Vida Yokot'an: Heirs to an Ancestral Season
The fantastic cooking of the Yokot'an people has the perfect home just outside of Villahermosa and guests have never had a better time getting hungry.
Vida Yokot'an is a celebrated restaurant on the highway between Villahermosa and Comalcalco. In Tabasco's plant-loving climate, you could even miss it. It's a restaurant, but also learning center and even something of a cultural center for the people of the area.
A journey begins with thse people, the Yokot'an people of Tabasco. They are often called Chontol Maya but that is more correctly the name of their language branch. Yakot'an is what they call themselves. Sessions are intended for and frequently presented to visitors, school groups, and anyone interested in connecting with the cultural and culinary richness of the community.
The restaurant sits just off the highway, but the landscape is, like in so much of Tabasco, crossed by rivers, and sometimes overgrown with encroaching jungle. It's a fantastic escape especially for those who've been a few days in Villahermosa.
The building is traditional. Constructed entirely of local materials, today guests find themselves crossing over to a completely different way of life. The restaurant offers extensive tours and learning sessions that can include explanations of the building, the traditional kitchen, down to handmade utensils and tools used to prepare Yokot'an cuisine. Guests quickly learn to use ancient techniques to prepare some of the dishes.
Doña Panchita is a highly respected traditional cook recognized across Mexico for preserving the legacy of the culture and its food. Panchita guides guests in discovering the flavors as she describes each of the foods you taste, explaining their origin, preparation, and symbolic value. Every bite is be a direct connection to the living history of the Yokot'an people and a tribute to the identity, memory, and tradition of Tabasco.
The restaurant is some 25 minutes from the very center of Villahermosa. Taxis will be happy to ferry you from there. Reservations, especially for tours, are important.
Contact:
Jesús Enrique Hernández Arias
Tel. 993 475 0108
elchontalyokotan@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/RestauranteElChontal
https://www.instagram.com/sazon_ancestral.yokotan/
https://linktr.ee/sazonancestral
