At one of the many beachside villages near Progreso, on the Yucatan coast, you can sit down for a great meal of ceviche and fried fish. There isn't a lot of originality and they seem to copy each other. Or maybe it's just "regional food". Whatever it is, I could live on it with ease.
Our meal started with a perfect ceviche of seafood, included the local sea snails called Chivitas. I liked them fine but the locals really go for them in a big way.
We also had this tray which included heirloom cucumbers dusted with chile, tostadas, a fish mash I think was called manilla and finally middle eastern kibbeh, which are oddly popular here.
Pan de Cazon is a multi layered fish pie with stacked tortillas, beans, fish and then topped with a tomato sauce. That chile on top is for decoration or daredevils and I unfortunately took the challenge of my host and ate half of it. I can stand some heat but the next 20 minutes were spent enjoying my head exploding. And crying.
Lobsters are here but I find they tend to overcook them.
Pescado Frito is just fried fish and probably the most popular dish here.
My favorite dish was the Caracole a Mojo de Ajo. Caracole are sea snails but I have a feeling this is what we call conch. Am I right? It was delicious beyond belief.
I don’t know about Veracruz, but in Chiapas, caracoles are snails (and autonomous Zapatista communities).
Wow that looks so delicious! I am stuck at work right now and just looking at those pictures makes me so Hungary! And I bet the prices were reasonable too.
Shawn Moluth
Scout-32