The San Sebastián neighborhood was once again filled with delicious aromas, music and conviviality this weekend with the eighth edition of the Mucbipollo Fair, an event that has already become an essential part of the celebrations prior to Hanal Pixán, the Yucatecan commemoration dedicated to the faithful departed.
Very early yesterday the characteristic smell of freshly baked GDP spread through the streets of the neighborhood.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada, within the framework of the Animas Festival.
In a matter of minutes, entire families, couples, groups of friends and tourists began to arrive to enjoy this ancestral dish that, more than a meal, represents an act of memory and union.
Local chefs set up their stalls in front of the park and proudly offered their creations. Each one with a personal touch, but faithful to tradition.
Among the options were the classic chicken pib with pork, loin with cheese, ham with chaya or espelón, the latter also in its vegetarian version.
Individual portions were offered for $100 while full pibes, wrapped in banana leaves, varied in price depending on size and ingredients.
The tour through the hall of the fair was the expected sensory feast. The color of the leaves, the dough, the smell of the delicacies mixed with the laughter and the talks gave shape to a scene that can only be understood if you walked there.
While some were waiting their turn to buy, others were already tasting their portions on foot, at the tables and even on the benches and the fountain in the park, accompanied by the drinks that could be found, such as soft drinks, coffees or fresh waters, and with regional music in the background.
The cooks, dressed in hipiles and suits, served with the kindness that characterizes our people. Between jokes and greetings, they offered to try a little the different flavors of pib, explaining to the visitors, mostly national and foreign tourists, the meaning of Hanal Pixán and the importance of the dish on these dates.
“GDP is the heart of the Day of the Dead for us,” said one of them while arranging a new batch on the banana leaves. “But, it stings?” asked a foreigner, laughing.
Foreign tourists were curious to learn about the underground cooking process, the ancient technique that gives mucbipollo its unique flavor and texture.
Many stopped to listen to the explanations, marveling at the result of the mixture of fire, earth and banana leaves, which symbolize the connection between the elements and the cycle of life, according to what was commented by an offerer.
In addition to the mucbipollo, attendees enjoyed a wide variety of local products, bread of the dead, puff pastries, typical sweets, frappés, homemade desserts, as well as potatoes, salchipulpos and esquites.
The cultural component was very present. Groups of revelers and troubadours performed on the main stage, while altars dedicated to the faithful departed were displayed around the park, decorated with flowers, candles, photographs and typical dishes.
As evening fell, the park became a mosaic of lights and aromas. The visitors continued to arrive, and families shared the improvised table on park benches or any place they could.
One of the most attractive scenes was a catwalk of dogs dressed in typical clothing, mini hats, guayaberas and hipilitos.— DARINKA RUIZ MORIMOTO
Mucbipollo Fair
In its eighth edition, several people gathered to taste the dish.
Aromas and atmosphere
The aromas of the pibes and other foods created an atmosphere that invited you to walk slowly, stop in front of each stall and share the taste for traditional food.
History in offerings
Each offering told a story, and each story recalled the deep meaning of Hanal Pixán, celebrating the lives of those who are no longer here, through the flavors they left as an inheritance.
Region identity
Between talks, music and photographs, the Mucbipollo 2025 Fair confirmed during the Sunday day its role as one of the most endearing events of the Yucatecan autumn, where flavor, memory and tradition are intertwined to keep the region’s identity alive.
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