Pati, voice-over: The Maya were once one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas, but today, they are fighting to keep their culture relevant.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: Zoila Cen and her mother Irma teach Mayan dishes and customs at their oasis Aldea Xbatún to help keep that history alive, but... Pati: If you want to eat here, you actually have to cook here.

Pati, voice-over: Which you know I'm game for.

Pati: We're picking some chaya.

OK. Pati, voice-over: At the Mayan gates of the underworld, the pristine cenote Xocempich, Zoila opens up about her work as a civil rights lawyer for wrongly imprisoned Mayans.

Honored to share the traditions of this beautiful culture, I'm teaching you how to make sikil pák, a smoky pumpkin seed salsa, and a citrusy chaya leaf soup.

[Birds chirping] ♪ [Child shouts] [Speaks Spanish] ♪ Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Super sweet.

-[Woman speaks Spanish] -Yeah.

♪ [Pati speaks Spanish] ♪ So breathtaking.

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♪ ♪ [Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: I'm not sure if there's a happier occasion to stumble into than a birthday party the same day I'm visiting Aldea Xbatún.

Think of it like a family-run Maya bed and breakfast near Valladolid.

One of these kids is a year older.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati: This is Chaya water.

[Speaking Spanish] [Fire crackling] [Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: Aldea Xbatún was an idea by Doña Irma and her family to preserve and honor their Maya roots by hosting visitors and sharing traditional meals, but there's a catch.

Pati: If you want to eat here, you actually have to cook here, which makes me so happy!

[Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: That includes harvesting your own ingredients.

We're picking some chaya.

[Speaking Spanish] Chile.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati: We're gonna go get eggs!

[Speaking Spanish] Ha ha ha!

-Ha ha ha!

-OK.

If you want eggs, you have to come and get your eggs, OK?

Pati, voice-over: With our fresh ingredients, Irma and her daughter Zoila are ready to teach me their first traditional Mayan dish, sikil pák, a smoky, nutty salsa made with toasted pumpkin seeds, and rather than the usual take with tomatoes, they are using green plums.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: Add salt, chile, and a little orange juice, and this simple dish is bursting with flavor.

[Speaking Spanish] Mmm!

Mmm!

Mmm!

Very tasty.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati: You chew on the seed like an olive, but when you chew on the seed, it's, like, so tart and acidic and juicy and yum.

[Speaking Spanish] OK. Pati, voice-over: This nutritious soup is made with chaya, ground pumpkin seeds, and torn handmade tortillas.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati: Ah!

[Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: Simple, but it hits the spot.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati: This is so good!

Pati, voice-over: So good that we have to try these recipes at home.

♪ Pati: Sami, they showed me how to make this pumpkin seed dip that's called sikil pák.

-Sikil pák?

-Sikil pák, and I just Googled what sikil pák means.

Apparently, sikil is Maya for pumpkin seeds.

OK. And pák is Maya for tomatoes, and most of the things go charred or roasted, and we're gonna just roast or char everything in there.

[Speaking Spanish] -All together?

-All together.

So we want them to super char on the outside, not to get burnt on the inside.

So the sikil pák they made there had the pumpkin seeds always with the shell.

I'm curious to taste to see what it's like without the shell.

Which one would you want to make, the one with the shell or without the shell?

I'll make without the shell.

OK.

So we have to toast them.

On this side, I'll do the ones with the shell, and on that side, without the shell.

So you just have to be, you know, paying attention because you don't want them to burn, and you also have to be flipping the tomatoes.

Right, right, right.

-It's fun, no?

-Yeah.

And then you get to choose your habanero -Chiles are capricious... -OK. but habaneros tend to be really spicy, so you can expect heat.

Yeah.

Heh.

Choose your own adventure.

I'll try green.

So you have to multitask, and you have to be flipping because we want them to roast and char everywhere.

OK. Sami, our seeds are burning, so this is enough.

Like, you want them to toast just like these.

So I'm gonna start putting mine here.

[Dog barks] -Uh-oh.

-Mila, look.

Seeds.

Oh, she loves them.

[Speaking Spanish] So look.

As these ones continue to do its thing, I have my molcajete here.

Do you want to grab yours over there?

I'm gonna use-- this is a coffee or spice grinder.

OK. First the ones with the shell.

Aqui.

We're grinding it along with salt.

[Grinding] So this is the toasted, ground pumpkin seeds with salt.

But now we're making a version without the shell.

Yeah.

That's really good.

♪ [Grinding] OK. Why don't we start adding one by one the ones that look the mushiest, softest?

