All language subtitles for eva2

[gentle music]

♪ ♪

- Oh, it's cold.
It's cold.

So this is called a cenote.

It's a natural sinkhole.

It's very unique
to the Yucatán Peninsula.

They were very sacred
to the Mayans.

They believed that this was
a passage to the underworld.

♪ ♪

The Maya
define the culture of Yucatán.

As one
of the great civilizations

in Central America,
their influence is everywhere.

This is huge!

Their DNA runs
through every local dish.

- [speaking Spanish]

- And their ancient ways are
still a source of inspiration.

- Let's let it burn
a little bit more, and...

- More?
- We grind.

- I'm Eva Longoria,

born and bred in Texas
with Mexican-American roots,

which makes me a Texican.

I'm exploring Mexico to see
how the people, their lands,

and their past have shaped
a culinary tradition

as diverse as its 32 states.

I don't think I've ever
seen an avocado this big.

- Here in Yucatán, there are
so many great ingredients.

- With searingly hot weather
all year round,

time moves at a slower pace
in Yucatán.

- [speaking Mayan]

- When it's taken hundreds of
years to build the pyramids,

waiting a day for your dinner
to cook is no big deal.

- Eight hours?

I just hope I can be
as patient as my hosts.

I want to taste the pig!

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

Yucatán state is cut off
from the rest of Mexico

by dense forest,
but its long coastline

has always linked it
to the outside world.

It has the largest
Maya population in Mexico,

dating back 4,000 years.

The ancient Maya were
pioneering and industrious.

They thrived here
until the arrival

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,

where cochinita pibil is
transformed into fine dining.

It's run by Luis Ronzón,

one of the region's
most exciting chefs,

who makes his cochinita pibil

using both ancient
and modern techniques.

Hello!
- Hello.

How you doing?
- Good.

Soy Eva.

- Mucho gusto
Nice meeting you.

- Nice to meet you.
- Welcome.

- Thank you.
I'm excited.

I've heard amazing things
about your restaurant.

Luis starts
by cooking the pork

the traditional Mayan way:
outdoors.

- This pig is a descendant
of the same breed

that the Spanish prize
for jamón ibérico,

one of the world's
finest hams.

- I've never seen this orange.

- Yeah.

- You use sour orange.

The Spanish brought
this citrus gem,

which is now a Yucatán staple.

Here, it's mixed with spices

from
the neighboring Caribbean.

- So...

- Mm-hmm.

- The marinated pig is
entombed in a steel box

before being put in the oven,

which is literally a freshly
dug hole in the ground.

What do you call the oven?

What is--P-I-B?
- P-I-B.

- Oh.

- Pib style.
- No?

- It is basically a crock pot
in the ground.

- Yeah, kind of.
Yeah.

You couldn't have
said it better.

- Wouldn't it be easier just
to put it in a crock pot?

- Yeah. No, 'cause you don't
have the flavor of the soil.

- Yes, the flavor...
- You know?

- Of the region.
- Of the branches

and everything.
- Of the tierra.

- Right. And this is
a romantic technique, no?

- A very romantic technique.
- It is.

- I mean, it's romantic
because I'm not the one

digging the dirt, but yeah.
- Yeah.

- This ancient way
of slow-cooking is ingenious.

Once buried,
the pig needs no supervision,

and the meat is protected
from hungry animals.

I mean, what's not to like?

Oh, but there is a downside.

- So we're gonna leave it here
for eight hours.

- Eight hours?
- Yeah.

- Thank goodness for that.

I just wish our crew would
hurry up and get over here.

- I'm dying
to eat the pig, guys!

- [laughs] We're hungry.
- Come on!

I want to taste the pig!

I mean, if you could
smell this right now,

you'd be yelling for it too.

- So this one,
we buried yesterday.

- The big reveal.
- Yes. Yeah.

- [gasps] Oh, wow.

Can I take the banana leaf off?
- Yeah, please.

- Look at this!
[gasps]

Look at that.
Look at the juice.

Oh, my God.

It's just, like, falling off!

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh.
Well, I need more now.

I mean, you can taste
the comino, the clove.

