Hola amigos! As we had mentioned in a previous blog there is no way that we can talk about food just once during our travels specially since we are visiting different regions. As you know the food is different in each state and I swear the food only keeps getting better. (We will definately be over weight by the time we return).
Oaxaca is known for their Mole and Mole has been around for hundreds of years. We have tried a few different flavors and the 2 that I love the most are Mole Negro (Original) and Mole Verde, Rudy on the other hand likes them ALL!. There are 7 different types of Mole, although some locals will tell you there are about 16 different flavors. You will find Mole Negro, Rojo, Coloradito, Amarillo, Verde, Chichilo and Manchamantel. Mole it’s usually made with chicken or pork (I prefer chicken) and usually it is served with rice and warm corn tortillas. Mole is very delicious but to some folks that are not familiar with mole it might not look very good, but you just have to try it. Mole is a sauce made out of different combination of chiles and spices with corn flour, the Mayans called it “Mulli” which means sauce.
Another big thing here in Oaxaca is the hot chocolate and let me tell you the hot chocolate here in Oaxaca is the best one that we have ever had! They make it with either hot water or milk. There are 2 popular hot chocolate companies here in Oaxaca, there is Mayordomo and La Soledad. The hot chocolate is usually made here very frothy by using a molinillo (wooden spoon like tool) and olla de barro (clay pot). You can enjoy it with some pan dulce (sweet bread).
A popular dish here in Oaxaca is the Tlayuda, it looks like a pizza but it’s basically a crunchy toasted tortilla with a thin layer of beans, cheese, choice of meat, tomatoes and avocado. It can get messy when the tortilla breaks so you have to get created on how you eat it. I have seen some people flip it like they do a slice of pizza. The Tlayuda is an iconic dish of Oaxaca. They are fairly large so you can definitely share or if you’re very hungry you can eat it all by yourself.
You can find some tacos here in Oaxaca but it’s not very popular like it is in other parts of Mexico, you might find a little taco shop here and there but they are not as popular as in other parts of Mexico. You will find empanadas which is just masa (dough) filled with meat or veggies, cheese and sauce and it is deep fried and of course let’s not forget the tamales Oaxaqueños, they are delicious! These tamales are traditionally made with mole negro sauce, chicken and are wrapped in banana leaves. This amazing Mesoamerican dish we never get tired of eating. It is said that tamales date back from 100 AD.
