What a panucho is
The recipe published by Mexico's consumer agency, Profeco, spells it out: take a tortilla, open it and stuff it with beans, then fry it. That hidden filling is what sets the panucho apart from other snacks.
Then come the toppings: Profeco serves it with pickled onion, cochinita pibil and tomato salsa, and Mexico's culture ministry mentions shredded turkey or chicken and pickled red onion.
The ingredients
- Corn tortilla, ideally handmade.
- Refried beans inside the tortilla.
- Shredded meat: cochinita, turkey or chicken.
- Pickled red onion, tomato and sometimes lettuce, cucumber and avocado.
- Salsa: Yucatán's tourism ministry mentions xnipec, made with habanero.
Variations
There's no single version. At a municipal traditional-panucho contest, for example, judges highlighted handmade tortillas, grilled chicken, pickled red onion, tomato, lettuce, cucumber and avocado. On the coast, such as at the Celestún market, you'll find panuchos made with dogfish or ray.
Where and when to eat them
Profeco places panuchos among the snacks served at Yucatecan cenadurías, which open in the evening. They're also found in traditional markets such as Tecoh's, with tables for salbutes, panuchos, tortas and tacos.
Ordering tips
- Ask which meat they have: cochinita, turkey or chicken.
- Ask for the salsa on the side if you're not used to habanero.
- Eat it with your hands, in a couple of bites.
Snacks and day trips
After a day trip, a panucho dinner is the most Yucatecan way to end it. Mary Tours trips return to Mérida in the afternoon, in time to head to a downtown cenaduría. The office is on Calle 61 in the historic center; see schedules in the booking section.
Fun facts
- A panucho's beans are hidden inside the tortilla.
- On Yucatán's coast you'll find dogfish panuchos.
- They're a staple of evening cenadurías.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a panucho?
A corn tortilla stuffed with beans, fried and topped with shredded meat, pickled onion and salsa.
Panucho or salbut?
A panucho has beans inside the tortilla; a salbut is a fried, puffed tortilla with no filling.
What meat goes on panuchos?
Cochinita, turkey or chicken; on the coast, also dogfish or ray.
When do people eat them?
Mostly at night, at cenadurías and markets.
