CUISINE
The cuisine of Oaxaca shares its origins with central and southern Mexico cuisine, but has some distinctions. Oaxaca is replete with restaurants and offers good eating in the markets (see market post).
Link to illustrated article on Oaxaca food on Uncornered Market
Link to decent Wikipedia article about Oaxaca cuisine
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Chocolate: Xocólatl, as it is called in Nahuatl, or chocolate (choke-oh-LAH-teh in Spanish) is a Mesoamerican foodstuff, beverage and spice. “Oaxaca is famous for its chocolate, traditionally hand ground and combined with almonds, cinnamon and other ingredients, usually drunk as a hot beverage.” Cacao is grown in Oaxaca, and if you visit the El Mayordomo shop you can see it being roasted, mixed with sugar and cinnamon - and buy some.
Coffee: Delicious coffees are grown in the mountainous areas of Oaxaca.
Insects: Many native cuisines use insects, and in Oaxaca
chapulines (grasshoppers) are found roasted, fried and even in chocolate. Some sauces use
jumiles, true bug relatives.
Gusano de maguey (larvae of the century plant moth) are tasty when fried.
Escamoles are tasty and larvae that taste like extra rich pine nuts. (Yes, I’ve eaten them all. Other than tacos filled with live
jumiles, I quite like them.)
Mezcal: (Nope, nothing to do with mescaline, mescal buttons or psychedelics.) Tequila is an alcoholic beverage distilled from the fermented juice of the roasted hearts if the Blue Agave century plant (Agave tequilana Weber) in Jalisco state. Mezcal is its analog made from century plants other than the Blue Agave, and Oaxaca is the main producer. There are plain versions as well as aged, and some flavored with orange, etc. Some mezcal is worthy of tasting and sipping.
Mole: There are seven more famous kinds of
mole (MO-leh) in Oaxaca, the most known earthy, chocolatey, nutty, spicy and rich. Mole is actually more diverse because every family has its own recipes, handed down through generations, so there are at least hundreds of moles.
Squash flower: Flór de calabaza is served in soups, quesadillas, empanadas etc.
Tamales: Tamales are usually larger, often made with mole and wrapped in banana leaves in Oaxaca, rather than wrapped in corn husk. There are several varieties of tamal you won’t see elsewhere.
Tlayudas: Large chewy crispy tortillas with black bean paste, Oaxaca cheese and toppings like
cecina (like South African biltong), carne asada, etc.
Some excellent Oaxaca influenced cuisine can be enjoyed at restaurants like
La Biznaga (García Vigil No. 512) and
Los Danzantes. Traditional Oaxaca food is good and plentiful at the
20 de Noviembre market.
Chocolate being ground, roasted and blended
Mezcal tasting with Luís Ramirez tours
Tamales
Tlayuda