And now we have the sixth annual Festival del Tejate y el Tamal de San Andrés Huayapam! A large tent covers half of the Plaza de la Danza and over 100 “tejateras” who belong to the Unión de Mujeres Productoras del Tejate set up shop early this morning to sell refreshing cups of this pre-Hispanic beverage made from corn and cacao.
The festival is part of an effort to preserve the food culture of the Zapotec. San Andrés Huayapam (aka, San Andrés Huayapan) is about 7 miles north of the city and its main economic activity is the sale of tejate.
The festival also features empanadas, hot off the comal…
and six kinds of tamales: Salsa verde, Amarillo, Rajas, Verde, Chichilo, and Tamal de mole.
I wanted them all! However, for today’s comida, I opted for chichilo from this gal…
Why chichilo? The answer is, because I’ve never had that kind before! Chichilo is one of the seven moles of Oaxaca and is only served on special occasions, such as weddings and christenings, or when the crops have been harvested. Chilhuacle negro, mulatto, and pasilla chiles; blackened tortillas and seeds of the chiles; and avocado leaves, the latter imparting a subtle anise flavor, give it its distinctive flavor.
She picked out a good one… it was delicious!
¡Buen provecho!
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View From Casita Colibrí 
[…] The Feria del Tejate y el Tamal runs today and tomorrow at the Plaza de la Danza, then moves up to San Andrés Huayapam for Saturday and Sunday. You can find a little more information about the feria in last year’s blog post, Tejate and tamales. […]