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Travel

Oaxaca City – Gastronomy Capital of Mexico

Oaxaca

Oaxaca is absolutely beautiful and it is quintessential Mexico.I am not going to describe all that Oaxaca has to offer in this blog post but merely tell you briefly where I stayed, focus on what I ate and where I ate and give you a quick list of what I did and what I loved. Use this as a guide, or merely as an inspiration to pick what you get up to in this colourful lively city. Oaxaca is very walkable, nothing is more than half an hour walk that you really want to see. From the airport you cannot call an uber like you can in Mexico City, but there are private cars (essentially taxis) or small shared vans that you can take into the city. You pay based on where you are getting dropped off (zones) and if you are taking the private of shared vans. Buy you ticket before leaving the airport.

I visited in mid April and it was cool at night, about 12 degrees Celsius at the coldest (after the sun went down) and days were had highs of 28 degrees celcius, so hot at its peak (between 12-2pm). I made sure to be indoors doing a shaded activity during peak highs. I took a local Aeromexico flight from Mexico City to Oaxaca and had no difficulty at all with the airline or flight. Super quick and easy and gate to gate it was no more than and hour and a half. The actual time in air that was quoted by the pilot was 38 minutes I believe.

Where to Stay

Hotels

There are just too many hotels in Oaxaca for me to tell you exactly where to stay! All I can say is that Oaxaca is a popular destination so if you are looking for extremely nice accommodation, it may be likely to book up for the dates you want to book further ahead that you think. We stayed at AYOOK. It was probably a 10 minute walk from the main “tourist” centre of Oaxaca. It was an absolutely beautiful hotel, though there are several other hotels in the “heart” of the tourist area. Perhaps map out distance to Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución) to figure out how far you are from the heart of it all. AYOOK was reasonably priced, came with breakfast, and despite it being off a main road, it was quiet because it was courtyard style, like most places on Oaxaca. There was also a lovely roof top equipped with several hammocks to relax on.

Air BnBs

We stayed in an Air BnB for the second half of the trip which was was also so beautiful! For AirBnB’s is can be a hit or miss. Sometimes you walk in and the picture does not match the description of there is just something off about the place. That was not the case with this spot. The exterior was nothing to write home about but the AirBnb was spacious, clean, had the interior was entirely grey, serene, cement and wood finishes. We quite enjoyed it. Though there was no AC so if you are travelling in warmer months be weary of this.

A Word on Markets

Tlacolula Market

Tlacolula Market is actually called Mercado Municipal Martín González. Tlacolula market is technically outside of Oaxaca city, still in Oaxaca state but in a town called Tlacoloula, which the market is named. It is a market where all the indigenous people of communities surrounding Tlacolula come into town to sell their produce and food. If you are in Oaxaca city on a Sunday, I highly recommend going to this market. I went to the market using public transit. I took a bus from Second Class Bus Station in Oaxaca and paid about 20 pesos each way for the ride. You can explore the market with a. tour group and even tack on a Mezcal tour with the market visit. The market is known for their Barbacoa, their grilled meats, chicharron, tejate and so much more. This visit was a last minute plan but so happy we got to visit. Don’t worry if you don’t make it here, there are plenty of amazing markets in Oaxaca city.

November 20 Market

This market is on Oaxaca City and it is absolute amazing! I went here with the purpose of eating. There are so many permanent stalls in the market that served hot prepared food. With any other blogs you have read or form first hand advice, choose where you eat cautiously, avoid places that are not busy, eat hot food and if you are worried, ask if water is filtered or avoid any ice or drinks that are not prepackaged. I ate without caution and was fine but I think I have a stomach of steel. Went here for breakfast and it was an enjoyable experience.

What to Eat

Tlayuda

A typically Oaxacan dish with a large thin corn tortilla filled with cheese, beans meat and served with different salsas or guacamole. Whenever I ordered this it was served folded over, but I have seen Tlayuda served open face, more like a pizza. You can order this in restaurants, street food on Oaxaca’s streets, or in the various market.

