The Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico was isolated from the rest of the country for centuries, and so it's not surprising that it developed its own unique dishes. Even though many of the same ingredients are used (tortillas, frijoles, chiles, etc.) Yucatecan cooking can be considered a separate cuisine of its own. It would seem that Yucatecan food is being discovered by the residents of Mexico City, because there are an increasing number of Yucatecan restaurants here. (One that I can recommend is Xel Ha in the colonia Condesa.)
There are a couple of Yucatecan restaurants within walking distance of my apartment. Last night Alejandro came to the apartment after work, and we decided to try one of them for supper. We went to the Restaurante Bar Montejo located on Avenida Benjamin Franklin (yes, you read that correctly, Benjamin Franklin.).
For our main course we both ordered "pan de cazón", a specialty of the state of Campeche on the Gulf coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. "Cazón" is a small type of shark sometimes referred to as dogfish. In this dish it is served between layers of tortillas and covered with a tomato sauce. You might say that it's a bit like lasagna, but with a fish filling and tortillas instead of pasta. I've had "pan de cazón" in Campeche, and it is delicious. At this restaurant, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. In addition, the prices here were rather high, so I don't think that we will return.
We ended the evening with a stop at a neighborhood ice cream shop. They had a wide variety of flavors, many of which you would not find in the United States. And they had my favorite flavor... "mamey"! "Mamey" is a tropical fruit that is unknown north of the border. I can't really describe the flavor, but if you are ever in Mexico, try it!!
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