THE 5 TYPICAL FOODS OF QUINTANA ROO MOST OUTSTANDING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The typical meals of Quintana Roo, in Mexico, include many varieties of fish from its coasts, but it also receives influences from the neighboring regions: Belize, the Caribbean and the Mayan cuisine.

Being the main tourist region of Mexico, Quintana Roo diversified its gastronomy to adapt it to all palates.

This made it preserve some very characteristic traditional elements, combined with other less native ones.

Among the dishes that currently stand out in the region are chilmole, pipián, chocolomo, cabbage makum and snail ceviche.

You may also be interested in this list of typical Mexican foods.

The 5 main typical dishes of Quintana Roo

1- The cabbage makum

It is prepared based on chopped pork loin and marinated in a marinade based on natural orange juice, pepper, cumin and oregano.

As for the way of preparation, alternate layers of meat, cabbage and tomato with onion are distributed inside a pot. Then cover it and let it cook over low heat.

2- The chilmole

Chilmole is one of the most representative dishes of the Yucatan peninsula. Its origin dates back to the pre-Hispanic Mayans; therefore, it is one of the most traditional in the area.

It is also known as black filling, due to its dark color and the thick texture it acquires.

Two types of meat are used for its preparation: chicken and pork. Chicken (sometimes substituted for turkey) is added roasted and shredded, along with the broth in which it was cooked.

The pork is used to make butifarra, a kind of artisan sausage made from ground pork, chopped hard-boiled egg, bell pepper, tomato, black pepper, spearmint and raw egg.

3- The pipián

Pipián is a very typical sauce from the state of Quintana Roo that can accompany different dishes. For example, the chicken in green pipián is very recurrent in the gastronomy of the area.

Tomatoes, serrano peppers, onion, garlic, coriander, chicken broth and pepper are used to make the sauce.

All the ingredients are blended and then cooked looking for a thick, not liquid texture.

The appearance is green due to the presence of herbs and spices of the same color, and the flavor will be more or less spicy depending on the amount of chili peppers and pepper that are added.

4- The chocolomo

This dish was typical of the colonial era. It was prepared for the Spanish civil, military and religious authorities with the meat of the sacrificed reces.

The chocolomo is made from pork loin. In addition to the loin, many other components of the pork are used to make the dish: kidneys, liver, heart, brains and bones.

They all form a broth that is flavored with garlic, coriander, cumin, oregano, radishes, spearmint, chili peppers, lots of tomatoes, and sour orange.

5- The snail ceviche

Chetumal-style snail ceviche is another typical delicacy of the region. Snail is used for its preparation, accompanied by tomato, chopped onion, natural lemon juice, habanero pepper, salt and pepper.

With these ingredients the salpicón that accompanies the cooked snail is prepared. It is served cold and is a refreshing dish eaten in the hottest months.

References

1. Mexican Food: 16 Must-Try Dishes in the Yucatan! in Goats on the Road, from goatsontheroad.com
2. 10 Iconic Yucatan Foods You Must Try in Locogringo, from locogringo.com
3. Traditional Mexican Foods of Quintana Roo in Our Everyday Life, from oureverydaylife.com
4. "Foodscapes, Foodfields, an Identities in Yucatan", by Steffan Igor Ayora-Diaz. Berghahn Books. (2012).
5. Snail ceviche. Culinary Recipes of Quintana Roo at Touristic Routes, from touristicroutes.com