Inspiration
During our first visit to the island of Isla Mujeres, we became intrigued by a woman, a beach vendor, who seemed to have everyone clamoring for her attention. After a day or two, curiosity got the better of us, and we approached her. Lovely Maria, known as "The Pepita Lady" to both locals and tourists, spent her days traversing Punta Norte (the North Beach) pouring out scoopfuls of her pepitas into the hands of eager customers.
She began with raw shelled pumpkin seeds, and the end result is a spicy crunchy snack that became so addictive that, once back home, we were experiencing Pepita withdrawal!
In an effort to curb the relentless cravings, we began attempting to replicate Maria's recipe. After locating a source for raw organic pepitas, the experimentation began. Months later, we felt that we had come close to nailing the recipe, and began a sampling campaign that included many "Islaholics". The feedback from all involved was a resounding "We want more!".