Creativity and flavor were two elements that were present in the winning dishes of the second edition of the Gastronomic Interpretation Contest, within the framework of Mérida Fest 2023 “Felices los Felices”.
The participants dared to create and try new flavors in their dishes, based on chiles and corn, elements of local identity and essential elements of Yucatecan gastronomy.
The contest was organized for the second year by the Mérida City Hall in conjunction with the National Chamber of the Restaurant Industry and Seasoned Foods (CANIRAC-Yucatán) as a way to promote creativity in the use of traditional ingredients, promotion and dissemination of traditional cuisine.
The winning teams were “Ralex” with a pork breast with a corn mirror accompanied by vegetables with xcatik chile sauce and poblano chile. Their second dish was a corn pancake filled with corn pastry cream with poblano chile and a three-milk and corn sauce. The team was formed by Alexis Eduardo González Salas and Raquel Eunice Mukul Aguilar, from Universidad Vizcaya de las Américas.
Second place went to the team “La Trova” with a version of a tamal colado with tikin xic and corn flan with orange supremas syrup and habanero chili, by chefs from La Trova restaurant, Cindy Juliana Fraga Pech and Ricardo Abraham Cauich López.
Six teams entered the competition, after registration, and began their preparations at 9:00 a.m. at the Instituto de Gastronomía ISIMA. Two hours later, the tasting and evaluation of the stews took place, after each team had given an explanation to the jury, made up of Claudia González Góngora, president of CANIRAC-Yucatán, and chefs Raciel González Góngora and Gabriel Celis Torres.
Also participating in the competition were the teams “Ch’óoch ka k’áaj“, “La diosa del maíz“, “Deméter” and “La Legión“, with dishes such as eggs Benedict, xcatic truffles, corn salad, brownies with chile, chile relleno with huitlacoche, pinole mousse, polcán stuffed with ground beef chorizo and habanero chile, and corn tamale with Xtabentún sauce.
In a message, Claudia González emphasized that Mérida is a creative gastronomic city where cuisine is one of its main attractions. She also congratulated all the teams for their work together in this type of competitions that give culture and identity.
On behalf of the Director of Culture, Antrop. Irving Berlín Villafaña, Emy Denis González, Deputy Director of Diffusion, thanked the Mérida City Hall, headed by Renán Barrera Concha, for this type of initiative to stimulate creativity, talent and the promotion of gastronomy.
The winning teams received incentives of 15,000 and 10,000 pesos for first and second place, respectively.
Jesús Miguel Santos Pinzón, director of ISIMA, was present at the event.
Comidas Populares and artistic shows
At Mérida Fest 2023 you will also be able to enjoy other gastronomic moments at the “Comidas Populares“, with the best of the regional dishes that identify us in flavor.
On Friday, January 27, starting at 7 p.m., the gastronomic proposals of La Reina Itzalana, Alex Canul-Cocina de Herencia, Tortas Don Omar, Tamales Los 4 Hermanos and La Terraza de Tila will participate, at affordable prices, at the Remate del Paseo de Montejo.
While families sample the food, they will also be able to enjoy four great artistic shows: “Cumbiando Andamos“, cumbia and puppets with Emiliano Buenfil y la Chan Cil Tropical (7pm), “Pimiento Morrón“, Mexican band with a rock, theater and clown concert for children (8pm), “La Sensacional Orquesta Lavadero” with the show “En las nubes“, with a variety of clown numbers and live music (9pm) and the tribute concert “Una estrella para el Príncipe” (Las mejores de José José José), with Cristhian Estrella (10pm).
All activities are free and for the whole family. A complete schedule of activities is available at www.merida.gob.mx/meridafest.
TYT Newsroom
