Yucatecan Cuisine: A Flavorful Fusion

Dec 28,2007 00:00 by lescobar

Yucatecan cooking is probable the earliest example of “fusion” cuisine that exists.
After all, Yucatecan cuisine is an amalgamation of native ingredients used by the ancient Maya; European and Asian flavorings introduced by the Spaniards during the colonial period; and later additions from the Caribbean and the Middle East.
Once upon a time, the Yucatán Peninsula was considered to be too far away and too difficult to reach from the rest of Mexico. Mountainous terrain and very poor roads kept the peninsula isolated. Yucatan’s ports, however, afforded the area’s residents the opportunity to meet travelers from Europe (especially France), New Orleans, Cuba and Arabia. The Yucatecans were easily influenced by many aspects of these regions and cultures, such as dress, architecture and cooking.
In fact, the Yucatán’s most popular chile, the habanero, is rumored to have come from Java. In Mexico, it is grown only in the Yucatán.
A knowledgeable cook can actually identify the food markets of the Yucatán simply by their fragrances – prominent among them are oregano, cilantro, recados (spice blends) and epazote. This last ingredient, epazote, originated in Spain but was and still is best loved in the Yucatán.Like much of Mexico, Yucatán has its regional ingredients and indigenous population to thank for the core of its cuisine. Key ingredients of many Yucatecan treats are sour orange juice (from a special kind of green, thick-skinned orange found primarily in the Yucatán) and a spice paste (recado) made from grinding up achiote seeds with garlic, black pepper, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon and vinegar.
Throughout the Yucatán, chicken, pork and fish are often prepared “pibil” style, which means the meat has been flavored with a red seasoning paste. This distinctly colored paste, known as recado rojo, is comprised of several local spices, including red annatto seeds that add the red color and a unique flavor to the dish. Recado rojo is available commercially in most markets.
Yucatecan cuisine remains little known outside the region. But for the serious student and gourmet, it contains elements of surprise and richness that rival the great cuisines of the world.

Mexico’s savory Mayan dishes
One of humanity’s most astonishing civilizations, dating from 9000 BC, originated in the Caribbean coastlands and the Puuc Zone of the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula.
In the beginning, these Caribbean inhabitants subsisted by hunting and food gathering, which enabled them to develop a very special cuisine. In time, with the influence and contributions of the conquistadors, they created and popularized a multitude of savory dishes that use a myriad of different ingredients.