Mérida, the capital and largest city of the state of Yucatán, is also the cultural and culinary center of the peninsula.

With over a million residents from a broad cross section of countries beyond Mexico, Mérida offers a dazzling variety of food options.

Yes, burritos, enchiladas, and tacos are everywhere. American chains like Starbucks, Chili’s, and Texas Roadhouse are around too.

We’ve had our share of wonderfully prepared Mexican meals.

Inventive, artistic dishes almost too beautiful to eat. Almost…

And one of the best pizzas ever at a small neighborhood restaurant.

Yet the traditional cuisine of the area is still very much present and quite unique.

Relative isolation from the rest of Mexico, the traditions of its Mayan ancestry, and exposure to the ingredients of European traders visiting its ports combined to create an amalgam of fascinating flavors.

Many dishes include the holy trinity of Yucatecan food—sour orange, achiote...