Originally from the tiny community of Copainalá in Chiapas, Chef Nidia Sánchez is today head of one of Mérida’s most luxurious restaurants, Yerba Santa.
Chef Nidia’s journey began when she was just a little girl, helping her mother cook traditional food in their humble kitchen.
“My mother is the inspiration for everything I do. She was such an amazing cook, but that was not the end of it. She even made her own cookware from clay by hand that she would collect and then bake herself,” Chef Sánchez says with a nostalgic smile.
After completing her culinary studies in Tuxtla Gutierez, Chef Sánchez worked and traveled far afield within Mexico, slowly making a stellar reputation for herself.
While working in Mexico City, she was offered to partner with a group of well-established restauranteurs to develop their most ambitious project yet.
Yerba Santa Mérida, which follows another Yerba Santa in Mexico City, is in the heart of Paseo de Montejo, in one of Mérida’s most iconic mansions, El Minaret.
But despite the luxury of its architecture and furnishing, Chef Sánchez harkens back to the home cooking of her childhood — albeit in a more sophisticated manner today.
“We could not wish for a better home for Yerba Santa, but luxury can get you so far. At the end of the day, it is all about the food,” says Chef Sánchez.
One of the restaurant’s signature dishes, El Atarderdecer, or “sunset,” is a delicious and refreshing take on ceviche, prepared with local ingredients and camaron seco from Chiapas.
“The atardercer came to be before the restaurant even opened when my restaurant partners and I observed the colors of Mérida’s sunset. I felt a creative rush and knew I wanted to create a dish channeling this beauty on a plate,” says Chef Sánchez.
When asked about the restaurant’s name, Chef Sánchez tells the tale of her mother, who cultivated the edible yerba santa in her backyard, which quickly grew out of control. After deciding to cut it back, the aromatic “holy weed” grew back stronger than ever.
Chef Sánchez’s mother said that from now on, they would no longer cut back the yerba santa, as you had to respect anything that, when cut down, grew back even stronger.
“During the unpleasantness of 2020, I think we all felt a little defeated, but my mother and that yerba santa gave me the strength to push on and follow my dreams. That is why I chose this name, to honor my mother, her resilience, and everything she taught me.”
Yerba Santa is at the Paseo de Montejo’s Minaret mansion, between calles 35 and 37, closed Mondays. yerbasantamx.com/merida
