Hanal Pixán & Mucbil Pollo

Monumento a la Patria

Here in Yucatán, the Day of the Dead is called Hanal Pixán. It has many of the same beliefs and traditions as in the rest of Mexico but it also has some things that are different, it’s done the Mayan way. One of the traditional foods usually eaten on the 1st of November is Mucbil Pollo. It’s a large, very rich tamale type dish, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an underground oven or Pib, because of this the dish is often called a Pib or Pibes.

the bakery

I got some advice on where to get a good Pib and was told to order it in advance or I wouldn’t be able to get one. So, I ordered one for the day after Dupre and Koren arrived so we could celebrate together. It came from a bakery that I had never noticed before, in the glorieta at the Monumento a la Patria. It’s a great bakery, I’m glad I’ve found it. They had a separate table for Pib orders, I paid half in advance and had to choose which kind I wanted. They come as chicken, pork or espelón, a small type of black bean. I got the mixto, sort of a half and half pan, why choose when you can have it all.

the price list

While there, I took some pictures of the regular bakery products for Hanal Pixán, the sweets for the altar and the sugar skulls with names already on them.

meringues

sugar skulls

I thought I would remember to take more pictures during dinner but I completely forgot. It was wonderful, I liked both the chicken and the pork side. The masa surrounding the filling is rich and crunchy and the seasoning was incredible. Very good that night and almost as good straight from the refrigerator at midnight!