Tacos: Breakfast of Champions
photo credit: Mikko Wikström @finnandhisphone
Due to the revenge of the ghost of a certain Aztec Emperor, for the first couple of weeks in Mérida we were unable to enjoy one of our favourite things about travelling in a new country - food!
As soon as our appetites came back, however, we went right out and began our gastronomic exploration of our new home. Coincidentally, that was the week the dryer started shrinking my clothes again. Which is weird, since we've been drying our clothes on a washing line.......
Here in Mérida you can easily find what food trucks all over Canada and the States have tried (and failed) to capture - that certain sommin'-sommin' that only authentic Mexican street food has. Here in Yucatan State we are lucky to have access to lots of national foods like enchiladas, tamales, and - always a crowd-pleaser - tacos. In addition, however, there is Comida Yucateca, the local dishes that are an enchanting blend of ancient Mayan flavours such as chocolate, hot chilis, avocados and amaranth combined with the newer flavours brought by European invaders such as cheese, cream, cinnamon and domesticated pork and chicken.
Here in Mérida you can easily find what food trucks all over Canada and the States have tried (and failed) to capture - that certain sommin'-sommin' that only authentic Mexican street food has. Here in Yucatan State we are lucky to have access to lots of national foods like enchiladas, tamales, and - always a crowd-pleaser - tacos. In addition, however, there is Comida Yucateca, the local dishes that are an enchanting blend of ancient Mayan flavours such as chocolate, hot chilis, avocados and amaranth combined with the newer flavours brought by European invaders such as cheese, cream, cinnamon and domesticated pork and chicken.
The variety of foods available is matched by the variety of places to find them. There are fine-dining restaurants, chic cafés, earthy "cocina economicas," lunch counters in sprawling food markets where you can pull up a stool, refurbished haciendas offering traditional dishes in a stunning setting, open-air taco stands, the lady with a pot and an umbrella outside the gas station, and the guy riding a moped around town while balancing a tray of baked goods on his head while yelling at the top of his lungs about all the great kinds of "pan" or breads that he has available for purchase.
Personally, I am in favour of trying the food from each and every one of these sources. One of the tastiest surprises we've had was a handful of tiny ham and cheese turnovers (that's "handpies" to all you foodies out there) covered in sugar that we bought from a very persistent little man who followed us around with a cooler box asking: "Esnacks? Esnacks from Chiapas???" Until we gave in and bought a few.
Once we were settled in our new house one of the first orders of business was to find the good local taco place, in our case a great, open-air, "pop-up" restaurant that is only open from 8am until 1pm(or they run out of food - whichever comes first) and sells amazing tacos and tortas with a variety of fillings, which you can then augment with their help-yourself salsa bar. Be careful with the smoked habanero salsa - they were NOT lying when they said it was hot. Delicious, but hot! If you are ever in North Mérida, drop by Penichef under the green canopy behind the Pemex, you won't regret it.
One of my favourites things, and what you might call the signature dish of the Yucatán, is cochinita pibil. This is a dish that is loved by all and it is a food that you really have to eat out as it would be very difficult to replicate at home. The term "pibil" is actually derived from the Mayan word "pib," which is the name of the underground fire pit where meat - wild game before the arrival of the Europeans, but suckling pig today - which had been marinated in bitter orange and achiote and then wrapped in banana leaves is placed and left to slow-roast for a day or two. Not exactly an easy weeknight dinner recipe... So cochinita is available in many places - basically all the places I mentioned above. It is often sold in markets and stalls in town squares, and though it may sound like a heavy meal, it is most commonly eaten for breakfast. Which actually makes sense here as people tend to eat their main meal at breakfast time, opting for a light sandwich or snack at dinner time. It takes some getting used to when your habit is to start the day with a yogurt and some fruit! But it's a challenge I am willing to take on...
This is the part of the blog where I feel I should share a recipe, but as I mentioned before a lot of these foods have a certain something that is really difficult to replicate in your home kitchen, especially if you are not in the Yucatán and don't have access to authentic ingredients. So I will share the one recipe I have myself made in Canada, the flavours of which instantly transport me to a hot beach with my toes in the sand - guacamole!! Provecho!!!
