GASTRONOMY

Thanks to a rich pre-Hispanic culinary heritage and the fusion of Spanish, French and Cuban cuisine, the delicious dishes that you can try in Merida are a true delight, even for the most demanding palate. Among the most popular dishes are: cochinita pibil, pork marinated in orange juice and served with beans and red onion; salbutes, made from corn dough and stuffed with turkey, onion and avocado; panuchos, corn dough stuffed with beans; and papadzules, corn dough soaked in a green pumpkin seed sauce called kol and stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and later bathed in a tomato, onion and garlic sauce.

There?s also sopa de lima (lemon soup), a regional favorite. And for a refreshing cold drink, there?s nothing better than agua de horchata, which is made from rice, or some tasty sorbets and granizados, made from ice shavings and tropical fruits. And then there?s the exquisite Xtabentun, the so-called liqueur of the gods, which is made from a honey base and anis. For dessert, try the mouth-watering coconut cream sweets.