Riviera Maya-Tulum and Yucatan Peninsula Gastronomy & Restaurant Guides

Fragrant and tangy, Yucatecan cuisine delights the palate with flavors unique to the region. The distinct regional cuisine of Yucatan state incorporates many of the ingredients traditionally used in Mayan cooking including corn, chocolate, wild turkey, squash, chiles and tomatoes, with European ingredients such as pork and oranges from the Spanish and Edam cheese from the Dutch. Yucatecan cuisine differs from traditional Mexican cuisine in part due to the Yucatan region’s geographic isolation from other parts of Mexico and its European, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and indigenous influences. Many of the delectable dishes that you’ll find on the menus at restaurants in the Yucatan Peninsula are not traditionally prepared in other parts of the country.

Two seasonings that are frequently used in Mayan cooking include achiote (sauce made from ground annatto seeds) and pipian (sauce made from ground pumpkin or squash seeds). Regional dishes such as cochinita pibil (roasted suckling pig) and pollo pibil (chicken) are prepared by marinating the meats in achiote sauce, and papadzules (tacos filled with hard boiled eggs) are served with pipian sauce. Other traditional Yucatecan dishes that you’ll find include: sopa de lima (chicken and tortilla soup with lime), poc chuc (pork marinated in sour orange juice), pollo ticuleño (chicken baked in banana leaves), pavo en relleno negro (turkey in a black chile paste), pavo en escabeche (spice rubbed turkey with cloves and black peppercorn), pork trancas (pulled pork sandwiches), and panuchos and salbutes (fried tortillas with cochinita).  Deer, armadillo, and caiman meats are also found in the region. / visitmexico.com

Campeche Restaurants
Cancun Restaurants
Merida Restaurants & Nightlife
Riviera Maya - Playa del Carmen Restaurants
Tulum Restaurants