Oaxacan Food
Oaxacan Cuisine
Oaxaca is one of Mexico's major gastronomic, historical centers whose cuisine is known internationally. The state has a number of climates and cultures, which contributes to making the cuisine the most varied in Mexico. The state has coastal areas with seafood, the Central Valley grows a wide variety of vegetables, and the area near Veracruz provides tropical fruits. It also has seventeen recognized indigenous groups, who contribute their own cooking traditions.
Oaxaca's dietary staple is corn, which has been Mexico's for over 7,000 years. Tortillas are called blandas.. The main flavoring agent is the chili pepper, with varieties such amarillos, chilhuacles, chilcostles and costeños, but the most distinctive is the pasilla oaxaqueña chile. Distinctive herbs include hoja santa, often used in chicken, pork, and fish dishes as well as mole verde, along with epazote and a local herb called “pitonia.” Another distinctive ingredient is Oaxaca cheese also called quesillo, used to make empanadas, tortas and tlayudas.
Popular Dishes:
Tlayudas are large chewy tortillas with toppings of beans, guacamole, meat or seafood and cheese.
Traditional Oaxacan tamales are large, wrapped in banana leaves with a mole filling. Other tamale varieties include amarillo (yellow), verde (green), rajas (chili pepper strips), chepil, elote (fresh corn) and dulce (sweet). In the Isthmus of Tehuantepec there is a variation with iguana meat and along the coast it can contain seafood. Other well known Oaxacan dishes include chorizo oaxaqueño, tasajo, cecina enchilada, cocido oaxaqueño and various sauces such as molcajete, chintextle, borracha, chile pasilla, guajillo y ajo and gusanitos.
Indigenous Roots:
The indigenous people of Oaxaca have grown corn, beans, squash and other crops for thousands of years. In rural, especially indigenous villages, households still depend heavily on these foods with few changes in how they are grown, mostly on small plots. The cooking here retains much of its indigenous flavor, such as dishes prepared without fat (unknown before the arrival of the Spanish) and the use of the valley's abundance of vegetables and herbs especially in its moles.
Chocolate
Oaxaca is an important producer and exporter of coffee, but the more important drink is chocolate. Cacao and chocolate have been used in the state as food, drink and medicine.
Though most chocolate is consumed as a hot beverage, it is also an important ingredient in a cold beverage called tejate. It is made with fermented corn, cacao, and the seed of the mamey fruit. It is traditionally served in dried and painted gourds.
Seven moles
Oaxaca has over 200 known preparations for mole, a complicated sauce based on one or more chili peppers. However, seven are most notable, giving the state the nickname of “land of the seven moles.”Oaxacan moles require multiple ingredients and long cooking time, and for this reason are traditionally served only for special occasions. Depending on the ingredients, they are toasted or fried then mixed with others to make a sauce that is then simmered. . Oaxacan moles are served with chicken, pork and beef; however, the sauce is more important in a mole dish than the meat.
The name, color and ingredients distinguish the seven main moles of Oaxaca, called negro (black), amarillo (yellow), coloradito (little red or red-colored), mancha manteles (tablecloth stainer), chichilo (named after the main pepper), rojo (red) and verde (green). Mole negro is slightly sweet, black in color and contains six different types of chili peppers, plantains, onion, tomatoes, tomatillos, cloves, cinnamon, chocolate, nuts, tortillas, avocado leaves and more depending on the recipe.
Mole amarillo contains green tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, ancho chili peppers, guajillo chili peppers, hoja santa or cilantro and is garnished with onions, lime and oregano. Mole coloradito is brick red in color and contains ancho chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, sesame seeds, almonds, cinnamon and oregano. Mancha manteles is red and uses ancho chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion, thyme, cloves and almonds. Another red mole is chichilo, which uses chihuacle, negro, pasilla and mulato chile peppers, tomatoes, marjoram, allspice, cloves and avocado leaves. Rojo is red as its name suggests with ingredients such as chocolate, guajillo chili peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, nuts and sesame seeds. Mole verde contains tomatillos, green chili peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, ancho and guajillo chili peppers, hoja santa, epazote and parsley.
Chapulines
Various insects are consumed in the state including ants and grubs from maguey plants but the best known are grasshoppers, called chapulines. They are an important source of protein in the rural areas and a delicacy in the city of Oaxaca. They are cooked by immersing them into boiling water seasoned with garlic and lime. The most common way to eat them is fresh off the comal and with a tortilla, but they are also eaten fried with chili powder as a snack (especially with mezcal) and can be found in more sophisticated preparations, in a sauce or mixed with eggs.
For serious students of Mexican cuisine, Oaxaca holds a certain fascination. As one of the poorest and most indigenous regions of Mexico, Oaxaca is where one finds the food ways that pre-date the arrival of the Spanish. It is this Pre-Columbian tradition that leads many food writers to believe that Oaxaca has the most "authentic" and profound Mexican food. 10,523 rural villages, 18 recognized ethnic groups, eight regions creates the amazing depth of Oaxaca’s beautifully-nuanced cuisine.
