Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘mezcal’

Scenes from a Sunday drive

Posted in Animals, Flora, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 13, 2014| 5 Comments »

Sometimes a Sunday drive is just what the doctor ordered.  Though when in Oaxaca, one can’t assume the course will run smooth.

P1020762 copy1

After being blocked by bloqueos a couple of times last week, blogger buddy Chris and I were in the midst of congratulating ourselves when our leisurely drive south on Hwy. 190 came to a halt as we attempted to turn west at San Dionisio Ocotepec.  At least ten men and a few trucks were positioned across the turnoff.  Oh, no, not again… another protest?

P1020769 copy1

No, a bike race had closed the road.  Seeing our disappointment, we were directed to make a U-turn, backtrack a mile (or so), and turn onto the dirt road that skirted the hillside, in order to bypass the race.  It was easier said than done, but after a few fits and starts, gullies and rocky outcroppings, and inquiries of all manner of vehicles coming from the opposite direction, we eventually wound up back on the paved road — right where we wanted to be!

P1020773 copy1

We weren’t the only ones westward bound.  These guys, while not part of the race, were also enjoying a Sunday ride.  We passed them on our way to San Baltazar Chichicapam.

P1020791 copy1

And, why were we going to Chichicapam?  To fill up our 5 liter “gas” canisters with some of our favorite mezcal made from locally grown agave, of course!  Muy suave…

P1020797 copy1

Sunday or not, a campesino’s work is never done.  Cattle, burros, and herds of goats were a common sight as we continued our Sunday drive.  And, speaking of goats…  By the time we turned north at Ocotlán de Morelos, we were starving.  Lucky for us, Los Huamuches, our “go to” roadside restaurant between Santo Tomás Jalieza and San Martín Tilcajete, wasn’t far away.

P1020801 copy1

What can I say?  Mild temperatures, spectacular scenery, good company, and barbacoa muy sabrosa — the “doctor” was right!

Read Full Post »

Mezcal – old school going upscale

Posted in Beverages, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 8, 2013| 7 Comments »

As a current article says, mezcal seems to have wormed (oh, that’s bad!) its way into the hearts, minds, and media of el norte.  And, all I can say is, it’s about time!  I’m not really much of a drinker; mostly just wine with dinner, the occasional beer on a hot day, and a mixed drink a couple of times a year.  However, I have to say, mezcal has been a pleasant surprise.  The smoky complexity is quite a treat, especially if one ventures beyond the mass-produced brands and into the artisanal varieties.

Here in Oaxaca, mezcal is offered to welcome visitors, served at celebrations of all kinds, plays a role in most traditional ceremonies, and audiences always enthusiastically join in when Lila Downs sings, Mezcalito.  Oaxaqueño families have been harvesting agaves and hand crafting mezcal for generations.  The following photos are from an afternoon spent at one such palenque in San Baltazar Chichicapa(m).

Agave piñas (hearts) are stripped of leaves & roots and placed in a large outdoor pit oven.

P1060398_2

They are covered with agave leaves, fiber, mats and dirt and cooked over red-hot rocks for three to four days.

P1060400

The roasted agave is crushed with a gigantic stone wheel pulled by a horse.

P1060415_2

The roasted and mashed agave is then placed in large wooded vats to ferment.

P1060413_2

The liquid is extracted and twice distilled.  Next it is either bottled, if it is to be sold as blanco (aka, joven), or placed in barrels to age.  Reposado is aged for less than a year and añejo is aged from one to twelve years.  Needless to say, I returned home with my 4 L plastic gas can (no, it had never been used for gas!) filled with reposado made by our host and master mezcalero, Faustino.

P1060432

As the old Oaxaqueño saying goes, “For everything bad, drink mezcal and for everything good, you also should!”

And, please note:  This is a drink to be savored not chugged!

Read Full Post »

Food glorious food!

Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Food, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 1, 2012| 8 Comments »

Thursday night was the kickoff event for the 5th annual El Saber Del Sabor (literally, the knowledge of flavor) Festival Gastronómico Oaxaca 2012.  Early in the day, the Plaza de la Danza had been tented and turned into a colorful banquet hall.

Interior of large tent decorated with multicolor tableclothes and papel picado on ceiling

A couple of the evening’s chefs arrived early and were cooling their heels, waiting to begin doing what they do best.  Hmmm… what’s with the bricks on top of the cantera?  (Stay tuned!)

2 chefs sitting behind brick platform

By 9:30 PM the tables had filled and cooking was well underway.

