Wondering what to buy in Merida: 11 Best Merida Souvenirs

Looking to buy some souvenirs from Merida?

If you’re wondering what to buy in Merida, Mexico, here, you’ll find the 11 best Merida souvenirs to buy on your next trip.

There are so many amazing souvenirs and gifts you’ll want to bring home! From artisanally-crafted food and drinks to authentic Yucatan clothing that the locals wear to handmade arts!

1. Habanero Pepper Salsa

The habanero chili pepper is the local chili pepper grown in the Yucatan Peninsula; it is from the same family as the spicy Scotch bonnet pepper.

Habaneros are very hot, but it’s a central ingredient in traditional Yucatan food.

You’ll usually get habanero salsa brought to your table at all the best Merida restaurants without asking for it. 

2. Local Mayan Honey

Mayan honey is an excellent option for those who don’t like spicy food or have a sweet tooth. The Mayans used this sweet treat for consumption and medicinal treatments for everything from cuts to glaucoma.

This unique-tasting honey that’s unlike anything you’ll find in your local grocery store today is produced by several species of local bees, including the stingless Melipona bee.

3. Xtabentun (Mayan Honey Liqueur) 

Xtabentun (pronounced shtab-en-tune) is an ancient Mayan liquor that has been made for thousands of years. This liqueur is made with anise seed and fermented honey produced by honey bees from the nectar of xtabentún flowers, a very rare plant to find in the wild. Next, rum is added to the anise and honey mixture, and it’s all left to ferment, creating the smooth, sweet xtabentun liquor.

Many locals have it straight up or over ice; some even add an extra spoonful of honey. Also used in Mayan Coffee, which is coffee mixed with a shot of tequila and a shot of xtabentun.

4. Pox (Mayan Liquor)

Pox (pronounced posh) is a Mexican drink more commonly associated with the State of Chiapas, located south of Yucatan State. 

Like xtabentun, pox is also a Mayan liquor. Both Chiapas and Yucatan have large Mayan populations. 

There’s no one way to make pox, and it is traditionally home-brewed. The main ingredients are corn, wheat, and sugarcane. Pox has a strong corn flavor, with a sweeter taste from the sugarcane. 

5. Mayan Chocolate

Interesting Fact: Chocolate is made out of cacao which is originally from Mexico, and the Mayans were the first to cultivate the cacao tree

Mayan chocolate can be found in products from hand soap to chocolate we all eat or drink.

The chocolate we eat will have a nice grainy texture, as it’s hand-ground and made the old-fashioned way. In fact, some companies selling primarily to the United States and Canadian clientele have embraced this textured chocolate.

6. Molinillo (Wood Whisk)

If you plan to buy Mayan chocolate, don’t forget your molinillo. The molinillo was an artifact created by Aztecs and Mayans for thousands of years.

A molinillo (pronounced moe-lee-knee-oh) is a wooden whisk used to make both hot and cold drinks, so to make a proper Mexican hot chocolate, you will need one.

7. Yucatan Hammocks

Hammocks are one of the most popular handmade souvenirs that visitors and locals equally love. In fact, many who live in Merida even sleep in hammocks rather than traditional beds.

8. Hummingbird Art (Colibris)

Hummingbirds are sacred to the Mayans, who believed these small birds carry one person’s good thoughts to another. Since they move so fast and are near impossible to catch. The Colibri (hummingbird) is a revered animal throughout Mexico.

As with all important symbols, you can find the hummingbird on pieces of art made by local Mayan artisans.

9. Mayan God Chaac Figure

Chaac, the god of Rain, is among the most important gods in the Mayan religion. The Mayans believe he controls the entire sky’s clouds, lightning, and rainfall. 

10. Guayabera Shirts

For men, the guayabera (pronounced why-uh-bear-uh) is Yucatan’s most traditional article of clothing. Guayabera shirts are designed to keep you cool. (A Panama hat is another excellent Merida souvenir for men!). You’ll find guayaberas in shops all over town.

11. Mayan Textiles

Mayan textiles are colorful, often with large flowers, animals sacred to the Mayan, and elaborate lines and geometric patterns.

Mayan textiles have deep symbolism and tell a lot about who’s wearing it. Different patterns can signify status in society, a person’s family lineage, religious hierarchy, and more.