The rich gastronomy of the Mexican state of Yucatán has attracted the palates of attendees at the World Travel Market (WTM) , which brought together more than 50 thousand industry tourism delegates from November 5 to 7 in the city of London .
The minister of tourism of Yucatan, Michelle Fridman , assured Notimex that her state has a broad range of tourist attractions to offer, though this year, they focused on gastronomy.
"We want to promote and attract more tourism in any way we can, though we decided to focus on Yucatán’s gastronomy. I know my country very well and I dare say the local cuisine is probably the richest in Mexico," said Fridman.
Yucatan’s cuisine is a result of the Mayan heritage in southern Mexico, with local ingredients such as habanero and annatto .
"In recent years there has been a boom that is worthy of recognition and that will constitute a great attraction for tourists with new chefs such as Pedro Evia , who are fusing traditional Mayan cuisine with new trends," she said.
The chef Evia from the Kuuk restaurant delighted the attendees of the Mexico Pavilion with the traditional cochinita pibil tacos .
To show off the very diverse cuisine of Yucatan, the chef offered a succulent dinner for the press, delegates, and friends of Mexico at the Santo Remedio restaurant , a few steps from the River Thames .
"The cochinita pibil took at least five hours of slow cooking and the banana leaf is very important to highlight the flavor," said Evia, who has been cooking Yucatán food for 17 years.
The event sponsored by the government of the state of Yucatan offered black ceviche (with 26 spices burnt to ashes), Yucatán style esquites, the famous cochinita pibil, as well as venison pipián with fruits endemic to the southern state , among other dishes.
The tourism minister noted that many foreigners travel to the neighboring state of Quintana Roo , but noted that Yucatan offers the traveler another type of "boutique-type" experience.
"We have historic haciendas that today serve as luxury hotels, we have more than 30 archaeological sites, two of them have been named World Heritage Sites."
The official said that British tourism could reach Yucatan by flying to the international airport of Cancún, Quintana Roo, through direct flights or via Mexico City .
"We are working on very important regional strategies. However, it is important that tourists know how to differentiate the offer that exists in Quintana Roo with those wonderful beaches of the Caribbean and the offer that exists in Yucatan as the heart of the Mayan world.”
During the event, the state of Yucatán has also promoted natural treasures such as Celestún and Río Lagartos in a colorful state with magical towns, architecture, beaches, cenotes, jungle, and the well-known Mayan culture.
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