Campeche cuisine: pan de cazon, pampano en escabeche and the Gulf sea

What is it?

Campeche cuisine is the gastronomic tradition of the state of Campeche, on the western coast of the Yucatan Peninsula along the Gulf of Mexico, considered the most sophisticated of the three peninsular cuisines. It combines Mayan heritage, Spanish techniques, pirate contributions from the 17th and 18th centuries, and Gulf products of seafood and artisanal fishing. Its emblematic dishes are pan de cazon (a lasagne of tortillas, stewed dogfish and black beans), pampano en escabeche, chocolomo (beef offal broth), Campeche panuchos, oven-baked Campeche cochinito, strained tamales (made with strained masa, not coarsely ground), pibipollos, coconut prawns, rice with octopus in its ink and sweets such as cocoyol sweet and cocada. The city of Campeche, the state capital, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 thanks to its defensive walls against pirates and its fortified historic centre.

Origin and history

Campeche cuisine has its roots in Mayan civilisation, which dominated the region with cities such as Edzna, Calakmul and Becan for more than 3,000 years. The peninsula was sighted in 1517 by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, and Campeche was founded as Villa de San Francisco de Campeche in 1540 by Francisco de Montejo 'el Mozo', becoming the main port of the peninsula until the rise of Progreso (Yucatan). It suffered constant attacks by English, French and Dutch pirates during the 17th and 18th centuries (Henry Morgan, Lorencillo, Jean Lafitte), which motivated the construction of the imposing defensive wall with its eight bastions, still visible today. The pirate presence left culinary traces: salting, smoking and preservation techniques that influenced pampano en escabeche and cured fish. According to Larousse Cocina, pan de cazon is an 18th-century Campeche invention that uses the dogfish (small shark) abundant in the Gulf. Lebanese immigration from the late 19th century brought kibbeh and Levantine techniques to Campeche. The cultivation and consumption of cacao in areas such as Carmen has maintained a chocolate tradition since pre-Hispanic times. Campeche was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 for its value as a fortified colonial city.

Characteristic ingredients

Pan de cazon is the flagship dish: maize tortillas layered like lasagne, with stewed dogfish (young shark cooked and shredded in a sofrito of tomato, onion, epazote and habanero chilli), strained black bean and a sauce of tomato with habanero chilli, repeated in 3 to 5 layers. It is served hot, decorated with a whole roasted habanero chilli (decorative). Pampano en escabeche is fried pampano fish then marinated in an escabeche of vinegar, onion, garlic, pepper and cumin, a Mediterranean-pirate heritage. Chocolomo is a broth of beef offal and meat cooked with onion, achiote, coriander and habanero chilli, a dish of chacolomo or Mayan-mestizo ritual slaughter. Campeche strained tamales use very fine strained masa (sieved through cloth), not coarsely ground; filled with chicken or pork in chile guajillo. Dogfish, crab, prawns, octopus in its ink and Gulf snails are the seafood stars. Achiote, habanero chilli and X-cat-ik chilli are basics. Yucatan red onion and sour orange replace lime. Cocoyol (local palm) and chichihualtzapotl produce fruits for traditional sweets. Xtabentun and chaya complement peninsular ingredients.

Cultural significance

Campeche cuisine is the most sophisticated peninsular cuisine due to its pirate-Mayan-Mediterranean mix and is a tourism driver for the state. The city of Campeche has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 for its value as a fortified colonial city; the cuisine is an indispensable part of the tourist experience. Traditional cooks such as Silvia Ramos and Monica Hernandez have preserved centuries-old recipes from the Campeche repertoire. Campeche cuisine is part of the UNESCO inscription of traditional Mexican cuisine in 2010. Patronal festivities such as those of Pomuch (a unique Day of the Dead with bone cleaning), the celebrations of the Virgen del Carmen in Ciudad del Carmen, and the Champoton fair include traditional food as a cultural axis. The Calakmul biosphere reserve, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, preserves Mayan ritual cooking in nearby towns. Campeche is also an important producer of prawns, octopus and cacao. The dogfish cuisine sustains small-scale fishing economies in towns such as Champoton, Sabancuy and Seybaplaya. The state government promotes routes such as the Cacao Route and the Camino Real Route.

Frequently asked questions

What is pan de cazon?

It is the emblematic dish of Campeche: a kind of 'Mexican lasagne' of 3 to 5 alternating layers of maize tortilla, shredded dogfish (young shark) stewed in a sofrito of tomato, epazote and habanero chilli, and strained black bean. It is covered with tomato sauce and decorated with a whole roasted habanero chilli. It is served hot, in square portions. It was born in the 18th century, making use of the dogfish abundant in the Gulf.

Why are there so many escabeches in Campeche cuisine?

Because of the pirate and Iberian influence. Campeche was a key Gulf port and suffered constant pirate attacks during the 17th and 18th centuries, which motivated food preservation techniques for long voyages and supplies during sieges. Escabeche (vinegar, onion, spices) was a Mediterranean method for preserving fish and meats without refrigeration. Pampano and turkey in escabeche are a direct heritage.

What does Campeche cuisine taste like?

It has complex flavours: citrus notes from achiote and sour orange, acidity from escabeches, spicy-fruity habanero and X-cat-ik chillies, smoky pibil cooking, and the mineral sweetness of Gulf seafood. Pan de cazon mixes earthy marine flavours with beans and spices. It is more sophisticated than Yucatec cuisine due to its greater variety of fish and the Mediterranean-pirate influence.

Where does Campeche cuisine come from?

It originates from the state of Campeche, on the western coast of the Yucatan Peninsula along the Gulf of Mexico. Its roots are Mayan (Edzna, Calakmul) of more than 3,000 years, with a strong Spanish colonial imprint from 1540 (the founding of the town). It received Mediterranean-pirate influences in the 17th and 18th centuries, and Lebanese influences from the late 19th. The city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.