The Day of the Dead is celebrated uniquely in Mexico, and Cempasúchil, the gastronomic experience at Micaela Mar y Leña restaurant in Mérida, Yucatán, perfectly captures this ancestral tradition. In its second edition, this event organized by Food and Travel México brought together renowned Mexican chefs such as Rebeca De Anda, Maycoll Calderón, Angel Vázquez, and Wilson Alonzo at chef Vidal Elías’ restaurant, presenting a menu inspired by the roots of the Day of the Dead.
An Offering to Honor the Dead and La Nana Micaela
The evening began with a beautiful Day of the Dead offering decorated with cempasúchil flowers, symbolizing the path for the deceased to return, along with traditional elements like sugar and chocolate skulls, tequila, and cigars. This offering also paid tribute to La Nana Micaela, an inspiring figure of the Micaela Mar y Leña restaurant, known for her protective, wise, and nurturing spirit.
The flavors of the Cempasúchil dinner were intensified by La Castellana’s selection of perfect wines to enhance each dish. Additionally, mixologist Xexa León presented the Bacal cocktail, made with Tequila Herradura Plata, sotol, tibicos (a yeast community used to make water kefir), and a fresh touch of lime, inviting attendees to experience an authentic Mexico in every sip. Another standout cocktail was Agua Pa’l Alma, a mix of mandarin, pumpkin, raspberry, and a touch of lime, capturing the spirit of the celebration.
Starters to a Sensory Journey
The dinner began with a variety of unique appetizers, each with a personal touch from the guest chefs. Maycoll Calderón presented tuna, totomoxtle, and avocado, while Vidal Elías surprised with fresh clams and xek, a Yucatecan salad highlighting the peninsula’s flavors. Wilson Alonzo offered a toast of ground pepita and castacán with a touch of horchata mayonnaise. Ángel Vázquez delighted with a gordita stuffed with poc chuc and Valladolid sausage, and Rebeca De Anda closed the appetizers with a plantain molote stuffed with barbacoa, a true game of contrasts in the mouth.
While guests enjoyed these first creations, artistic makeup artist Jenny Horna transformed Caro Cabrera Storey into an impressive Catrina. Seeing this emblematic figure of the Day of the Dead come to life during the Cempasúchil dinner reminded everyone of the cycle of life and death in a captivating way.
The Cempasúchil Menu
The Cempasúchil dinner menu at Micaela Mar y Leña included dishes inspired by Mexican traditions and flavors, prepared by renowned chefs and perfectly paired to elevate the experience.
– First Course: Rebeca de Anda, former executive chef of Micaela Mar y Leña and new leader of the Bartolomé culinary project, transported guests to Mayan lands with her mushrooms in black recado glaze and creamy pibinal corn. These smoky and sweet flavors were perfectly paired with the Bacal cocktail by Alejandra “Xexa” León with Tequila Herradura Plata.
– Second Course: Chef Maycoll Calderón from the Cuna restaurant inside the Wayam hotel in Mérida presented sea bass grilled in champagne and butter, with artichoke, spinach, and catrina flowers. This dish, fusing maritime and orchard flavors with edible flowers, was paired with a Portuguese Vinho Verde Raza Rosé wine provided by La Castellana.
– Third Course: Chef Vidal Elías of Micaela Mar y Leña celebrated Yucatán ingredients with an innovative touch: octopus with chilmol and plantain, paired with Valdubón Roble from the Rueda Designation of Origin.
– Fourth Course: Angel Vázquez, chef of Augurio and Intro in Puebla, delighted guests with a duck confit tamale with mole poblano from his restaurant and market cream. This tribute to Puebla cuisine was enhanced with a Mort Tenebrae beer, Irish Stout style, from the Memento Mori Brewery.
– Fifth Course: Chef Wilson Alonso, who promotes traditional cuisine at his restaurant Ya’axche in Halachó, Yucatán, presented grilled lime-soaked lamb chops with sofrito of x’pelón (a typical bean) and chiltomate from milpa. This complex preparation full of milpa flavors was sublimely paired with a Cava Segura Viudas Brut Rosé, courtesy of La Castellana.
A Reunion Dinner
The grand finale of this dinner was the Reencuentro dessert, a collaboration of all the chefs present. This sweet creation consisted of a chocolate candle filled with sweet potato brioche, guava, plantain cream, and salted caramel, with marigold ice cream and paired with Tequila Herradura Ultra. Lit in front of the diners, the chocolate candle had to be broken to reveal the filling, symbolizing the “reunion” with those who have departed.
The dinner also included an important cultural moment with Pedro Fernández, who explained the Mayan tradition of Hanal Pixán, the Yucatecan version of the Day of the Dead. His talk allowed attendees to understand the tradition’s relevance and its relationship with the flavors presented.
The Cempasúchil dinner at Micaela Mar y Leña was much more than a gastronomic experience: it was a reunion between the living and the dead, a celebration of life through Mexican cuisine, and an immersion in the traditions of the Day of the Dead in Mérida. Each dish and drink were a work of art, designed to connect with the roots of this holiday, celebrating a night of flavors, history, and respect for those who have departed.
Source: Food and Travel