Tajete

This is a traditional beverage that was thought to be a drink of royals by the Zapotec people, the largest Indigenous group in Oaxaca. It is made from “toasted corn, fermented cacao beans, pixtle (toasted and ground mamey pits), and cacao flowers, which are ground into a paste”. It is mixed with water until it becomes a smooth paste and was served in by Oaxacan street food vendors and in the markets inside Oaxaca City and neighbouring towns. To me, it tasted like light chocolate milk with curdled whipped cream (butter) on top which is actually just the fat from the cocoa and seeds used to make this drink. Worth tasting but be warned, if you have a weak stomach, it is hard to guarantee that this, or any other street side drinks and ice in the drinks, are made with filtered water so they may affect your stomach.

Mole – 7 Different Kinds

The meal pictured here is one of the courses form a set menu at Cataran. It is Chichilo Mole, Filet Mignon and a Tamale.

I tried so many different mole while in Oaxaca. I did not get to try all seven but I think I tried at least 5 different mole. The 7 are Negro, Rojo, Coloradito, Amarillo, Verde, Chichilo and Manchamantel. I did not get try Amarillo and Manchamantel mole and if you want more detailed description about how each one tastes, check out this site.

Mezcal

Oaxaca is the Mezcal capital of the world so if you drink and are into Mezcal, you should definitely either check out a tasting room in the city or perhaps book a tour to an Agave Farm and see Mezcal production. I did not have time for a Mezcal tour but with some of the meals I had, straight Mezcal was given as a palate cleanser or mixed into cocktails that were paired with a course.

Huarache

This is an oval shaped tortilla names after sandals by the same name because of the resemblance in shape. I don’t know why, but ordered this at Tlacolula Market and I could not get enough. I absolutely loved how thick the tortilla was and loved the toppings. Went with simple bean and cheese toping and pico de Gallo. Simplicity at it’s finest.

Barbacoa

Barbacoa, yumm! Slow cooked mutton, lamb or goat in a well seasoned broth, rich broth. Had this for the first time near Mexico City in a restaurant called La Gruta. At this restaurant is was served wrapped in leaves, it was simpler and the taste of the mutton came through beautifully. It was so tender, incredible and one of my favourite meals. But probably quadruple in price of barbacoa I had at Tlacolula Market. I had Barbacoa in Tlacolula market. Again, head to Tlacolula market if you are in town on a Sunday, it is well worth it. The Barbacoa in Tlacolula was phenomenal, so richly flavoured and served with a large pita. The broth was red and rich yet light despite the fattiness. Yes, the market was busy, hot sweaty, and at times chaotic. It took a little bit of time to walk to the section of the market with all the Barbacoa stalls but it was well worth it.

Restaurants I Visited

  • Boulenc – Brunch, worth visiting, large beautiful spot
  • Muss Cafe – Cafe, was a simple coffee break
  • Marito&Moglie cafe – Brunch and Cafe, worth visiting, not pretentious, pretty casual
  • Gozobi – Rooftop Bar, nice sunset view, did not eat, just drank
  • Casa Taviche – Perfect for Dinner, not pretentious, good Oaxaca food and cocktails
  • Ocote Cocina – Casual atmosphere, incredible food!
  • Cataran – Intimate dining experience, dining table for 10 and set menu. Incredible Oaxacan menu wine paring or bottle and explanation of each dish.

Restaurants I Visited

  • Boulenc – Brunch, worth visiting, large beautiful spot
  • Muss Cafe – Cafe, was a simple coffee break
  • Marito&Moglie cafe – Brunch and Cafe, worth visiting, not pretentious, pretty casual
  • Gozobi – Rooftop Bar, nice sunset view, did not eat, just drank
  • Casa Taviche – Perfect for Dinner, not pretentious, good Oaxaca food and cocktails
  • Ocote Cocina – Casual atmosphere, incredible food!
  • Cataran – Intimate dining experience, dining table for 10 and set menu. Incredible Oaxacan menu wine paring or bottle and explanation of each dish.

What to do in Oaxaca

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