Banyan Tree Mayakoba recently introduced HAAB, an immersive outdoor dining experience that aims to bring to life the ancient culture, customs and cuisine of the Mayan people. Set in the jungle near the resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, HAAB commemorates how the ancient Mayans cultivated their food in agricultural fields and forest gardens.
HAAB is named after the Mayan zodiac inspired by the four basic elements of earth, wind, fire and water. These elements appear throughout the dining experience: Guests sit on the earthy forest floor, surrounded by water features and Caribbean Sea air, while participating in the preparation of the indigenous cuisine over an open fire pit.
The meal begins at sundown with a Mayan ritual that pays tribute to the sun for another day and marks the start of night. Adorned in traditional garments, Mayan warriors arrive at the resort by canoe through Mayakoba’s mangrove-lined waterways, or arrive in the lobby to escort awaiting guests to HAAB’s intimate forest garden, led by the light of burning torches and the sound of beating drums. The warriors ignite HAAB’s four fire pits, signifying the cardinal points of north, south, east and west, and pray for the next day. Throughout the dinner, they tell stories about Mayan history and culture.
HAAB’s cuisine includes warm sopes – a Mexican appetizer of fried corn dough with fresh vegetables and slow cooked meat – served family-style. Guests are also served a traditional drink flavored with xtabentum, a flower with origins tracing back to ancient Mayan time, served in a jicara, a small, artfully decorated wooden jar made from the fruit of the calabash tree. Locally sourced, seasonal ingredients such as lime, orange, hibiscus flower and lemongrass are also available, alongside signature cocktails infused with local Mayan liqueurs such as huana (rum with guanabana fruit), XTA (rum with aniseed) and kalani (coconut liqueur).
//