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Yucatecan Cuisine: Fusion Food of the Ancients

El Portal is known for its Mexican and Yucatecan cuisine. Though most are familiar with Mexican food, how is it different from Yucatan fare?

Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 | 3:30 pm
 

What is Yucatecan, or Yucatan, cuisine? In a nutshell, Yucatecan food is a mix of both European and Mayan cultures, known and recognized throughout Mexico for its strong seasonings. Yucatecan cuisine is its own unique style and is vastly different from what most people would consider as Mexican food.

The difference between Mexican and Yucatecan cuisine lie in the influences behind it. The Yucatan Peninsula was once considered too far from the rest of Mexico, so its culture and food evolved differently from the rest of the country. However, there were ports with commercial and cultural contacts with Europe, New Orleans and Cuba. As such, the Yucatecans’ culture, dress, food, and architecture have a European flair to it.

This fusion of culinary influences resulted in a Yucatecan style of cuisine that’s all their own. Some well-known traditional Yucatecan dishes include:

Pollo Pibil

Chicken or pork marinated in achiote, sour orange juice, peppercorns, garlic, cumin, salt, wrapped in banana leaves then baked.

Lime Soup

A soup that consists of shredded chicken, fried tortilla bits, and lime juice. Simple, yet divine.

Poc Chuc

Slices of tender pork marinated in sour orange juice, grilled, and served with a tangy sauce and pickled vegetables.

The only place anyone can enjoy Yucatecan food in Pasadena today is at El Portal Restaurant. Owned by Abel Ramirez, he purchased El Portal from the old owner eighteen years ago, which was then a purely Mexican Restaurant.

For more information, visit www.ElPortalRestaurant.com.

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