Mexican Food

I will try to write something short about food of each country I visit and take pictures of souvenirs I buy.

First of all I learned that in Mexico the main meal is eaten late in the afternoon and it is called “comida”. “Cena” (dinner) is typically a very small meal.

In Mexico City I learned the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex food. Quesadillas, tacos and enchiladas tasted great and looked different. Quesadilla is the same thing as a taco, but folded. Add sauce on top of a quesadilla and you will get an enchilada. [disclaimer: the author of this blog has close to zero knowledge about Mexican food]

Oaxaca is known as the Land of Seven Moles even though many more moles are prepared here. Mole is a chili based sauce that often includes chocolate among more than 20 ingredients and takes many hours to prepare. The most known are negro (black), amarillo (yellow and very spicy), colaradito (rust-colored and medium hot), almendrado (mild, flavored with almonds), rojo (very red, quite spicy), verde (green, light, and full of herbs), and estofado (with sesame seeds).

I have managed to try red and green mole at home and six moles at a great restaurant Los Pacos, which gave six to taste before choosing the one for our main dish (chichilo not in the list above). Mole verde is hands down my favorite.

Juices, juices everywhere.

Of course, Oaxaca state is known for its mescal. Mescal is served with fried grasshoppers (called chapulínes in Mexico) that can be purchased on the market. Just like this:



Typical street food besides tacos and alike is elotes (cooked corn served on a wooden stick with butter, cheese and chili powder for $1 USD) sold out of wheel-carts in the late afternoon.

Another typical food for Oaxaca is tlayuda - huge tortillas topped with bean paste, copped spice beef and cheese. Here one I tried to finish:


Oaxaca is also known for its chocolate. Mayordomo is the most famous brand with multiple coffee shops, stores and prepackaged chocolate sold at supermarkets. To the south of Zocalo I have seen a number of small chocolate “factories” where they can create a special chocolate mix for you - maybe double the almonds and skip cinnamon for me. I actually walked into one of those factories one late afternoon to take a picture of a weird looking machine inside; instead I got a demonstration on how Oaxaca chocolate is made. Sometimes it is easier to show than to explain.