Oaxaca has been proclaimed the culinary capital of Mexico and we can totally see, smell and TASTE why! Even the air around Oaxaca is filled with the most amazing smells from street stalls, cafes, restaurants and thriving markets. The sophisticated cuisine originates from the ancient culinary traditions of the 16 distinct indigenous groups who make up the majority of the population. These group's traditional dishes are still flourishing alongside new world ideas and modern gastronomic trends. Oaxacans have mastered the art of using their locally grown and always fresh ingredients to their fullest potential.
We wandered through mazes in the city's pantries—the bustling markets. They were each filled with petite, elderly ladies selling a colorful array of fresh produce and homemade goods. We made a trek out of town to the Mercado de Tlacolula which has been in operation in one form or another since the MesoAmerican period. It was so interesting to see ancient cooking, crafts and trade traditions surviving in the modern world.
The markets have plenty of eating stalls. Mexican pizza, known as "Tlayuda" is made with giant 14-inch wide crispy tortillas. This was Austin's meal of choice.
Rows of meat, peppers, fruit, bread, flowers, shoes, baskets and more fill the sprawling markets.
Oaxaca offers many cooking classes that share the region's delicious recipes. We had a great day with Chef Oscar who welcomed us into his kitchen, took us on a market tour to inform us about local ingredients and then led us in a hands-on afternoon preparing several dishes. All of which we feasted on at the end of the class in his outdoor courtyard.
Making homemade tortillas, along with salsas, mole sauce, tortilla soup, tamale casserole, tacos el pastor, chocolate flan and limôn sorbet. I knew tortillas were made with lard but I was better off not knowing HOW much lard!!
Kate awaiting to eat the first of our six-course meal during our cooking class.
Chef Oscar giving us the lowdown on fresh Oaxacan ingredients.
The city of Oaxaca is so beautiful with its warm, colorful buildings and plethora of flowers. The variety of flowering trees was unreal!
After searching the last few cities for the right place to give my unruly locks a lift, I found one in Oaxaca. Turns out a stellar salon was just around the corner from our Airbnb and had the sweetest team of three ladies who all gathered around my head for three hours and worked their magic. It was fun trying to communicate with my minimal Spanish vocabulary and their minimal English. Instead of using foil for highlights, they used styrofoam sheets—haven't seen that before!
Cooling off with paletas de hielo (popsicles).
More treats between school work.
The local famous drink, Tejate, is like nothing we've ever tasted. A lot subtler than a hot chocolate, this cold textured drink is made from toasted maize, fermented cacao beans and cacao flower. It was so delicious and worth trying even though we were very hesitant due to sanitation reasons!
Of course, I have to end this post with a food photo—gigantic tamales and enchiladas!