According to “Regional Mexican Cuisine: An Exploration of the Cuisines of Veracruz, Yucatán, Oaxaca, and Puebla,” a research report compiled by Kerry Ingredients & Flavors, Beloit, WI, European influence in Yucatán shows up in a tradition of sausage making, a fondness for breads and pastries, and a propensity for frying.
Pibs, stone-lined, earthen barbecues, lend their name to what Craig calls “the quintessential Yucatecan dish,” cochinita pibil: pork marinated in achiote seeds, citrus juice and spices, wrapped in aromatic banana leaves, and left in the pib to steam-bake until tender.
“Food from the Yucatán continues to grow in popularity, because it is fresh and light and not too spicy,” says JeanMarie Brownson, executive culinary director, Frontera Foods, Chicago. She cites grilled fish in an achiote rub and poc chuc as items with potential. Other Yucatecan standouts include sopa de lima, lime soup made with shredded chicken and tortilla strips; motul-style eggs, a breakfast of tortillas topped with a fried egg, refried beans, tomato sauce, peas, ham, shredded cheese and a side of banana slices; and relleno negro de pavo, turkey in a Yucatecan black mole sauce.
“One of the most-effective ways to introduce consumers to new tastes is through something they’re already familiar with,” says Craig. Tamales and tacos are known quantities, but, he continues, “Yucatecan tamales with greens and pumpkin seeds, or tacos topped with cochinita pibil, give these familiar items a new twist.” Even the ubiquitous fish taco can grow with an achiote-garlic rub and a Yucatecan-style habanero salsa, he says.
Veracruz: coastal culinary crossroads
In the balmy, maritime state of Veracruz on the southeast coast of Mexico, people enjoy “an abundance of tropical goods like plantain, coconut, black beans and achiote,” Pulido notes.