Flavors of Yucatán: Exploring the Art of Yucatecan Cooking

On Monday, our students visited the Instituto Gastronómico de Mérida where they joined a cooking class led by renowned Chef David Luna. 

On this occasion, they learned how to prepare Chayitas: a traditional dish that consists of corn dough mixed with chopped chaya leaves, folded and fried until the tortillas are golden and crispy, then topped with tomato sauce, hard-boiled egg, and pumpkin seed powder. They are often served as appetizers or as a side dish. 

Students also prepared churros, a fried dough pastry that originated in Spain and has become popular, especially in Mexico. Churros are typically sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, adding a sweet and aromatic touch to their crunchy exterior. Churros are often enjoyed as a dessert or snack, served hot and fresh. They are commonly found at street food stalls.

Here is a testimony from one of our students:

¨Hi everyone! My name is Yamu Xi. I am a student on the Session II Yucatan, Mexico Spanish Language and Mexican Culture Program. I would like to share a little bit about the cooking class that we attended this week. 

At the cooking class, we prepared two dishes, Yucatecan Tamales and Churros. I left the class with more than just food to take home, but also new friends, knowledge on Yucatan culture, and a memory to preserve. 

My cooking team worked so well with each other. In our group there were diverse talents and we utilized our differences by assigning jobs that corresponded to the person. We supported each other out when needed and cheered one another on.

I think exploring different parts of Yucatan and Meridian culture—like food, for example—allows us to dive deeper into the culture. Food plays a major role in culture, with each dish there is a different history and stories. Preparing the cuisine made us a part of these stories. 

Overall, I enjoyed the cooking class experience. My storage is crying because the videos I took jumped my phone from 75 GB to 115 GB, but I was laughing the whole time during the class. Taking part in the traditional culture with my friends made it one unforgettable day.¨

And here are some clips Yamu filmed: