Growing up between Mérida and Cozumel, every domingo was sacred family time. We’d walk together to the bustling mercados, where the air was thick with the aroma of banana leaves and achiote, and the sound of families sharing meals filled every corner. That’s where I first fell in love with authentic cochinita pibil—not rushed, not shortcuts, but the kind that made entire families pause their conversations just to savour each bite.

As someone passionate about authentic flavours, I made it my mission to taste cochinita across the península. From the legendary stands in Mérida’s Mercado Lucas de Gálvez to the hidden gems in Motul, from Valladolid’s weekend festivales to the coastal preparations in Cozumel. I travelled to Izamal’s golden streets, Campeche’s historic plazas, and countless small poblados where abuelas still prepare cochinita the way their grandmothers taught them.

After learning from the masters, I began cooking for my own familia, perfecting the process year after year, following the traditions of the best cocinas I’d experienced. When I moved to Toronto four years ago, I tried many Mexican restaurants and taquerías across the city. While some were good, none captured the authentic cochinita pibil experience that can only come from someone who spent years learning from Yucatán’s finest traditions.