That sour orange really is--
- Yeah.

Sour orange and the spices, no?

Wow.
- Mm-hmm.

Mmm!

- My mouth is watering now.
- Watching me?

- Yeah.
- [chuckles]

- So I wanted you to try,
like, the normal way.

- Mm-hmm.
- And also,

I want you to try my way,

which is the way we serve it at
the IXI'IM restaurant, so...

- OK.

This is beautiful!

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

for his own sides of sweet
potato, parsnip, and beets.

Just a little bit of butter,
guys.

- Yeah.
- Just a little bit of butter.

- Salt.

- And that's it.
- And that's it.

- I'm just gonna wait here
while he roasts those beets.

The pig from the pib

is about to have
a sophisticated makeover.

- Watch out. Aah!

- We're gonna make, like,
a very crispy skin, no?

- That's a good idea.
- Yeah.

- I concur.

[crunches]
- Do you hear that?

- Yes.
- That's a crispy skin.

- Yes!

- And I'm gonna put it in here.
- Oh, that's beautiful!

- So that's the way
we plate it.

- Look at that presentation.
- Yeah.

- The puréed vegetables
and habanero chili salsa

turns this dish
into a rainbow of color.

♪ ♪

[gasps]

I've never had a meal
like this.

One of the best meals
of my life.

- Thank you.

- This is Luis' love letter
to Yucatán,

to the people

and the land
he now calls home.

I'm just gonna--
don't mind me.

I'm just gonna stay here
in the kitchen.

You have work to do.
Go ahead.

- [laughs]

- I'm so happy.

[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.

They come in lots
of different flavors

and are used everywhere here,

but you'll struggle to find
el recado outside Yucatán.

- No. No.

- No?
- Just here.

- Why?
That's so weird.

- That's weird.
[laughter]

- Because it feels
like such a good idea.

- Yeah.
- Like, to do a paste

on chicken and fish and pork.
- Yeah.

- Is this their family recipe?

- [speaking Spanish]
- [speaking Spanish]

- For generations,
Don Enrique's family

have been recado alchemists.

- Uh-huh.

- It's much smokier.
- Yes.

- No.

Many of these spices
came to the Yucatán

over 500 years ago,

when the region was colonized
by the Spanish.

And you can still see
a strong European influence

all around Mérida.

Today, people flock
to its thriving food scene.

Twice voted
capital of culture,

it's a magnet for creativity.

Roberto's been
at the forefront

of that creativity here
in Mérida and in the Yucatán,

so let's see what he's up to.

Roberto's restaurant
is called Huniik,

which means "unique spirit"
in Mayan.

Here, it's all about turning
ancient recipes on their head.

Wow.

Oh, this is beautiful!

This is gorgeous!

- [chuckles]
- How are you?

Oh, you look so handsome

in your chef's clothes.
- Welcome.

[laughs]

- Known as the Recado King,

Roberto's star of the menu
tonight is his black recado.

Are we doing the spices here?
- Well, yes.

We're gonna grind
the spices here.

- All right.
- But actually,

we're gonna
burn the spices here.

- Ooh!
- [laughs]

We have onion, oregano,
cumin, garlic,

annatto seeds, the pepper.
- Uh-huh.

Roberto is making his
recado negro from scratch...

- So if you want to start...
- Yeah. What do I do?

With me as his wingman.

We put it in here?
- Yeah.

- Oh, my God!
[laughter]

- Good.
- I already--

I already messed up. OK.

- Put some cumin.
Just a little bit.

- A little bit?
- Like a spoon.

Yeah, that's good.
- What is this one

called again?
- Annatto seeds.

You can put more, more,
more, more, more, more.

- The spices are
lightly toasted,

but when it comes
to the chili...

It's burning!
[laughs]

We crank up the heat.

- The more
you burn the chili...

- The less hot.
- The less hot.

Now, you can start smelling.
- Yeah.

Oh, it's smoking.
- [laughs]

- Wave it towards you.
- [laughs]

- It smells amazing.

Is this what makes it black,
is that char?

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

And he really does mean
"burn the chili."

[coughing]
- Yeah, yeah.

