Merida – flair, Latin panache, deep Mayan roots, European influence.

This city of almost one million people on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is a gem.

Merida is made for walking, the best way to explore, enjoy, this great city..

We stayed at a B and B – La Casa de Los Arcos – Home of the Arches, owned and run by an expat from San Francisco, David, a most genial, gracious host, if ever there was one.

It was a gem of a place to stay at, David decorating every part with original Mexican art, great antiques, giving it a unique look and charm. It’s location terrific – within easy walking distance to downtown Merida.

Merida – cosmopolitan as it gets, steeped in Mayan culture. The city’s many restaurants – spectacular in their settings, the food exquisite.

One of their specialties – Cochinita pibil, a slow roasted pork dish of the Yucatan.

The dish dates back to Mayan times – suckling pork loin is rubbed with a red paste from the seeds of the annatto tree.

Then it is marinated in the sour juice of Seville oranges. Next it is wrapped in banana leaves and thrown into a pit lined with smouldering wood, hot stones, then covered with more wood and banana leaves.

The pork, left in the pit overnight, cooking in its own juices. In the morning it is ready (orange stained) to be served, shredded, in soft corn tortillas, along with pickled red onions.

Super delicious – the treat of a lifetime.

Every Wednesday journalist, George Froehlich, gets personal – sharing with you, his amazing travel destinations, his wonderful recipes, art he loves, music he enjoys.
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