Oaxacan cuisine, with its pre-Columbian roots, is a major attraction and the state’s tourism board and restaurant association continue to do their utmost to promote this cultural heritage during the Guelaguetza festivities. Last Friday, set amidst the beauty and tranquility of the Jardín Etnobotánico, it was the opening degustación (sampling) for the Festival de los Moles. 
This was my fourth time attending this buffet luncheon celebrating the 7 moles of Oaxaca. And, like the previous years, my plate was swimming in moles and I came away sated and smiling!
The Expo Feria del Queso y Quesillo in Reyes Etla beckoned on Saturday. When we arrived, students from the Universidad Tecnológica de los Valles Centrales de Oaxaca were giving a demonstration on the cheese making process.
Despite how tempting the various cheeses looked, I only managed tiny tastes of a couple; Alas, I was just too full from the previous day’s feast to fully appreciate them.
However, by Sunday, my mouth was watering for wild mushroom empanadas, but we were foiled in our attempt to head up into the mountains for the Feria Regional de los Hongos Silvestres in San Antonio Cuajimoloyas. A bike race had closed the highway and several of the major streets getting into and out of my part of town and, as you can imagine, alternate routes were gridlocked. Grrrr… I think the Guelaguetza events committee needs to rethink the schedule and transportation logistics!
Lucky for me, the Plaza de la Danza is only a block and a half from Casita Colibrí and so, late this morning, there were no impediments to walking over to the 10th Annual Feria del Tejate y el Tamal. The women from the municipality of San Andrés Huayapam (about 7 kilometers northeast of the city), were ready and waiting to welcome visitors with their ancient drink and variety of tamales.
The leis the women (above) are wearing are made from Rosita de Cacao flowers, one of the ingredients in tejate. For the uninitiated, tejate is a foamy, quite refreshing, and nutritious non-alcoholic pre-Columbian beverage made from nixtamal corn, mixed with tree ash, toasted cacao beans, mamey seeds, and Rosita de Cacao flowers and is called, “la bebida de los Dioses” (the drink of the Gods).
The tejateras of the Unión de Mujeres Productoras del Tejate prepared and served their tejate to inquiring novices and aficionados, alike. The sale of tejate is the main economic activity in San Andrés Huayapam.
And then there were the tamales… Pots and baskets, covered with hand embroidered and crocheted tea towels, were filled with steaming tamales nestled in corn husks — verde, chapulin, amarillo, frijol, dulce, rajas, chepil, and chichilo. If you’ve never tasted tamales in Oaxaca, you are missing something!
Huayapam’s chichilo tamales are well-known and loved. Chichilo is one of the seven moles of Oaxaca and it is only served on special occasions, such as weddings and christenings or when the crops have been harvested. It is made from chilhuacle negro, mulatto, and pasilla chiles; blackened tortillas and seeds of the chiles; and avocado leaves, the latter imparting a subtle anise flavor. Of course, no tamal festival would be complete without mole tamales wrapped in banana leaves…
Today and tomorrow (July 22 & 23), if you are in Oaxaca, the Plaza de la Danza is THE happening place for tasting some delicious local specialties between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM. ¡Buen provecho!
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The year revolves around the cycle of corn, which is planted in the same fields as beans and squash to make a perfect growing environment.
The cornstalk grows, the bean plant crawls up the corn, and the squash vine sprawls out and shades the ground to keep it moist… Some of the corn is harvested in August and eaten fresh, while the rest is left on the stalks to dry.
All parts of the corn plant are used — kernels, husks (for tamales), cobs (pig feed), and stalks (cow feed). The dried corn is stored and used in many ways throughout the year.
Text in italics is from the Seasons of My Heart cookbook by Susana Trilling.
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