Marquesitas are thin crisp wafers, rolled around a filling of Edam cheese (queso de bola) and a sweet partner like cajeta, Nutella or chocolate, the Yucatán's signature street sweet.

The dish was invented in Yucatán in the 1930s by Leopoldo Mena, an ice-cream vendor who, in slow winter months, started selling just the wafer cones from his ice-cream business. Queso de bola filling came from the Yucatán's Caribbean cheese trade. Today the carts on Plaza Grande and Parque Hidalgo are the canonical source.

Where to eat Marquesitas in Mérida

2 editor picks for Marquesitas in Mérida, ranked by editorial score. All Mérida signature dishes · Marquesitas across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 101 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 120g all-purpose flour
  • 120g sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 60g butter, melted
  • 120 ml whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 200g Edam cheese (queso de bola), grated
  • 100g cajeta or dulce de leche
  • Optional: chocolate spread, jam

Method

  1. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together. Beat in eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla until smooth.
  2. Heat a marquesita iron (or pizzelle press) until hot.
  3. Pour 2 tbsp of batter onto the iron and close. Cook 60-90 seconds until golden and crisp.
  4. Remove the wafer while still pliable. Quickly sprinkle a strip of grated Edam down the centre and drizzle cajeta on top.
  5. Roll the wafer tightly into a cylinder while still warm. The cheese melts slightly from residual heat.
  6. Serve immediately, while the wafer is still crisp and the cheese soft.
  7. Repeat with remaining batter.

Editor tip. The wafer must be rolled while still warm or it shatters. Work fast: have all fillings prepped before you start cooking.

Common allergens: Dairy, Gluten, Egg.