"Yucatan Snack-a-Thon" – Mexico: One Plate at a Time

Yucatan Snack-a-Thon

Who wouldn't like to snack from dawn to dusk on all kinds of Yucatecan specialties? Just ask Rick Bayless and Lanie for some noshing tips. They start their adventure on the main square in Mérida, smack in the middle of the local, nightly dance-a-thon surrounded by food vendors. They both fall under the charms of Marquesitas (Crispy Yucatecan Marquesitas), a crispy wafer rolled around cheese and cajeta. Rick shares the recipe with us from a confidenciales chair—the unique park bench designed for whispering secrets to your loved one.

The journey continues as they indulge in early morning treats including tortas, panuchos and Patel Imposible (aka Chocoflan; Impossible Cake, chocolate cake topped with flan) from the Santa Ana market. Inspired, they make Salbutes with Chicken in Escescabeche (corn tortillas topped with tangy shredded chicken) in their home kitchen.

At Eladio's, a centro botanero (a lively restaurant that serves small plates) in downtown Mérida, they enjoy the dancing and a whole table filled with snacks and Dzik, lime-marinated shredded beef.

At home, Rick makes the cold beef salad and spikes it with a little habañero chili before scooping it up onto crispy tortilla chips.

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Episodes:

It's a Shore Thing: Seafood dishes that capture everything that's perfect and irresistible about a day at the beach.

Fusion Revolution: Mexican cooking might even be called the original "fusion cuisine."

Quest for Fire: Rick can't resist the kind of well-seasoned, simple food grilled over a fire pit Mexican food is famous for.

The Capital of Hip: Rick takes us on a dawn-to dusk culinary tour of Mexico City that separates the hip from the hype.

Eat, Drink & Be Mérida:
Fusion of Mayan traditions with Spanish influences resulted in Mérida—the "Paris of Mexico."

Fresh Chiles, Hot & Cool:
Everything about the Yucatán’s beloved habañero with its one-two punch of flavor and heat.

Yesterday, Today & Tamales: Mexico's past is present everywhere you travel in the form of tamales.

Modern Mayan: Mayan culture is experiencing a rebirth in the Yucatán today—in revitalized food, art and architecture.

Paste Sensations: Mérida's colorful, aromatic essential seasoning pastes are the key flavoring for many of the region's dishes.

Hacienda Renaissance: The hacienda is being reborn—as museums, as production facilities for fine rums and liqueurs, and as luxury hotels.