Yucatán, Mexico — specifically Mérida and the Yucatecan Peninsula, pre-Columbian broth tradition with Spanish citrus influence
Sopa de lima is the quintessential Yucatecan soup — a clear, bright broth of turkey or chicken stock seasoned with the juice and zest of lima (a floral, less acidic Yucatecan lime), roasted tomato, charred onion, and herbs. Fried tortilla strips are added to each bowl at service. The lima agria (sour lima) provides a floral, perfumed acidity unlike regular lime. Habanero is often charred and infused into the broth for background heat.
Bright, floral, citrus-forward with smoky undertone from charred aromatics — the lima gives a perfumed acidity unlike anything in other Mexican cuisines
{"Lima (Citrus limetta) is not Mexican lime — it is sweeter, more floral, and less acidic","Charring the onion and tomato directly on comal or flame before adding to stock is essential","Broth should be clear — strain carefully after poaching the bird","Tortilla strips must be fried separately and crisp — added at service not in pot","Habanero char-infused into stock: toast habanero on comal, split, add to broth, remove before service"}
{"If lima is unavailable, a combination of regular lime + a few drops of orange juice approximates the floral quality","Make the stock from a whole poached bird — use the meat as the soup filling","The charred onion adds dark, slightly sweet depth — do not skip","Epazote added at the end for 5 minutes only — longer cooking turns it bitter"}
{"Substituting regular lime for lima — the floral quality is lost entirely","Adding tortilla strips to the pot — they become soggy and the soup turns starchy","Not charring the vegetables — raw onion and tomato produce a flat, thin broth","Over-acidifying with lime juice — lima should perfume, not dominate"}
Yucatán: Recipes from a Culinary Expedition — David Sterling