View From Casita Colibrí

As that wise philosopher and Charlie Brown creator, Charles M. Schulz once wrote,

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.

And, chocolate in Oaxaca is easy to find and is almost as well-known as Oaxaca’s cheeses and mole.  Ground almonds and cinnamon give it a distinctive and slightly spicy flavor — and everyone has their favorite.  Mayordomo and La Soledad are two of the most well-known labels, but my favorite brand (as opposed to homemade, which is in a class all by itself), is the much smaller, Conchita.

Every month or so, I weave my way in and out through the crush of the always teeming sidewalks of Miguel Cabrera to the Conchita puesto immediately to the right, inside the Mercado 20 de Noviembre — the entrance between Aldama and Mina.

I’m always greeted with a smile of recognition and the question, “Semi-amargo?”  Sí, I always reply!

I buy the little semisweet chocolate chips for snacking (especially decadent and delicious when mixed with dried cranberries) and the large discs, which I grate into a fine powder to mix with hot milk to add to my morning coffee — a delectable way to jump-start the day!