Eating my way through Oaxaca
photodump 16: Oaxacan Kitchens
One of the biggest perks about working in the schools is the all the time off. So when you get two weeks off for spring break, you make the absolute most out of it. And that I did. The first week of my spring break was spent in Oaxaca with my boyfriend, and the second week of spring break I did a vacation stateside with my mom (pictures of that to come later).
It was both of our first times in Oaxaca. While we were excited about a lot of things, the thing we were most excited to do was to EAT. Oaxacan cuisine is known internationally, some staples in Oxacan food include mole, Oaxacan cheese, memelas, tyludas, chocolate, and mezcal.
In just five days, I feel like we managed to get a good taste of everything, from elevated traditional food at tasting dinners, to zero-frills street food. We even learned a thing or two about home cooking at a local cooking class. Oaxacan food is a lot of things, it revolves around staple ingredients like corn, beans, cheese, and chilies, and the people there have truly mastered the use of smoke. Take apart any dish and I am positive almost every components will have been either roasted, toasted or charred. All most all of their cooking is done over a fire and using a comal. Whether the kitchen was in a fancy courtyard, or off on the sidewalk, everyone had a comal.
I feel like a part of Oaxaca’s charm is the commitment to their traditional methods. We saw a lot of earthware pots, wood burning fires and stoves made from stone. Women are working tirelessly hand mixing masa, shredding the cheese and grinding the mole. You can’t help but wonder why they continue to do these labor intensive practices. I personally think it is rooted in their deep reverance for the ingredients theyre using and honoring the traditional methods. And only until you experience the flavors of Oaxacan food yourself does it all make sense.
All pictures were taken w/ Fuji x100v.
Noteworthy places to eat in Oaxaca
As always thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed the pictures <3
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