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 News from Around Banderas Bay | October 2007 
Pie Ladies of Yelapa
 Patricia Landis - Eureka Reporter
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| | Perched on the side of the Sierra Madre Mountains, Yelapa is a coastal village in Mexico that boasts lush jungle, beachfront cottages, romantic sunsets and delectable pies delivered daily to the beach. Chelly, one of the two pie ladies of Yelapa, is pictured bringing a sample to author Patricia Landis. (Michael Landis) |
“So how many pieces of pie have we consumed so far?” Michael asked me.
It was a good question, one that I had avoided thinking about after six solid days of pie research.
We are in our favorite place, the small tropical coastal village of Yelapa nestled in the Bay of Banderas, a 45-minute boat ride south from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
We return here for a variety of reasons. The pace is slow; the people friendly and easygoing.
Electricity is a recent addition. There are no cars, and all transportation is done by boat, mule or foot.
The quaint and picturesque town is perched on the side of the Sierra Madre Mountains.
Below, the cove is lined with palms and ringed by verdant hills and lush jungle. Tropical birds and wildlife abound.
An additional major attraction is the local pies. Sold by the slice on the beach, they are popular finger food for the beach crowd of Yelapa.
Every day before dawn, way before the sun warms the stone buildings, two kitchens, Augustina’s and Chelly’s, are radiating heat.
This is serious business enterprise. The two women constantly compete with each other to woo the beach crowd that waits below the village. It is a daily race to see who captures the biggest share of the pie market. They each bake between 12 and 15 pies daily and a generous slice sells for 20 pesos ($2).
Starting with the first rooster’s crow, delectable aromas waft through the open Dutch doors and thatched roofs of their homes, enveloping the town and its sleeping people. It signals that, in Yelapa, another day has begun.
It is early morning and we are in the warm, cluttered kitchen of Chelly’s home. A sense of urgency fills the air.
Cooling, stacked along the window sill, is a row of pies — a grand visual display of banana custard, apple, pecan, chocolate cream, coconut and creamy cheese custard.
On a high ledge, in a class by itself — and tucked away from her baby’s little fingers — stands a neat row of our absolute favorite: lemon meringue pies that easily stand four inches tall.
Chelly quickly cuts each pie into eight pieces and transfers it to a large plastic container. She then gathers her other essentials for the day ahead: a shoulder bag with sunscreen and a large roll of aluminum foil.
She buckles on her money pouch, closes the container and balances it on her head. Last, an entire lemon meringue pie tops the container.
Off she goes, following the cobblestone path to the stone staircase with its knee-grinding steps.
It’s a sight. The meringue quivers with every stride she takes down to the edge of the Tuito River and as she carefully wades through the water to the beach.
Around 11 a.m., the pie-savvy beach crowd is shooting anxious glances up at the carved-out stone steps leading from the village. Although few are wearing a watch, their internal time clock says, “Pie.”
We spent six days trying to discover the secrets of Yelapa’s pie ladies. How does the crust turn out so flaky? What keeps the custards from being too sweet and from melting? Most intriguing of all, how does the meringue stay aloft, all day and in this heat?
Our first approach was to Augustina, who agreed to a cooking demonstration on the last day of our stay.
In anticipation, Michael and I sampled every pie she baked. We checked consistency, flavor and texture early in the day and in the late afternoons as well.
We compared Augustina’s pies to Chelly’s, knocking on the kitchen door at night, hoping for leftovers.
We did this with the utmost diligence, all in the name of research, until disaster struck on the last day. Augustina apologized and said she wouldn’t be able to work with me after all.
What was the story? Could there be an element of secrecy and protection involved?
Twenty years ago, the original recipes came from a visiting chef from Guadalajara who worked for a period in the kitchen of the only beach hotel in Yelapa, Hotel Lagunita.
Augustina’s twin sister worked in the kitchen at that time and was the first to launch the pie tradition. The twins worked the beach together at first, but soon there was trouble in paradise.
A territorial dispute — local yore called it a real pie-slinger — prompted one of the sisters to move north and set up shop in Puerto Vallarta.
Later on, Chelly ventured into Augustina’s territory. Since then, both families have been entirely supported by the efforts of the two pie ladies.
Surely, Augustina did not think I would be another beach competitor? She enjoyed selling us as much pie as we could handle, but I’m doubtful she ever had any intention of sharing pie recipes.
Luckily, it looked like Chelly was coming to the rescue. After we bought an entire lemon meringue pie straight out of her house early in the morning, she agreed to let me in on her secrets. With pen and paper in hand, I received the list of ingredients and her special techniques for each step.
When I inquired about her fabulous meringue, the instructions were a bit, if not very, vague.
“Four egg whites and two soup spoons of sugar, beaten by hand and baked at full heat until done.”
From past experiences, I know that meringues can be quite tricky. I’ve followed simple and truly complicated recipes using low and high heat, little and lots of sugar, and I have never been able to produce a meringue that stands four inches tall and stays that way all day.
Could I watch?
The curtain came down.
“Oh no, no. It is not possible, amiga. Everyone must be out of the kitchen; otherwise, the meringue will go flat.”
The definite response left me completely deflated.
As for Michael’s original question, our research continues, and yes, we have lost count.
Getting there:
Fly into Puerto Vallarta. Scheduled boat departures to the water pueblo leave daily from Los Muertos Pier. Speak to Sergio or Roger. The office is closed on Sundays.
Travel to Yelapa is increasing and space on the water taxi is limited. Buy tickets early, 120 pesos ($12) one way or 220 pesos ($22) RT. Price includes baggage you can carry. Extra baggage costs more. Be prepared for a wet beach landing and arrive early for departure. They’ve been known to leave before the scheduled time.
Places to stay: Hotel Lagunita, Hotel-Lagunita.com. Beachfront, ocean-view and honeymoon cottages, $60-$85 low season, $80-125 high season. |
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