Gastronomy of Mayan Mexico

The culinary traditions of the southernmost Mexican states (Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo and Yucatan) are a melding of influences of the native Maya and the Spanish, and the dishes lean heavily toward a pork base. Some of the dishes that await you in the fine restaurants and kitchens of these states include:

Yucatecan cuisine

Panuchos and crisp chalupas, which are toasted tortilla rounds heaped with seasoned pork, marinated onions and other vegetables

Huevos Motuleños -a layered stack of tortillas and eggs with ham and salsa, topped with cheese and peas

Chicken marinated in orange and Chile Ancho sauce

Papatzul or Papadzul - egg-stuffed tortillas bathed in a creamy ground pumpkin seed sauce

Asado Chiapaneco – roast pork seasoned with chiles

Chiapas style Chiles Rellenos (stuffed chile peppers) filled with a tantalizing mixture of ground pork and vegetables and topped with a creamy tomato sauce

Cochinita Pibil – spicy pork baked in banana leaves.

In San Cristobal, Chiapas, Saturday afternoons are traditionally the time for Chiapanecan tamales. The tamale dough, stuffed with chiles, olives, mole, pork and other seasonings and ingredients, are wrapped in either corn husks or banana leaves and steamed to perfection.

As in most of the rest of Mexico, tacos are standard fare, but some of the unusual beverages of the area include a hot non-alcoholic fruit punch, acidified atole (a thickened drink thickened with corn starch) and a somewhat sweet beer.

Used, too, in the cuisine of the southern Mexican states are the special seasonings of Chilmole - a blend of dark chiles, roasted and ground; achiote, or annatto seed paste, the juice of bitter oranges, and chipotle, guajillo, ancho and habanero chiles.

Mexican Cookbooks & Recipes

Huevos Motuleños

• 3 corn tortillas, heated
• 3 T cooked black beans
• 2 eggs
• 2 slices of ham
• Cooked Mexican red sauce
• 1/4 cup green peas, cooked
• 1 tbsp grated cheese

Spread two tortillas with beans. Heat sauce. Fry eggs. Place one beany tortilla on a plate, top with a slice of ham, one fried egg, and a bit of sauce and repeat. Top with last tortilla (no beans). Pour hot sauce over top of the stack and sprinkle peas and grated cheese on top. Serve immediately. This is a very hearty dish and can be made lighter by using only two tortillas and one egg in between, or placing both eggs between only one layer of tortillas.

Achiote marinade for pork and chicken

• 1 cup of lime or bitter orange juice, or combination of both
• 4 ounces achiote (annatto) paste
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• salt to taste

Blend all ingredients and use as a marinade on chicken or pork, letting stand several hours. The meats can then be wrapped in foil and baked. Be careful not to get this mixture on your clothing as it will produce reddish-orange stains that aren’t easy to remove!

Originally posted 2009-12-03 15:13:35.