then it just becomes normal salt! no wonder it s the most expensive salt in the world. - brilliant! - i did it. now, this is a perfect spot for lunch. wow! - so this is a sea bass. - you don t understand how excited i am to finally eat fish on a beach in the yucatán. do you know what? i m surprised that there isn t more seafood in the yucatán cuisine. - i know. back in the day, people didn t have the ability to refrigerate food at their homes. - mm-hmm. - my grandmother would tell me that when she grew up, people thought that they were gonna get sick of eating fish that was caught, like, in the morning. and with the heat, the food would spoil really fast. - the fish is stuffed with garlic, rosemary, thyme, that yucatán favorite, sour orange, and of course, a healthy dose of salt. when you have ingredients this fresh, simplicity is key. you have specialized in, like, opening up the gastronomy here outside of the traditional yucatán dishes.
here in his kitchen garden, luis grows his produce the same way as the maya. - now, i m sure the ancient maya would feel at home in luis s garden, but what would they think of his breathtaking dining room? but i m at the heart of the action in the kitchen. - what? yes! - yeah? ok. - yes. don t threaten me with a good time. [laughs] salud. - cheers. - luis is from mexico city, but it s yucatán that s captured his heart. so what was your favorite thing about the cuisine when you moved here? - yes? this dish? - yeah, yeah. - oh, yeah. - really? - yeah. - luis has swapped out the traditional pickled red onions
of the spanish conquistadors in the 1500s. the region s turbulent history and unique geography have heavily influenced the cuisine. so today, i am trying cochinita pibil, which is probably the most famous dish from the yucatán. you can t come here without having it. it s known worldwide. hola. - hola. buenos días. - hola. buenos días. - buenos días. [speaking spanish] - [speaking spanish] now, there are variations on the recipe. but cochinita pibil is slow-cooked pork marinated in a tangy spice mix. oh, wow. traditionally served in a taco with pickled red onions. look at that. you know it s good when there s pork fat dripping out. mmm. i m going to the award-winning restaurant, ixi im,
[upbeat music] - mérida is the capital of yucatán, and it s a city that runs on its stomach. hola. [laughs] i m here to meet one of mérida s best chefs and gastronomic pioneers. - mucho gusto. - mucho gusto. - [speaking spanish] this market sells all the spices that we will need to cook later on in the night. - ok. ok. - so you want to take a look? - yes. - let s go. - i love a spice market. - chef roberto solís is famous for putting a new spin on the foundation of yucatecan cuisine: el recado. what is el recado? i ve never heard that word until i got to the yucatán. - el recado is a colored paste made from a combination of spices.
no wonder it s the most expensive salt in the world. - brilliant! - i did it. now, this is a perfect spot for lunch. wow! - so this is a sea bass. - you don t understand how excited i am to finally eat fish on a beach in the yucatán. do you know what? i m surprised that there isn t more seafood in the yucatán cuisine. - i know. back in the day, people didn t have the ability to refrigerate food at their homes. - mm-hmm. - my grandmother would tell me that when she grew up, people thought that they were gonna get sick of eating fish that was caught, like, in the morning. and with the heat, the food would spoil really fast. - the fish is stuffed with garlic, rosemary, thyme, that yucatán favorite, sour orange, and of course, a healthy dose of salt. when you have ingredients this fresh, simplicity is key. you have specialized in, like, opening up the gastronomy here outside of the traditional yucatán dishes.