Campeche Cuisine

Cochinita Pibil

Walking in historic Campeche, is like walking in a fairy-tale.  Tall walls surround narrow cobblestone streets, which lead to the town square and a photogenic two-towered cathedral.  The colonial houses are freshly restored, and there are no electrical wires in sight.  The walls were built to repel the pirates of the Caribbean who repeatedly pillaged the town.  Now, the fortifications house museums and art exhibits. Campeche may also be the cleanest city I have visited.  Even the trash bins are clean.  The atmosphere was relaxing, the sea breeze was soothing, and our hotel was comfortable (and clean).  We lingered here for three days.

I soon learned that Campechanos take pride in their cuisine.  I try not to frequent tourist-oriented restaurants, and instead, Adi and I walked to Plaza Central, where street vendors offer the local delicacies. We sampled Tamale Colado (Vegetables, corn flour, and chicken, steamed inside a banana leaf), Aztec Cake (Layered tortillas, tomato sauce, and meat), and the Queen's Arm (sliced meat loaf).  We enjoyed two out of the three dishes.  To our disappointment, we could not find the "must-eat" Pan De Cazon among any of the plaza vendors.

At the atmospheric Bar Colonial, which until recently was a man-only (not gay) cantina, we struck a conversation with Manuel, a very stout fellow, who looked like, and turned out to be, a chef.  We told him about our quest for Pan de Cazon, and without hesitation he directed us to Marganzo, a high-end tourist restaurant.  He apologized for the suggestion,  yet insisted that their food is good.  The next night, sitting at a candle-lit table, we ordered the celebrated dish (Tortilla stuffed with baby shark meat and served on a spicy tomato sauce.)  The presentation was aesthetic, but it tasted like tough, overcooked, and over salted tuna.  However, not all babies are bad.  For brunch we had Cochinita Pibil (Baby pork roasted overnight in an underground oven.)  The meat is so tender that it is de-boned with a spoon, and it almost melts in your mouth.  Very satisfying.

Reviewing our Campeche culinary experiences, we concluded that we had the best meal at a roadside hut, on the way back from an ancient Mayan city.  A young Mayan woman, sliced us a watermelon which she grew in a patch right next to her hut.  It was fresh, sweet, and juicy.  We devoured it, and for desert we had corn on the cob which grew just on the other side of the hut.

I like to travel because:  7.  I get to taste interesting local foods.  Some of them are delicious.