Squeeze the juice before you put it here.

Oh.

Now, this is ridiculous!

Now--now we mash.

Oh, this is beautiful.

For people who don't have a molcajete, you could throw this in the food processor and just process until how chunky you want it, but you kind of wouldn't get this magic, you know, of, like, the ingredients mashing, like, with this rhythm and on this rock, and it's just bound to taste different.

-Yeah.

-But we're not done.

-Oh, no.

-Chile.

Ha ha!

So because we don't want it to be, like, crazy spicy, I'm gonna add a half of an habanero in here.

-With the seeds and all?

-With the seeds.

OK.

So I'm adding this much.

So the other thing that we need to add is a fresh herb.

We have chives, and we have cilantro that we're growing here.

We could, you know, do one and one, continue the distinction.

-OK. Let's do that.

-Yeah.

So I'll do chives because I love chives.

OK.

I like cilantro.

Yeah.

So in part of the Yucatán, they use cilantro.

In a part of the Yucatán, they use chives.

OK.

So I'm adding some, and I'm leaving some for garnish.

Pati: Come try mine.

Sami: We should both try.

Yeah.

OK. -Hmm.

Very good.

-Mmm.

Definitely, like, strong, but it doesn't, like, completely mask.

Mm-hmm.

Let's try yours.

Right on.

I like mine better.

Mmm.

Can I tell you something?

Tell me something.

I think yours has the flavors come together much better.

Mm-hmm.

-That's it, Mom.

-Ha ha ha!

Pati, voice-over: Ancient Mayans were once considered the most advanced civilization in astrology, writing, and medicine, but as the region was colonized by Spain, they suffered centuries of oppression and human rights violations, some that continue today.

Zoila Cen is not only a talented cook but a lawyer and activist, who has made it her mission to fight prejudice against her people.

We wanted a quiet place to talk, so why not get away to the underworld, a secret sacred cenote, Xocempich.

[Speaking Spanish] Wow!

Pati, voice-over: Cenotes are underground caves that fill with rainwater over time.

This is one of thousands across the Yucatán Peninsula.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: Zoila's passion is fighting for human rights.

When she's not at the aldea, she's a lawyer working as a volunteer translator at a local prison, where she helps Mayan inmates being held without representation or resources.

[Speaking Spanish] Mm-hmm.

Pati, voice-over: She's since expanded her pro-bono services within the local Mayan community but without much support because she's Mayan and she's a woman.

[Speaking Spanish] Pati, voice-over: Irma has instilled pride and knowledge into her children that is now being passed forward to future generations.

Now I want to pass on her chaya soup.

♪ My friends from the aldea shared with me this chaya soup that's incredibly easy to make.

You can make it with chaya, you can make it with Swiss chard or watercress.

One of the things that I loved the most about that soup was that you tear fresh corn tortillas into the soup, or you chase the soup with them.

So here we're gonna make fresh corn tortillas, but we're gonna make them with chives and cilantro in the masa to make that taste even more powerful.

So I have 2 1/2 cups of masa harina that went in here.

I'm gonna add a pinch of salt.

I'm gonna add 1 2/3 cup of lukewarm water, but I'm gonna add it a little at a time... mixing the masa harina with the water.

You don't want the masa to be crumbly like this.

It has to come together.

I think it's gonna end up being, like, two cups.

OK. That's feeling good.

And I'm going to super finely chop a little bit of chives, a little bit of cilantro.

I'm gonna add it into the masa.

A little more.

My masa is really thirsty today.

So you don't want it to be wet, but you do want it to really come together.

OK.

So now that I have my masa, and I'm making 14 to 16 balls.

Then we have the tortilla press, our thin plastic.

Then we have our ball about 2 inches, 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Put it on the press, add the plastic on top, and...here we go.

And then remove the plastic from the top.

As the tortilla cooks and those herbs cook within the masa, they're just going to unlock their flavor, but meanwhile, I'm gonna make the next tortilla.

Release the plastic.

Oh, so beautiful!

Second one comes here.

OK.

So it's, like, 60 seconds on one side and then, like, 90 seconds on the other.

You do want to flip it when the second side has browned a little more.

This one already has the air pockets in it.

OK.

So this one is ready... and this one's ready, too.

So I'll continue with the soup.

This is a chaya soup, but it is very difficult to get chaya in the U.S., so that's why I've been growing my own two chaya plants.

This is chaya.

Look at the leaves.

I mean, they're beautiful.

So I'm going to combine this chaya with watercress, but you can make this as spinach or watercress or Swiss chard soup, as well.

