Whether you are strolling the streets of Merida, cheering at a baseball game in Cancun or just lounging on the main beach in Puerto Morelos you are never too far from a marquesita (pronounced: mar-kay-cee-ta)vendor. A marquesita is one of the most delicious creations to come from Yucatan. In Merida in 1938, Don Vicente Mena, an ice cream vendor, made the first rolled wafer stuffed with Edam cheese and sprinkled it with cajeta (caramel sauce). As most inventions do, the marquesita was born out of necessity. The don needed a cold weather treat to entice customers during the Winter months when his ice cream sales were low. The daughters of a wealthy marquis living in Merida loved the waffle cones stuffed with queso so much Don Vincente named them “marquesitas” after the little ladies.
So the next time you are in the Riviera Maya, treat yourself to a marquesita and discover what locals have been smiling about for decades.