The typical dishes of southern Mexico combine the flavors of cocoa, corn and meat. Honoring the gastronomic footprint left by the Mayans, let’s get to know the traditional dishes of southern Mexico.
1. Cochinita pibil
One of the typical dishes of southern Mexico best known in the country for its exquisite flavor.
Cochinita pibil is made up of pieces of pork that are roasted or baked wrapped in a banana leaf, after marinating overnight with achiote, sour orange or lemon juice, salt, garlic and coarse pepper. Cook until the meat is so soft that it can be easily shredded.
The dish is accompanied with chopped purple onions on a corn tortilla.
2. Roasted alligator gar
The preparation of pejelagarto, one of the typical dishes of southern Mexico, originated in Oaxaca, a state whose gastronomy has the distinction of “intangible and intangible heritage of the state.”
The alligator gar is a prehistoric fish that is now prepared with a little chopped chives, lemon juice, amashito chili, salt and pepper, ingredients that give the fish an incomparable flavor.
3. Dogfish bread
In addition to being a tasty typical dish from the south of Mexico, dogfish bread is one of the most recognized dishes in the cuisine of the state of Campeche.
It is similar to a lasagna, but instead of meat, cazón, a fish familiar from the shark, is used. The pasta is replaced by corn tortillas.
To prepare it, layers of fish are placed on the tortillas and then they are bathed in a sauce made with habanero chili.
4. Beans with pork
Beans with pork are very popular in Yucatan, Campeche and Tabasco, states where it is considered a complete meal.
It is a typical dish from the south of Mexico made with beans, to which rice and pork in pieces are added. Condiments such as onion, epazote, tomatoes, habanero chili and cilantro are also added.
5. Lime soup
Emblematic soup of traditional Yucatan cuisine that, despite being simple, has an incomparable flavor. It is made up of chicken broth, to which the meat is added, seasoning it with sweet chili, onions, fried tomatoes, bell peppers and cilantro.
Served with fried, julienned tortilla chips and garnished with lime wedges.
6. Fill black
Traditional cooked pork in the state of Yucatan, in southern Mexico.
The pork in pieces is mixed with a black paste of condiments and typical ingredients of the region and is served in tacos or sandwiches.
7. Snail ceviche
One of the typical dishes of southern Mexico is the snail ceviche, a classic sample of the kitchens of Quintana Roo.
The raw meat of the snail is taken and lemon juice, tomatoes, cilantro and onion are added, all very well chopped.
The meat of the snail is “cooked” in the lemon juice. There are those who hit it with a flat stone to soften it and give it the desired consistency.
8. Chipilin tamales
The chipilín is a typical plant that grows wild in the Tabasco area, whose leaves provide an exotic flavor to meals.
The leaves are mixed with nixtamal dough, pieces of chicken and cheese, to make tamales that are wrapped in banana leaves before being cooked.
9. Stuffed cheese
It is a Dutch cheese or “ball”, as it is popularly known, from which the entire interior is removed and filled with minced pork, olives, nuts, raisins, capers, peppers and condiments from the area. mixed in a white sauce called kol. It is baked and served with a tomato sauce.
10. Tabasco stew
Traditional soup from Tabasco cuisine in which pieces of beef are mixed with sweet potatoes, yucca, corn, pumpkin, chayote, green plantain and other ingredients and spices. The result is a broth with an exquisite flavor and many nutrients.
11. Motuño eggs
Motuleños eggs are a typical dish from the south of Mexico that consists of fried eggs on a tortilla fried in lard, to which beans are placed in pasta and on top of these, the eggs covered in tomato sauce.
Pieces of chopped ham, peas, carrots, plantains, cream and grated cheese are added. They are widely eaten for breakfast in Yucatan.
12. Salbutes
One of the typical dishes of southern Mexico are salbutes, traditional food from the kitchens of Yucatan.
It is a tortilla fried in lard or in oil, which makes it puff up a bit and soften. Served with shredded chicken or turkey meat topped with chopped lettuce, julienned tomatoes, pickled onions, and avocado.
13. Polka dots
Another traditional dish from the Yucatan area is the polcanes, tortillas made of corn dough that are filled with chives, ground pumpkin seeds and white beans harvested in the region, a filling known as “toksel”.
Once stuffed, they are fried and served with cabbage seasoned with sour orange.
14. Papadzules
Papadzules are a food with marked influences from the Mayan Indians and a simple dish from the Yucatecan tradition.
They consist of corn tortillas stuffed with boiled eggs bathed in a green sauce of pumpkin seeds and tomato sauce with habanero chili.
They are garnished with red onion and chopped habanero chili, details not included in the original recipe.
15. Desserts
The typical desserts of southern Mexico known as “traditional sweets” are usually made with seasonal fruits, such as plums, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and coconut.
A characteristic of traditional sweets is that their recipes include cocoa and honey.
Nothing better to get to know Mexico than to venture to discover it through the palate. Its flavors, especially those from the southern states, are exotic and additive.
Tell us your favorite in the comments!
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See also:
- We leave you our guide with the 15 best Mexican red wines that you have to drink
- Meet the 12 typical drinks of Mexico, the most popular and delicious (with alcohol)
- Read our guide on the 14 best non-alcoholic typical Mexican drinks
