Although the culinary specialties of Campeche have many ingredients in common with others from the Yucatan area, those of Campeche are distinguished by their seasoning and presentation. Many of the recipes are prepared with two ingredients: sour orange, which is used to marinate meats, and achiote, a typical regional condiment that gives dishes their characteristic orange color. The habanero chili also plays an important role as a condiment in country food, so it can be quite spicy for palates not used to strong flavors. Most of the most exquisite dishes in this state come from the cuisine based on fish and seafood, such as bread, tamales and tacos de cazón; pompanos in green sauce, fried oysters and stuffed crabs; seafood soup and octopus in its ink or garlic, among others. Other delicacies include x’catic chiles stuffed with dogfish, coconut shrimp, shrimp and fish ceviches and excellent octopus, shrimp, oyster or snail cocktails.
Campeche also offers a wide variety in its cuisine and some of the typical dishes not coming from the sea are: chocolate, bean stew with pork, beef pipián (beef in pumpkin seed sauce), stuffed cheese, bacon, piglet or chicken pibil (prepared with achiote, sour orange and roasted with banana leaf) and poc chuc (pork loin marinated in sour orange and achiote).
For dessert, try sweets in syrup of ciricote, papaya, coconut, redcurrant, nance and tamarind. These same fruits are prepared with alcohol resulting in mild-flavored liqueurs. He also enjoys the “air” fritters bathed in honey, pumpkin seed marzipan and marrow (fried pasta bathed in piloncillo honey), sweet potato sweets, pudding, rice with coconut, coconut white, sighs, turrets, coconuts, friars, meringues.
Breads: corn bread, cream bread, ham and cheese puff pastry, tuti, cocotazo, braided bread, French egg yolk bread.
Drinks: pozol, coconut horchata, rice horchata, cashew water, pitaya water, Jamaican water, pineapple chaya water, sour orange water, new corn atole, iced tea.
The popularity of traditional country food has filtered its prestige and taste beyond state borders. The European species and articles combined with regional products, has originated delicious dishes that today are usually tasted in homes and food shops in the municipality of Campeche.