Oaxaca is one of Mexico's major gastronomic, historical centers whose cuisine is known internationally. The state has a number of climates and cultures, which contributes to making the cuisine the most varied in Mexico. The state has coastal areas with seafood, the Central Valley grows a wide variety of vegetables, and the area near Veracruz provides tropical fruits. It also has seventeen recognized indigenous groups, who contribute their own cooking traditions.
Oaxaca's dietary staple is corn, which has been Mexico's for over 7,000 years. Tortillas are called blandas.. The main flavoring agent is the chili pepper, with varieties such amarillos, chilhuacles, chilcostles and costeños, but the most distinctive is the pasilla oaxaqueña chile. Distinctive herbs include hoja santa, often used in chicken, pork, and fish dishes as well as mole verde, along with epazote and a local herb called “pitonia.” Another distinctive ingredient is Oaxaca cheese also called quesillo, used to make empanadas, tortas and tlayudas.
Popular Dishes:
Tlayudas are large chewy tortillas with toppings of beans, guacamole, meat or seafood and cheese.
Traditional Oaxacan tamales are large, wrapped in banana leaves with a mole filling. Other tamale varieties include amarillo (yellow), verde (green), rajas (chili pepper strips), chepil, elote (fresh corn) and dulce (sweet). In the Isthmus of Tehuantepec there is a variation with iguana meat and along the coast it can contain seafood. Other well known Oaxacan dishes include chorizo oaxaqueño, tasajo, cecina enchilada, cocido oaxaqueño and various sauces such as molcajete, chintextle, borracha, chile pasilla, guajillo y ajo and gusanitos.
Indigenous Roots:
The indigenous people of Oaxaca have grown corn, beans, squash and other crops for thousands of years. In rural, especially indigenous villages, households still depend heavily on these foods with few changes in how they are grown, mostly on small plots. The cooking here retains much of its indigenous flavor, such as dishes prepared without fat (unknown before the arrival of the Spanish) and the use of the valley's abundance of vegetables and herbs especially in its moles.
Chocolate
Oaxaca is an important producer and exporter of coffee, but the more important drink is chocolate. Cacao and chocolate have been used in the state as food, drink and medicine.
Though most chocolate is consumed as a hot beverage, it is also an important ingredient in a cold beverage called tejate. It is made with fermented corn, cacao, and the seed of the mamey fruit. It is traditionally served in dried and painted gourds.
Seven moles
Oaxaca has over 200 known preparations for mole, a complicated sauce based on one or more chili peppers. However, seven are most notable, giving the state the nickname of “land of the seven moles.”Oaxacan moles require multiple ingredients and long cooking time, and for this reason are traditionally served only for special occasions. Depending on the ingredients, they are toasted or fried then mixed with others to make a sauce that is then simmered. . Oaxacan moles are served with chicken, pork and beef; however, the sauce is more important in a mole dish than the meat.
The name, color and ingredients distinguish the seven main moles of Oaxaca, called negro (black), amarillo (yellow), coloradito (little red or red-colored), mancha manteles (tablecloth stainer), chichilo (named after the main pepper), rojo (red) and verde (green). Mole negro is slightly sweet, black in color and contains six different types of chili peppers, plantains, onion, tomatoes, tomatillos, cloves, cinnamon, chocolate, nuts, tortillas, avocado leaves and more depending on the recipe.
Mole amarillo contains green tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, ancho chili peppers, guajillo chili peppers, hoja santa or cilantro and is garnished with onions, lime and oregano. Mole coloradito is brick red in color and contains ancho chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, sesame seeds, almonds, cinnamon and oregano. Mancha manteles is red and uses ancho chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion, thyme, cloves and almonds. Another red mole is chichilo, which uses chihuacle, negro, pasilla and mulato chile peppers, tomatoes, marjoram, allspice, cloves and avocado leaves. Rojo is red as its name suggests with ingredients such as chocolate, guajillo chili peppers, onion, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, nuts and sesame seeds. Mole verde contains tomatillos, green chili peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, ancho and guajillo chili peppers, hoja santa, epazote and parsley.
Chapulines
Various insects are consumed in the state including ants and grubs from maguey plants but the best known are grasshoppers, called chapulines. They are an important source of protein in the rural areas and a delicacy in the city of Oaxaca. They are cooked by immersing them into boiling water seasoned with garlic and lime. The most common way to eat them is fresh off the comal and with a tortilla, but they are also eaten fried with chili powder as a snack (especially with mezcal) and can be found in more sophisticated preparations, in a sauce or mixed with eggs.
For serious students of Mexican cuisine, Oaxaca holds a certain fascination. As one of the poorest and most indigenous regions of Mexico, Oaxaca is where one finds the food ways that pre-date the arrival of the Spanish. It is this Pre-Columbian tradition that leads many food writers to believe that Oaxaca has the most "authentic" and profound Mexican food. 10,523 rural villages, 18 recognized ethnic groups, eight regions creates the amazing depth of Oaxaca’s beautifully-nuanced cuisine.