From the Maya Earth to your Table

“Múul Meyaj” is an independent organization made up of about 20 communities from Yucatán, including Tekit de Regil, Acanceh, Tetiz, Hunucmá, and Ebtún. In Yucatec Maya the name means “teamwork,” and part of its mission is to rescue traditional Maya flavors through the creation of artisanal and agro-eco products made across a collaborative network of co-working.

The founder of the collective Amir Tun (originally from Timucuy) explained to me that, incredibly, the project recently completed only its first year. When we met to talk, he brought me a wicker basket full of samples of what the organization sells: I couldn’t believe it! Bars of “cacao,” ground pumpkin seeds, condiments, and baked tostadas seasoned with different flavors. I began to get butterflies from the excitement, because I felt like I had just discovered something big. This was exactly the type of food source I had been looking for in Mérida: local, organic, and fair trade. Everything comes directly from the small producers at accessible prices.

Amir works to create new opportunities for employment for all of the indigenous groups or families that want to participate, respecting the lifestyles of the individuals who make the products. “The people don’t have an outlet for selling. They prepare everything in their homes, and buyers like me have to go to them in order to pick up and distribute the products,” he explains.

Múul Meyaj offers everything from local seeds like pumpkin or peanut, to artisanal products like hand-made tortillas, tostadas baked with various kinds of corn, seed bars, regional sauces, honey, and even handicrafts.

Amir comes to the city three times a week to make personal deliveries. Seven stores in Mérida also carry the products, including: Vida Sustentable in the Santiago neighborhood, Ya’axtal on Prolongación Paseo de Montejo, and Biorgánicos on Avenida García Lavín.

The collective is open for guided visits in Acanceh, where travelers can take tours of the farm and the botanical garden, which they recently created. Learn more about this collective by contacting Amir (cel. 9994 50 21 04) or on Facebook “Múul Meyaj.”