[laughs]

[coughing continues]

Are you guys OK?
- [laughs]

- Is it just me?

- Let's let them burn
a little bit more, and...

- More?
- We grind.

- This goes
against all my instincts.

And now, we grind it?
- Yeah, let's go.

- OK.

- Oh, my God.

Are we sure
this is gonna taste good?

- Yeah, of course.
[laughs]

- And all of this
is just for the flavoring.

We haven't even
started cooking yet.

Is this right?
- Yeah.

- Oh, yeah.
The paste is coming.

- Yes.

[laughs]

- All right.
I think I just pulled a muscle.

- I think we are,
yeah, just finished.

Amazing.

- How do you know
if it has the right balance?

Mmm. Ooh, that smells great.
- Yeah.

It's good.

- Now, we're gonna add...
- The orange.

- The sour orange.

Why am I doing
all the work here?

- [laughs]
[speaking Spanish]

- I don't know how much to put.

- [speaking Spanish]

- Then you mix it, no?
- Yeah.

It looks so weird, huh?
- No, it looks amazing.

- You're like, "Yeah."
[laughs]

- Oh, wow.
Oh, my God.

That is so complicated.

- [laughs] Yes.

- Let's put this on something.
- Yes.

So first, we're gonna
get this white onion.

- Mm-hmm.

- Are we making
Yucatán onion rings?

- I think it's a bit
more than that, but...

[laughter]
- I'm just teasing.

This is one of Roberto's
signature dishes:

onion tempura.

With the recado?
- With the recado.

Yeah. Why not, right?
- Oh, my God.

Roberto adds the recado negro
to the tempura batter.

- So I'm gonna dip this.

- And like everything else
in Yucatán,

it's a slow process.

- Yeah.
- [laughs]

- It's time-consuming.
- Yeah, it is.

- Oh, my God.
These are gorgeous.

So the black
doesn't mean it's burnt.

It's just the color.
- Exactly.

- Mm-hmm.

- Oh.

- These beautiful
blackened onions

are presented
on a bed of charcoal.

Have you had
to tell some clients

not to eat the charcoal?
- You know, it's funny

because some people just--
- 'Cause it's the same color.

- And everybody like...
[laughter]

It was so funny.

- You want to confuse people?
- Yeah.

Well, I want to--
- Is this the goal?

- Mmm.

- You know?
- Wow.

For as complex as that paste
was, it's not overwhelming.

- No, it's not overwhelming.
- You're not like--

- It's just giving you
some creaminess.

- Mmm.
- Crunch, creaminess.

- I've never had anything
like this.

This is gorgeous,
and it's delicious.

- Felicidades.
- Gracias.

- I'm just gonna stand here
while you make the next dish.

Once more, Roberto's toying
with my taste buds,

serving coconut ice cream
with grilled mango

coated in his recado negro.

Smoky with a hint of spice.

Is it hot?
- Yeah.

- Oh.

[laughter]

It is so good!

- Yeah, it is.
- I think I'm gonna cry!

[laughter]

I thought that recado was gonna
overpower this whole thing.

- You know what it reminds me?
When you put marshmallow

on the grill, you know?
- Yes, yes!

It reminds me of that.
- The texture, you know?

- It has a crispy texture.
- Yes, exactly.

- Oh, my God, this is like...
- Exactly.

- I'm in heaven.
- [laughs]

- Now I know why you're
the king of the recado negro.

- Yes, salud.
- Gracias, Roberto.

- Gracias.
- Muchas gracias.

Wow.

[cheering]

- Most of us have heard
of the Day of the Dead.

It's one of Mexico's
biggest celebrations,

and my personal favorite,

where spirits come back
to eat, drink,

and party with the living.

This celebration is rooted
in Aztec and Spanish cultures

and share similarities with
the Maya ceremony Hanal Pixan,

meaning "food for the souls."

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

Hola.
- Hola, Eva.

- [speaking Spanish]

[rooster crows]

- Two-thirds of the population
of Yucatán

are of Mayan descent.

And at the heart
of the peninsula

is the Maya town of Xocén.

- I've come to help
Chef Alberto Cucu

prepare one
of the world's oldest dishes.