Step 1 - before you even think of making this recipe you need to know that it will not work with store-bought tortilla chips. This sounds like a pain, and it is, but you must find a place to buy corn tortillas, the staler the better. They are now available in a lot of supermarkets in packages of 12. Take the whole stack of 12 tortillas and cut it into 4 quarters. Then put about an inch of vegetable oil in a pot, heat it to about 180°, and throw in a small handful of the tortilla pieces. You want to just do a few at a time, as if you put too many in the pot they will create steam which will make them go soggy. As soon as they turn golden, remove them to a paper towel and sprinkle with a little salt. You will be amazed at how delicious these chips are compared to store bought chips....
Ingredients:
2 ripe haas avocados(or 3 if they are very small) You want them slightly soft but NOT squishy!
1 large or 2 small limes (no lemons - limes only!)
A heaping tablespoon of finely diced red onion
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro(available in the produce section - next to the parsley)
Salt, to taste
And if you want it spicy, 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced. Use only half if you don't want it too spicy, or leave the seeds in if you want a serious kick.
Method:
This part is easy - which will hopefully make up for the fact that I just made you cook your own tortilla chips!
Cut the avocados in half and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Squeeze the lime(s) onto the avocado and mash roughly with a fork. Add the onion, tomato, cilantro, salt to taste and jalapeño, if using. Stir ingredients together and enjoy.
Hint: if you are not planning to eat this right away make sure that you reserve one of the avocado pits - add the pit back into the finished guacamole to stop the avocado from browning!
*the author is not responsible for dryer shrinkage of clothing that may or may not be related to how good this guacamole is. Use recipe at own risk.
Once we were settled in our new house one of the first orders of business was to find the good local taco place, in our case a great, open-air, "pop-up" restaurant that is only open from 8am until 1pm(or they run out of food - whichever comes first) and sells amazing tacos and tortas with a variety of fillings, which you can then augment with their help-yourself salsa bar. Be careful with the smoked habanero salsa - they were NOT lying when they said it was hot. Delicious, but hot! If you are ever in North Mérida, drop by Penichef under the green canopy behind the Pemex, you won't regret it.
One of my favourites things, and what you might call the signature dish of the Yucatán, is cochinita pibil. This is a dish that is loved by all and it is a food that you really have to eat out as it would be very difficult to replicate at home. The term "pibil" is actually derived from the Mayan word "pib," which is the name of the underground fire pit where meat - wild game before the arrival of the Europeans, but suckling pig today - which had been marinated in bitter orange and achiote and then wrapped in banana leaves is placed and left to slow-roast for a day or two. Not exactly an easy weeknight dinner recipe... So cochinita is available in many places - basically all the places I mentioned above. It is often sold in markets and stalls in town squares, and though it may sound like a heavy meal, it is most commonly eaten for breakfast. Which actually makes sense here as people tend to eat their main meal at breakfast time, opting for a light sandwich or snack at dinner time. It takes some getting used to when your habit is to start the day with a yogurt and some fruit! But it's a challenge I am willing to take on...
 |
| Challenge Accepted!!! Of course the meal wouldn't be complete without a large side helping of beans, rice, avocados and a steaming basket of tortillas. Is your mouth watering yet?? |
This is the part of the blog where I feel I should share a recipe, but as I mentioned before a lot of these foods have a certain something that is really difficult to replicate in your home kitchen, especially if you are not in the Yucatán and don't have access to authentic ingredients. So I will share the one recipe I have myself made in Canada, the flavours of which instantly transport me to a hot beach with my toes in the sand - guacamole!! Provecho!!!
Nikki's Toes-in-the-Sand Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 ripe haas avocados(or 3 if they are very small) You want them slightly soft but NOT squishy!
1 large or 2 small limes (no lemons - limes only!)
A heaping tablespoon of finely diced red onion
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro(available in the produce section - next to the parsley)
Salt, to taste
And if you want it spicy, 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced. Use only half if you don't want it too spicy, or leave the seeds in if you want a serious kick.
Method:
This part is easy - which will hopefully make up for the fact that I just made you cook your own tortilla chips!
Cut the avocados in half and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Squeeze the lime(s) onto the avocado and mash roughly with a fork. Add the onion, tomato, cilantro, salt to taste and jalapeño, if using. Stir ingredients together and enjoy.
Hint: if you are not planning to eat this right away make sure that you reserve one of the avocado pits - add the pit back into the finished guacamole to stop the avocado from browning!
*the author is not responsible for dryer shrinkage of clothing that may or may not be related to how good this guacamole is. Use recipe at own risk.
YUM hot sauce sounds fantastic - so hungry now :) cheers to ongoing adventures
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