OK. Before I remove my comal, I want to roast an habanero or two.

Because I'm gonna make a little mix of habanero with sweet lime juice, I'm going to squeeze the juice of two sweet limes.

I wish they could make a perfume out of it.

It's so delicious.

It's not acid.

If you can't find sweet lime, you can mix lime and lemon and then a little bit of salt.

So adding the salt in here, and the other thing that you add to the soup is toasted pumpkin seeds, which I'm gonna toast right now.

These are hulled pumpkin seeds that are raw.

I'm adding them here.

And these toast so fast.

I don't want them to brown.

I don't want them to burn.

I just want them to release their oils and their flavor.

OK.

So this is enough.

We don't want them to burn.

So I'm removing my pumpkin seeds.

So I'm gonna add my pumpkin seeds in my coffee or spice grinder, and then I'm adding salt.

Grind.

[Grinding] OK.

I'm gonna add it back in here.

It's hot.

I'm gonna remove my charred habaneros.

They're ready.

Super soft and toasted.

So I'm just gonna chop the habaneros.

OK. Yum!

I'm gonna put these right in here.

So this habanero-sweet lime condiment you're gonna add to taste and then these ground toasted pumpkin seeds with salt, and now we need to make the soup.

So I'm gonna add a couple tablespoons vegetable oil.

Then I'm gonna chop half of a white onion.

♪ Finely chopped.

I gonna add the onion right in the oil, which should be hot already.

This is over medium heat.

I'm gonna stir.

Then we're gonna do a banana pepper.

You can keep the seeds or remove the seeds.

I'm removing the seeds because I think I have enough chile seeds in my habanero mix.

♪ I'm gonna mix.

[Sizzling] Then I'm gonna pour directly over 8 cups of chicken broth.

This is homemade, but you can use store bought.

I always make a bunch and just keep it in the freezer.

Because I want it to boil faster because I'm hungry, I'm gonna cover it, and as it comes to a boil, I'm just gonna cut my-- so these are watercress, which has a bit more bite than spinach.

I want all the leaves, and I just want the upper part of the stems.

I'm gonna cut my few chaya leaves that I have here, but they're gonna add flavor and personality to the soup, and then this is starting to boil.

Mmm.

Mmm!

Super subtle.

It needs a little salt, but I can taste the banana chile, and I can taste the onion.

Mix it.

Oh, you can see the yellow there.

Now I'm gonna add all my greens.

Mix it.

OK, and that's it.

As we say in Mexico, all we need is un hervor.

Just that means let it come back to a simmer one more time, and we're set.

It smells so good.

OK. so now I gonna add this pepita mix.

I'm just gonna add some nutty, salty flavor.

Then I'm gonna add some of this habanero-sweet lime mix.

Then I'm gonna do this.

Then I'm gonna... And this is a whole different soup.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm!

Mmm!

Mm-hmm.

Repeat.

And you're gonna want to spoon, dunk, eat just like me.

Mmm!

Simple.

Delicious.

Yum.

♪ Pati, voice-over: Back at the aldea, Irma's family is at work on another traditional dish, huevos encamisados.

Fresh-made corn masa is used to make tortillas stuffed with eggs and cooked.

Then they're topped off with a tangy salsita made with onions, chile, and chaya.

[Speaking Spanish] ♪ Mmm!

Pati, voice-over: And now a special treat to top it all off, handmade chocolate served with xtabentún, a Mayan anise and honey liquor, Irma's traditional way of offering gratitude to people, to food, to the culture.

[Speaking Spanish] Mmm!

Pati, voice-over: Don't forget it's someone's birthday, and it's time for my favorite part.

[Speaking Spanish] [Singing in Spanish] [Speaking Spanish] ♪ Pati: For recipes and information from this episode and more, visit patijinich.com and connect.

Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest @PatiJinich.

Announcer: "Pati's Mexican Table" is brought to you by... ♪ Announcer: La Costeña.

¡por sabor!

Men: ♪ Avocados from Mexico ♪ ♪ Announcer: Stand together.

Helping every person rise.

More information at standtogether.org.

Announcer: Goya black beans-- whole, plump.

You can use them in movie time snacks and more.

If it's Goya... it has to be good!

[Acoustic guitar plays Nationwide jingle] Announcer: Here, the typical arroz con pollo or not.

Unfollow la Receta.

Mahatma Rice.

Announcer: Levenger-- nearly 40 years of craftmanship for readers, writers, thinkers, and doers.

Announcer: Proud to support "Pati's Mexican Table" on public television.

♪