learn about the traditional foods
Brief Oaxacan Food Background
Food is significant to many cultures, but we will focus on Oaxacan food. Oaxacan food has become very popular in recent years and with no doubt. They have a wide variety of delicious foods that include mole, tlayudas, tasajo, chapulines (grasshoppers) and mescal, among other things. Some of their food staples include tortillas (blandas), chile, corn, and cacao. Each region in Oaxaca had their own way of making food so many things will taste different in many regions. Some regions eat different foods than others, for example coastal regions eat more seafood than those in the central valley.
Food is significant to many cultures, but we will focus on Oaxacan food. Oaxacan food has become very popular in recent years and with no doubt. They have a wide variety of delicious foods that include mole, tlayudas, tasajo, chapulines (grasshoppers) and mescal, among other things. Some of their food staples include tortillas (blandas), chile, corn, and cacao. Each region in Oaxaca had their own way of making food so many things will taste different in many regions. Some regions eat different foods than others, for example coastal regions eat more seafood than those in the central valley.
Chapulines (Grasshoppers)
Oaxaca is known to consume grasshoppers. They usually catch them in the spring, after the rainy season. They also eat nymphs, which are baby grasshoppers. These nymphs taste sweet and are sold for a high price, thus being compared to caviar. When they catch the chapulines it is in the early morning when they are cool and dormant. That way they are easy to catch since they are half asleep. If you try to catch them in the day the chapulines are active and it is nearly impossible to catch them. Once they catch them, they get cleaned and left to rest withour any food for three days, that way they get rid of their waste. Once that is done, it is time to cook them. Women usually cook the cahapulines. They start off by boiling them in water with garlic and lime. Once they are cooked they toast them on a comal. Once they are done they sprikl lime juice and some sal de gusano and they are ready to eat. |
Tlayudas
This dish consists of a large tortilla, either lightly toasted or partially dried, glazed with asiento(unrefined pork lard). It is topped with refried beans, melted quesillo (Oaxacan cheese), tomatoes, and avocados. You can choose to top it off with different types of meat: chorizo, tinga (shredded chicken in tomato sauce), tasajo(thinly sliced grilled beef), or cecina(cured pork). You can enjoy a tlayuda open like a pizza or folded like a taco. The folded version is cooked in a charcoal grill.
http://mexicofoodandmore.com/traditional-dishes/oaxaca/tlayuda-oaxaquena-mexican-pizza.html
This dish consists of a large tortilla, either lightly toasted or partially dried, glazed with asiento(unrefined pork lard). It is topped with refried beans, melted quesillo (Oaxacan cheese), tomatoes, and avocados. You can choose to top it off with different types of meat: chorizo, tinga (shredded chicken in tomato sauce), tasajo(thinly sliced grilled beef), or cecina(cured pork). You can enjoy a tlayuda open like a pizza or folded like a taco. The folded version is cooked in a charcoal grill.
http://mexicofoodandmore.com/traditional-dishes/oaxaca/tlayuda-oaxaquena-mexican-pizza.html
moleMole Rojo: Red mole is similar to mole negro, but has less chocolate. It tastes sweeter and spicier. It does not have as many ingredients as the mole negro but still has a lot. Some include pasilla, guajillo and ancho chiles, as well as almonds or peanuts, among other ingredients.
Coloradito: This mole is a shade of red and its basic ingredients are whole spices, onions, garlic, seeds and chocolates. It uses an ingredient to thicken the sauce, which is mashed ripe plantain. Amarillo: This mole sauce is one of the few that does not contain chocolate. I mentioned that mole is usually consumed with turkey or chicken, but this mole is one of the few that goes good with beef. This mole can also be accompanied with vegetables like chayote, potatoes and green beans. Verde: This moles key ingredients are pepitas or pipian and pumpkin seeds. What makes it green is fresh ingredients like tomatillos, jalapenos, and cilantro. If it too green for your taste it can be diluted with chicken stock. No chocolate. Chichilo: To make this mole you need to gather beef bones and make a stock out of it. You could buy already made beef stock, but it won’t taste the same. Everything tastes better freshly made. It also contains chile one which is very hot, the chile de arbol. It also contains other chiles: anchos and guajillos which are all blended and slow cooked with onions and garlic. No chocolate on this one either. Manchamantel: The translation to this is, tablecloth staining. The reason is because it is a bright red orange like the color of chorizo grease. It will definitely stain anything. This contains unique ingredients: pineapple in addition to plantain, which makes it sweet, spicy and fruity. |
Mole (Land of 7 Moles)
There are over 200 types of mole sauce in Oaxaca, but I will only focus on the top 7. Mole takes a long time to make, typically 2-4 hours. It is eaten with either turkey or chicken, but you can add any other kind of meat you like. Mole Negro: This mole is the most famous of all Oaxacan moles. It is a very complex mole to make and it relies a lot on chocolate. It uses over 30 ingredients (chilhuaclesnegros, guajillo chiles, pasillachiles, ancho negro (mulatto) chiles, chipotle, onions, garlic, hojas de santo, bread for thickening, etc.) and takes a long time to make. It has to be done precisely and patiently so when it’s done it comes out delicious and not bitter. There are many recipes to make this and every group makes it differently. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mole-negro-oaxaqueno-oaxacan-black-mole-recipe.html |
Memelas
This food looks similar to a sope. It is made out of masa and it is round and flat. It is cooked on a comal and then topped off with refried beans, quesillo. It could also contain ground pork with spices or eggs. It is usually eaten as a snack or antojito.
This food looks similar to a sope. It is made out of masa and it is round and flat. It is cooked on a comal and then topped off with refried beans, quesillo. It could also contain ground pork with spices or eggs. It is usually eaten as a snack or antojito.
Tejate
This is a popular non-alcoholic maize and cacao based drink in the Central Valley of Oaxaca. The main ingredients are toasted maize flour, fermented cacao beans, mamey pits and flor de cacao. Next step is to grind the ingredients into a paste, then the paste is mixed with water, usually by hand, and when it is ready, the flor de cacao rises to the top to form a pasty foam. When I drank this drink, the person offered me if I wanted it with sugar or not, you can drink it either or and with ice or not. It tasted very refreshing and a taste like flour. The foamy stuff is what gives it the flavor so each time you sip, you take some of the food along. |