By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.
The seven moles of Oaxaca is a fiction, but it is an effective means of marketing Oaxacan cuisine and gastronomic tradition. While mole verde is indeed one of the purported Group of Seven, the fact that there are so many different recipes for Oaxacan green mole, each with vastly divergent ingredients and tastes, lays testament to the myth as fallacy. Continue reading Oaxaca’s Traditional Mole Verde
By Brooke Gazer
Sampling the fabulous fresh fruit found in this region is one of the many pleasures Huatulco offers. While some are available year round others are referred to as “fruta de la temporada” or seasonal fruit. Visitors and residents of Huatulco are fortunate to have access to almost 80 varieties of fruit from the extensive orchards of Hagia Sofia. Some are local to Oaxaca but Armando Canavati has introduced a number of interesting new crops from around the world. Three exotic examples are: Mata Sabor, Mangosteen and Rambutan. Continue reading Exotic Seasonal Fruits
By Deborah Van Hoewyk
This green—which has multiple names and spellings, from huauthili to guaunsoncle—is actually the unopened flowering shoots of Chenopodium berlandieri, a “goosefoot” related to amaranth and quinoa. Traditionally, it’s served at Christmas and Lent in a pretty complicated dish that involves combining sprigs of the vegetable with cheese, beaten egg white, and batter, then frying each wand and “stripping” the results through your teeth so you don’t have to eat little sharp twigs. Not to mention the fact that it’s usually served in a salsa or mole, so it’s a messy undertaking. Continue reading Mexican Vegetables: How about huauzontle?
By Julie Etra
This recipe has no particular ethnicity or origin but is really a fairly simple quiche that uses poblano chilies instead of flour for the crust. It is not spicy as in ‘hot’ or ‘picante’ but the poblanos lend a smoky, rich flavor, and crunchy texture. Every time I have made it has been a hit, and can be served hot or cold, and garnished with your favorite salsa or eaten plain. The only trick is matching quantities with your pie plate, and you definitely want to use a pie plate as when the peppers are roasted, pealed, split open with seeds and membranes removed, they are then placed in the pan with the stem or wide end along the rim, and narrow end towards the center, just like a slice of pie. Add more or less onion and garlic, according to your palette. Continue reading Poblano Pie
By Kary Vannice
The mamey doesn’t look much like a fruit. From the outside it resembles a small, ancient cracked leather football. It’s outer surface more like bark than peel. As a matter of fact, its exterior is so hard, you couldn’t peel it if you tried. You’ll need a knife to get into its soft, slimy, salmon colored flesh. If it weren’t for the sweet flavor of this fruit, it would remind you a lot of an avocado, once you’ve cut it open. Continue reading Mamey
By Dardan Surring
My first taste of Mexican food was probably like many of my Canadian brothers and sisters: soft or hard tacos, with Mexi-fries, from the local “Taco Time” franchise. Having grown up on a solid meat and potatoes diet, this was new, sort of tasty, and you learned quickly not to glob on the Hot Sauce from the little plastic cup. Continue reading Tasty Treats
By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.
Husband and wife Fernando Bolaños and Fernanda Sueldo (no, they say their names didn’t spark their love affair) opened Oaxaca’s first craft brewery about two years ago, coincidentally around the same time that Oaxaca City inaugurated its first artisanal beer store, Bier Stube. Cerveceria Teufel (formerly known as Camarada) has taken Oaxaca de Juárez and indeed the entire country by storm. It’s already won a gold medal at a national competition and congress, Cerveza Mexico. Beyond producing a line of quality craft beers, if you know the right people you can arrange for a beer and Oaxacan food pairing (maridaje) event at the nano-brewery (smaller than micro). Teufel currently produces only about 150 cases a month. Continue reading Craft Beer & Food Pairing in Oaxaca
By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.
While there are indeed producers of certified organic foodstuffs and spirits in the central valleys of Oaxaca, the question arises as to whether tourists on a short visit, or residents of its capital, should go out of their way to seek out production from these purveyors. Are there healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to shopping in the Friday and Saturday organic market in the Xochimilco neighborhood in the north end of the city, or patronizing restaurants which boast using certified organic produce or being Slow Food proponents? Continue reading Certified Organic Produce in Oaxaca: Is it Necessary or Even Advisable?
By Brooke Gazer
As any little bird might tell you seeds are high in nutrients. In addition to serving “pan dulces” (delicious Mexican pastries) for breakfast I like to offer healthy alternatives and seeds go a long way to enhance the quality of any bread basket. Not only do they punch up the food value but also add flavor and texture. Here are three of my favorites. Continue reading The Seedy Side of Muffins
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