Pib, more correctly in Yucatec Mayan píib, is a typical earth oven of the Yucatán peninsula, in Mexico. This technique probably has a pre-Hispanic origin. It consists of digging a hole, lighting a stove with firewood and stones, and cooking the food over low heat, all covered with more soil. Today, many people in Mexico believe that "pib" refers to tamales cooked in the earth oven and not to the oven itself; This confusion is quite widespread.
A piib oven can feed up to forty people, so it is typical to prepare it during local festivities. For example, in Kantunilkín, the municipal seat of Lázaro Cárdenas, the piib is prepared for December 8, the day of the Immaculate Conception, the patron saint of the town. Relleno negro is also made for Hanal Pixan, as well as torteado or vaporcito tamales.
