3rd Annual Salbut Fair: Mérida's Festive Food Celebration

The San Sebastián market in Mérida will transform into a festival of flavors this Sunday, September 28, as vendors present the third annual Feria del Salbut — the Salbut Fair — from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The 12-hour celebration promises to showcase the versatility of salbutes, the beloved Yucatecan antojito. It consists of a puffed, deep-fried tortilla topped with lettuce, sliced avocado, pulled chicken or turkey, tomato and pickled red onion. The traditional street food, whose name comes from the Yucatec Maya words meaning “light” and “stuffed,” has become a cornerstone of regional cuisine.

Market vendor Alberto Matos explained that the fair emerged as a response to pandemic-era challenges. “When sales dropped more than 30% due to COVID-19, we decided to create a strategy to attract customers and promote consumption of products sold here,” he said during a press conference at the market.

Traditional Meets Creative

Eight market vendors will offer salbutes at a fixed price of 18 pesos each, with seafood varieties priced at 25 pesos. The fair will feature both traditional preparations with turkey or hard-boiled eggs and more adventurous options including seafood, cochinita pibil, relleno negro, grilled meat, and various cheese combinations.

Local sponsors have donated 80 kilos (176 pounds) of corn flour and 50 kilos (110 pounds) of wheat flour specifically for salbut preparation during the event.

Alfonzo Lozano Poveda, technical secretary for Mérida’s Markets Department, said Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada has prioritized transforming city markets into family gathering spaces. “We’re setting up tables, chairs, and adequate ventilation to make this a comfortable space where families can come for breakfast, lunch, or dinner,” he explained.

The San Sebastián market sits in a neighborhood known for food celebrations. The area hosts a Mucbipollo Fair in late October, while the nearby Ermita neighborhood holds a Panucho Fair in November. These events help preserve Yucatecan gastronomic traditions while creating community spaces.

Entertainment and Activities

The festival program includes performances by local neighborhood artists and the Municipal Ballet Folklórico of Mérida. Organizers have planned prizes and giveaways for attendees throughout the day.

The Circuito de Emprendedores Yucatecos (Yucatecan Entrepreneurs Circuit) will set up a bazaar featuring plants and organic products alongside the food festivities.

While salbutes take center stage, vendors will also offer other market favorites including lechón and cochinita tacos, tortas, mondongo soup, and panuchos. The variety reflects the rich tradition of Mérida’s market culture, which has experienced a renaissance in recent years.

Event organizers anticipate between 2,000 and 3,000 visitors during the 12-hour celebration. Payment methods vary by vendor, with all accepting cash while some also take credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers.

The celebration continues a growing trend of specialized food fairs across the Yucatán Peninsula that highlight individual dishes and traditional cooking methods. These events serve both as cultural preservation efforts and economic drivers for local vendors who faced significant challenges during the pandemic.

For visitors unfamiliar with this traditional dish, salbutes offer an accessible introduction to Yucatecan cuisine, combining familiar ingredients in distinctly regional preparations that reflect centuries of Maya culinary tradition.