Oaxaca recently won the Food and Travel Reader Award 2018 in the category of Best Gourmet Destination in Mexico. At last, the rest of Mexico, not to mention the world, is acknowledging what Oaxaqueños have long known — the eight regions of Oaxaca offer some of the best, most complex traditional food in the world. From street food stands to food fairs to restaurants, I am almost never disappointed! Here are a few of the traditional dishes I’ve had the pleasure of eating in the past few weeks.
Higaditos in Villa Díaz Ordaz – Oct. 28, 2018
The first is Higaditos from Señora Cristina Cruz — an additional reason blogger buddy Chris and I returned to Díaz Ordaz for the Festival del Pan de Muerto. We have tasted many versions of this egg/chicken dish, but we agree that hers is the best — never mind that she has a smile that could light up the world.
Mole de Caderas at Las Quince Letras – Nov. 7, 2018
When chef Celia Florian announced that her restaurant, Las Quince Letras, would be featuring Mole de Caderas for a month, mi amiga (and cocinera) Kalisa and I made a beeline. Mole de Caderas is a traditional Mixtec dish from Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca and nearby Tehuacán, Puebla. It is made from the hip (cadera) and the spine of a goat that has been fed a salt-based diet to give the broth a unique flavor. It is only served during the fall, when the goats are made to make the ultimate sacrifice — and was absolutely delicious!
Tlayuda with tasajo at Tlayudas “El Negro”
And, finally, Oaxaca’s celebrated tlayuda — it and pozole are my favorite Oaxaca comfort foods. Neighbors and I decided to try out the newest location of Tlayudas El Negro on Independencia near Crespo. As you can see above, I ordered one with tasajo (thinly sliced beef) and garnished with the aromatic and flavorful herb, chepiche. Yummm… I will return.
What can I say? I feel so lucky to have landed in this culturally rich and seriously delicious corner of the world!
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 
Yum to all of it. I think I would gain a lot of weight if I lived there, even with all the walking! We ate at a restaurant in Merida called Apoala that is run by two brothers from Oaxaca. If you go there you should try it. http://www.apoala.mx
Walking makes all the difference! Santiago Apoala is a beautiful village in a very narrow valley of a hanging shelf in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca.
Sounds wonderful! We’ll be in Oaxaca in January, and I’m having fun/going crazy trying to decide which restaurants to eat at!
So many delicious places to dine! See you in January.