Young man in chef's toque sauteeing bananas.

Casa Oaxaca chef and event host, Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo circulated, greeted old friends and fans, and was interviewed by a crush of press.  Cameras and microphones were omnipresent — good for publicity, bad for navigating the aisles en route to food!

Chef Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo talking to a table filled with people.

To begin the evening and ready the palate, wines, beers, aguas, and (of course!) mezcals were offered.  We sampled a couple of mezcals from El Jolgorio and all I can say is, Wow!  (BTW, that’s a good, “Wow!”)

Bottles of El Jolgorio Mezcal on a table.

The festival seeks to promote and protect Oaxaca’s traditional cuisine and to inspire innovation.  For this evening’s event, we were invited to sample an incredible range of appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and desserts from 23 cooks, representing the 8 regions of Oaxaca.

A bowl of a stew surrounded by platters of limes, rice, cilantro, and onions.

I think I must have tasted at least 30 dishes — and this was late at night.  Needless to say, no breakfast for me the next morning.

Serving pans of food.

And, remember the bricks?   My favorite sight of the evening were the little piggies roasting on bamboo skewers over red and white-hot coals.  The tag line for the festival is, “tierra, fuego y cocina” (earth, fire, and kitchen).  Yes!!!

Roasting pigs on bamboo skewers over hot coals.

From the Plaza de la Danza, the festival moves to restaurants throughout the city, where 36 renowned chefs from all over Mexico have come to prepare innovative cuisine that pays homage to Oaxaqueño foodstuffs and traditions.

A big “thank you” to Henry and Rosa (Amate Books) for inviting me to share such a delightful and delicious evening!

Read Full Post »

Mezcal and cheese, anyone?

Posted in Beverages, Celebrations, Culture, Food, Travel & Tourism, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 28, 2012| 1 Comment »

Besides mushrooms, tejate, tamales, and mole, there is cheese and mezcal… and last Monday I hopped in a colectivo bound for Etla; my destination was Reyes Etla (about 20 km. from the city) for the 2nd annual Queso y Quesillo Expo Feria.  Oaxaca is known all over Mexico for its cheese and, without a doubt, the best comes from the municipalities around Etla — and Oaxaca’s department of tourism is on a mission to promote its position globally.

Ball of cheese decorated with basil leaves and red bell pepper strips.

Vendors tempted with artistic displays and tastings of, among others, queso fresco, queso crema, and quesillo.  Yummm….  It is a dark day around Casita Colibrí when there isn’t a ball of quesillo in the refrigerator.

Display of cheeses with woman vendor behind counter

FYI:  Quesillo (aka:  Oaxacan string cheese) was first made in Reyes Etla in 1884 — supposedly by mistake!  According to one legend, a young girl from Reyes Etla disobeyed her mother and allowed the cheese curds to expand into a spongy mass.  She attempted to correct her mistake by pouring boiling water over the curds, then she kneaded it and pulled it into the first strip of what is now known as quesillo.

Woman vendor wearing mask behind display of quesillo
And, now, we turn to the 15th annual Feria Internacional del Mezcal…  After years of languishing in tequila’s shadow, being considered a “poor relation” — that is, if it was considered at all — mezcal’s profile has risen dramatically in the past several years.

XV feria internacional del mezcal oaxaca 2012

In August 2010, none other than Eric Asimov wrote about, Mezcal, Tequila’s Smoky, Spicy Cousin in the New York Times.  A year later, a NYT ‘s article advised, Move Over, Tequila, It’s Mescal’s Turn to Shine.  (You say mescal, I say mezcal.)

And, sheesh, I was flipping channels the other night and stumbled on Tim and Tim in Oaxaca, being instructed on the art of making mezcal by my landlord, on an episode of the TV program ROAM!  Then there is the No Reservations “Obsession” episode, where  Anthony Bourdain explores Ron Cooper’s obsession with mezcal.

Back to the feria, where over 40 vendors displayed their wares…

Bottles of mezcal lined up in two shelves of a display

poured generous tasting shots…

3 guys behind counter offering shots of mezcal

and sold their mezcals.

.Male vendor reaching for a bottle of mezcal

In addition, there was an exhibit showing the various types of maguey, from which mezcal is made…

Variety of agave plants with labels.

and the equipment used and processes they undergo to become this smoky and complex distilled spirit.

A mezcal still

As the old Oaxaqueño saying goes, “For everything bad, drink mezcal, and for everything good, you also should.”

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts