Munchies at the Beach

The combination of beach, sun, breezes, and seafood complement each other perfectly, triggering sweet or salty cravings. And even if you aren’t a dessert lover, we are sure that you will end up choosing something from the amazing variety that you can find during the summer. Have some fruit, such as jícama, cucumber, or mango with lime, salt, chile and “chamoy” (a sauce that is salty, sweet, sour, and spiced with chiles). Enjoy without regret a cup of these natural delights, perfect for a sunny day at the beach. If you haven’t tried them, do it on your next visit.

Another beach craving that will refresh you from the heat are the “bolis” or “saborines” (popsicles without a stick), in flavors such as grape, lime, chocolate, strawberry, “crema morisca” (a unique flavor in Yucatán, try it!), mint, coconut, and more. People of all ages enjoy these treats and they taste much better after swimming for awhile!

While at the beach you have surely seen the vendors selling typical regional snacks, with their trays full of sweet and salty desserts, such as tamarind with or without chile, meringues, peanut and pumpkin seed brittle, marzipan in different forms and figures, coconut bars, pies, guava paste, and much more. Don’t miss the chance to try a bit of everything. The best part is that the prices are really affordable, so you can order a variety and nibble on them all day long. It’s common to see the vendors walking the beach with the trays on their heads, and without missing a beat they can show you all of their delicious sweets.

Another typical beach treat is the pork cracklings or popcorn, there are also vendors that offer them along with your favorite sauces. Among the new varieties of “botanas” you can now find glasses of gummies, dried fruits and all kind of peanuts, of course mixed with “chamoy,” lime, and salt. These are for you if you prefer salty things.

A very regional craving from the Telchac Puerto area are the homemade sweets from the Chay family (Dulcería Chay) where you will find an amazing variety of coconut and other regional fruit desserts. One of the house specialties is the papaya stuffed with coconut. A “must” on your next visit!

During the summertime you will also find branch locations of the bakeries and cake shops from Mérida that move to the coast, in Progreso, Chicxulub Puerto, and Chelem. There you can find sweets such as guava cakes with Edam cheese, sweet corn bread, cones filled with frosting, pieces of cake, choux pastry, and sweet potato pastry, just to mention a few.

As you can see, there are tons of options to satisfy your cravings, and remember that in Yucatán nobody skips dessert, whether a typical sweet or something from the bakeries. Bon appetit!

Editorial by Violeta H. Cantarell
Born in Mérida, Violeta is a communicologist dedicated to writing and creating content on tourism, fashion, and entrepreneurship. She has recently started working as an English-Spanish translator.

Photo by Natalia Bejarano Calero for its use in Yucatán Today