesting city. The food and drink are fabulous, the history is ancient and captivating, and the people are so warm and wonderful. We didn’t want our stay to end. Papadzules and Sopa de Lima were two authentic Yucatán dishes that we loved, but we also enjoyed the modern side of Mérida too!
A few other foods not to miss in Mérida include: Cochinita Pibil, Relleno Negro, and Marquesitas (crepes stuffed with chocolate and Mexican cheese). Happy eating, travelers!
Want to plan a trip to Mexico? Contact us here.
