23-10-2016
Francesca Zanetti went in search of the aromas and flavours of Yucatan, the Mexican peninsula dominated by fresh ingredients and recipes dating as far back as the Maya people. She tells Identità Golose about her craveable experience
I’m just back from a trip exploring Yucatan, in Mexico: from Cancun to Campeche, Merida and Tulum, tasting local dishes, full of spices and fresh ingredients. A holiday in Yucatan offers the chance to relax completely in areas outside the touristic routes but also enjoy some hectic activity by visiting cenotes, beaches, and many delicious destinations too… Being able to mix all this is a rare opportunity.
Yucatan is the part of Mexico further to the South-East, and it divides the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, and Central from North America. It is therefore in a unique and special position with a very ancient history. It is a very popular tourist destination thanks to its beautiful beaches, the tropical forests, the cenotes and the underground rivers, the Maya ruins, the ancient cities as well as the excellent food.
The Sopa de lima
At Playa Del Carmen the choice of restaurants with different menus offers the chance to taste fresh local ingredients, the real fil rouge of all the area, as we’ll see: fruit, vegetables, fish and pork. Then starters with raw fish, guacamole in different versions, fish grilled on the spot with vegetables on the side, including cactus. And then: energising and detoxing fresh vegetable and fruit juices, ice creams, sorbets and incredible cakes with freshly cut fruit.
Crab claws overlooking the sea
One of the recurring themes throughout the journey was fresh local ingredients. Over here getting food from far away is not easy, due to costs, refrigeration, availability. So relying on the food mile philosophy and enhancing the good local products is almost mandatory. Let’s say Slow Food was a necessity even before Carlin Petrini took his first steps.
Chef Luis Alberto Aban Pech
Reviews, recommendations and trends from the four corners of the planet, signed by all the authors of Identità Golose
by
a Business graduate born in Parma, Francesca has been promoting Italian wine and food in America for the past 25 years, especially in California