- Mm-hmm.

- Mm-hmm.

- Sí.

- Uh-huh.

- Mm-hmm.

- Red is incredibly symbolic
to the Maya.

The color of blood,
it represents the sunrise

and the rejection of darkness.

- I grew up making tamales.

And in my home,
it's still a family tradition.

Oh, my God!
It's peeling right off!

- Hola.
- Hola.

- Mucho gusto, señora.

- ¿No? No habla español?
- Uh-uh.

- My Spanish isn't great, but
it's way better than my Mayan.

I'm hoping the language
of food is universal.

[speaking Spanish]

- OK, their tamale technique

is totally different
than mine.

God, you guys are fast.

[laughter]

- Así.

- Oh. Oh, see?
That's already a tip.

- [speaking Mayan]

- These tamales are filled
with a Maya corn sauce

before adding tomatoes
and shredded chicken.

Mmm.

- [laughs]

- ¿Sí? Yeah!
- Uh-huh.

[laughter]

Being Maya tamales, there's
only one way to cook them.

- I'm starting to appreciate
just how much

cooking underground matters
to the Maya.

It represents the cycle
of life, death, and rebirth.

- [speaking Spanish]

- [speaking Mayan]

- Maybe it's because
I grew up on a ranch

cooking from scratch
with my family

or because I have
some Mayan ancestry,

I don't know, but this feels
very comforting and familiar.

Oh, wow.

Look at that.
That's super crispy.

These are
a very different texture

from the steamed ones I make.

- Wow.

You guys,
look at this.

Mmm.

It's crispy on the outside
but really soft on the inside.

Wow.

Mmm.

[laughter]
- Pollo.

- Mmm.

I might have to start cooking
my tamales underground, y'all.

The Maya tradition
of cooking underground

is still alive today,

and it keeps them connected
to their land,

to their history,
and their culture.

- Uh-huh.

- Mm.

- Mm-hmm.

- Uh-huh.

- Uh-huh.
- Muchas gracias.

The more I learn
about Yucatán culture,

the more
I fall in love with it.

Muchas gracias.
- Uh-huh.

[upbeat music]

It's my turn
to get starstruck

and meet a chef
I've admired for years:

Regina Escalante.

[gasps]

- Hola. Mucho gusto.
- It's so nice to meet you.

I'm such a fan!

- Oh, thank you
for coming to Merci!

Please, have a seat.
- Yes, of course.

Regina trained as a chef
in France

before returning home
to Mérida

to open her wildly popular
restaurant, Merci.

The thing I love about her is

she obsesses
about every detail

but particularly the mother
of all ingredients: salt.

- And you know what's funny?
That when I was in France,

I learned about all
these different types of salt.

And for my surprise,
when I came to Mérida

and I learned that
the quality of the product

that we have here
was just, like,

really above and beyond on--

- A global level?
- Yes, on a global level.

- So you traveled the world
just to return home

and find you guys have
the best salt in the world.

- Yes.
- [laughs]

- Oh, yes.
I definitely think so.

- 50 miles west
of Mérida is Celestún,

an Instagrammer's paradise.

Pink lakes, flamingos,
blue skies,

and blinding white salt flats.

Were you born in Yucatán?
- Yes.

I was born and raised
in Mérida.

Well, my mother came
to live here

when she was from the U.S.,
when she was 18 years old.

She was born in Pennsylvania.

- So she's American.
- Yeah.

- We're both Mexican-American.
- Yes!

- Do you ever find it difficult
to navigate that identity,

or you love it?

- Growing up in Mérida,
for me,

I used to be very shy about it.

- I was a fish out of water.

You know,
people always say, like,

"Oh, you're half Mexican,
half American?"

I'm like, "No.
I'm 100% Mexican..."

- Yes, I know.
- "And 100% American

at the same time,
all the time."

- That's what I try to do
with my cooking,

just to be unapologetic

and just like the confidence
that you give out to the world.

- Oh, are these the salt lakes?

- Yes, this is where it starts.

- The salt flats of Celestún
produce many forms of salt,

but flor de sal is the purest.

It's the magical result
of climate and geography.

