Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ca), an hour’s flight south east of Mexico City, has long been one of Mexico’s most popular inland destinations. The laid-back town, with wide streets and colourful Colonial facades and baroque churches, has long been a bohemian honeypot for local artists, university students and upcoming chefs honing their culinary skills with Oaxaca’s legendary recipes. Oaxaca straddles both contemporary and traditional lifestyles.
While there’s a vibrant evening scene with packed music venues, restaurants and cutting-edge museums, on the other hand a connection with the past can be seen in the local food markets and indigenous folks whose festivals and customs are a part of the daily fibre of life.
While the hip boutique hotels and slick restaurants were enjoyable, they’re not what attracted me to Oaxaca. Here, the nectar lay in experiencing a bygone way of life and the chance to peer into Mexico’s soul.
Florencio Moremo, a local historian, explained how this area in Meso America is where the local tribes tamed corn eight millennia ago. Unlike the North American Indians, they became agriculturists, stayed rooted and soon pottery and ceramics developed, along with temple architecture, culture, religion and rituals.
OAXACAN CUISINE
Besides corn, amaranth, chillies, avocados and cocoa were some of the early crops cultivated in central Mexico. A great place to try some of the famed cuisine of this area is the open-air food stalls in the Zocalo, the heart of town and the adjoining markets. At a stall next to Alameda Park, a woman squished fresh corn dough, and placed the roti-like tortilla on to a large skillet covered in lime. She added some bean paste, chicken strips, avocados, string cheese and put the empanada on a plate, dousing it with the famous black mole sauce, which has chocolate as one of the ingredients. I really enjoyed the sizzling dish.
Steps away, at the Benito Huarez Market, we tried aguas typicas (fresh fruit juices). Tejate, the local corn drink, is definitely an acquired taste. There are as many as 16 distinct tribes in the greater Oaxaca area, and many of the folk sell their local produce and crafts here. There were heaps of roasted crickets and dried chilli peppers, along with woven baskets and embroidered textiles.
In the adjoining 20th November market, lots of locals relished hand-selected barbecue and tripe soup in a smoke-filled alley. The tasting session ended at Le Soledad, a chocolateria nearby, where I selected from a dozen flavours and finished with a cup of hot chocolate served with a bun. On the other end of the spectrum was chef Alejandro Ruis’s Casa Oaxaca restaurant, where traditional recipes are served with a modern twist.
MONTE ALBAN
One can spend hours at artist Rufino Tomayo’s pre-Columbian museum or see the gold, obsidian and turquoise ornaments uncovered from the Zpotec ruins at the beautiful Santo Domingo monastery. There is also much to experience in the hills and villages just outside the town. The Ocotlan market is where one can mingle with farmers and villagers in their traditional clothes. The ruins at Monte Alban are well preserved, and you can perch on a grassy step pyramid and visualise the mysterious tribes of yore — the Mayas, Aztecs, Zapotecs, Mixtecs and others, who worshipped the jaguar and built temples for their gods.
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