Salty seawater combines
with sweet rain,

slowly evaporating
in the tropical heat.

And it leaves behind
this pinkish-colored crystal.

- Hola, Manuel.
- Hola. Buenos días.

- Presentó Eva.

- Hola. Eva. Mucho gusto.
- Mucho gusto.

[speaking Spanish]
- [speaking Spanish]

- Oh, wow.

- Sí.

- The crystals here,
they're much bigger

than, like, a regular salt...
- Yeah, yeah.

- That you would have.
- They're huge.

- But it takes much longer
to dissolve when you eat it.

This salt will not leave us

with, like,
a real metallic flavor.

- And this is also linked

to when the flamingos come
and visit Celestún.

It's said that the flamingos
get this pink color

because they eat the artemia.

- The harvesting of the
flor de sal is so delicate,

it has to be done by hand.

Oh, God.
I'm gonna mess it up.

They say
if you don't scoop it right,

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.

- I feel that here
in Yucatán,

there are so many
great ingredients

that I want to just let the
ingredients speak for itself.

We're gonna put some oil on it
to start out.

We're gonna prepare the brush.

And this brush is gonna
be our secret weapon

to just layer up
all these herbs.

- This is a great idea,
an herb brush.

[sniffs]
Oh, that smells so good.

A brush made of parsley,
rosemary, and thyme

is also a neat way
to apply the garlic purée.

Oh, that's gorgeous.

- We're gonna do some mangoes,
also grilled.

- And salt!

This is my idea
of food heaven.

Truly, I'd have this
as my last meal on Earth.

- I'm gonna bring some of the--
- Bring the salt!

- Flor.
- Bring the salt.

- [laughs]

- Fish on a beach.
Now, I feel like I'm in Mexico.

I put my onions first.

Now, for the star ingredient.

- This is the flor de sal, so--
- This is the flor de--

- Yeah.
- This is what we harvested.

- You're just gonna
put a little, tiny bit.

So what's the secret
in all of this?

It's to season to perfection
all the ingredients

so that when you add the flor
de sal, you don't overseason.

- Yeah, mm-hmm.
- OK?

- Mmm.

[gasps]

Wow.

Mmm, that fish is amazing!

The contrast of the crunchy
salt and the soft, sweet fish

is just sublime.

I feel like the Yucatán

has the most appreciation
for the land and the rain

and the natural elements

and the fruit
that comes from the tree.

Like,
there's such a thank you to...

- Yes.
- La tierra.

- We have
delicious ingredients.

And with delicious ingredients,
we can make delicious recipes.

[gentle music]

♪ ♪

- This is huge!

♪ ♪

Part of the magic of Yucatán
is its world-famous pyramids,

a reminder that the Maya
have been shaping

the landscape and culture here
for the last 4,000 years.

In honor
of my own Mayan ancestry,

I'm making a pilgrimage
to Uxmal.

Only 40 minutes' drive
from Mérida,

but it feels like
a world away.

Don Pepe!
- Ah.

- Don Pepe is
a Mayan archaeologist,

and he knows the secrets
to this sacred site.

And it's probably why he got
the cool hat and I didn't.

- [speaking Spanish]
- No.

Uxmal was built around 500 AD,

and the level of detail here
is mind-blowing.

- Little wonder
they worship the god of rain.

Apart from the cenotes,

there are no lakes or rivers
in Yucatán.

- This ability to collect
water and irrigate crops

allowed the ancient Maya
to put down roots here

and call it home.

So I've heard
that Don Pepe is a great cook.

He and his wife, Maria,
make this signature

pork and bean broth
inspired by Yucatán's history.

The pork, a nod
to the later arrival

of the Spanish conquistadores.

- Uh-huh.

- Uh-huh.

In honor
of the Mayan rain god,

water plays a key part.

- Epazote is a bitter herb
that many Mexicans swear

stops the gassy side effects
of beans.

Oh, my gosh,
I love beans,

so I know
I'm gonna love this one.

- Oh, sal. OK.

- Uh-huh.

- Sí.

- Of course
it's cooked underground.

This is Yucatán.

Thankfully, Don Pepe
already has one in the oven.

Wow, I think you win...
- Sí.

the underground contest
of most hours.

[laughter]

- El olor, yeah.

- [sniffs]
Oh, that smells good.

- Wow.

Mmm, it tastes like
barbecue in a soup.

Smells amazing.

Oh, look at that.
Look at that.

- This is the pork.

Oh, my gosh!
- Sí.

- I'm so excited about this.

Wow, this is, like,

definitely slow-cooked.

This is just falling apart.

Look at this one.
Lookit. Lookit.

Oh.

- Mmm.

Mmm.

[laughter]

- OK.
- ¿Claro?

- Wow, you can really
taste the smokiness.

In the U.S.,
we get jittery

if our fast food isn't
fast enough,

but here in Yucatán,

no one bats an eye if dinner
takes two days to cook.

Mmm.

Sitting in the shadow
of Uxmal,

their pyramids are
a constant reminder

that good things take time.

[gentle music]

♪ ♪

- I'm arriving in Izamal.

This town used to be known
for a Mayan pilgrimage.

There's a lot of pyramids
around.

But now, it's really
a food destination.

So today, we are going
to be making

our food pilgrimage here.

40 miles east of Mérida
is Izamal,

known as the Yellow City.

You know you've arrived
when you're surrounded

with golden yellow walls
on every street,

on every building.

Even the city's largest

and most important building
is yellow:

the Monastery
of St. Anthony of Padua.

Hola.
- [speaking Spanish]

- Local restaurateur
and Miriam Azcorra

was born and raised in Izamal.

- Oh.

- Mm-hmm.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Sí.

- When the Spanish
conquered Izamal,

they dismantled the pyramids,

forcing the Maya
to repurpose the stones.

¿No?

- Con las piedras.
- Con las piedras.

- The monastery was built
for a Christian god,

but it remained holy
to the Maya,

who worshipped the sacred
stones of their former temple.

- Mm-hmm.

- Así. Wow.

♪ ♪

- There are many theories
of why the town is yellow.

The most likely is because the
largest pyramid in the area

was dedicated
to the sun god,

but that's not the only
yellow ball deified here.

- Es queso.
- Wow.

- Amazingly, Dutch cheese
is the main ingredient

of queso relleno.

It's the signature dish at
Miriam's restaurant, Kinich,

which specializes
in home-cooked comfort food.

How did Dutch cheese get here

and become the most famous dish
of this region?

- Uh-huh.

- But unlike the Europeans

who prized these golden globes
for the cheese inside,

here, it's all about the part

that I would usually
throw away.

So you're not gonna use
the inside of the cheese?

You're gonna use
the outside of the cheese?

- The outside.

- It's said that once
the wealthy merchants

had scooped out
the creamy cheese,

their servants found
an ingenious use

for the discarded rind.

OK.

- OK.

- The meat of choice?
A familiar favorite: pork.

- Sí, igual.

- Uh-huh.

- Mm.

- Mm-hmm.

- Capers.
- Alcaparras.

- I love capers,
so let's put more.

- Oh, this is almonds?

Mediterranean bay leaves
and olives

also go into the pot,
and then it's cooked again.

So we close it back
in a cheesecloth.

- So it's just
gonna take a bath.

- Mm.

- Sí.

- Yeah.

- Oh, yeah.
That's soft.

At last,
our queso relleno is ready.

Now, I understand what
bursting with flavor means.

Ooh, can I touch it?

- Yes.

- Oh, my goodness.

That looks really good!

Over 16 ingredients
and three stages later,

it's finished with a Mayan
corn sauce and tomato salsa.

This is one intricate dish,

and I can see why diners come
here to enjoy its complexity.

Gracias.

Mmm.

- Mm.

- Wow.

Mmm.
- Mmm.

- Oh, that's so good.

- Mm-hmm.

- For me, this is the dish
that sums up Yucatán.

It's a region
that isn't afraid

to embrace different cultures.

The people here are so secure

in who they are
and where they come from.

New influences are simply
blended with the ancient

to create something unique.

In Yucatán,
there's an appreciation

that good things
are worth the wait.

♪ ♪