Get a taste of Mexico at its authentic best
IFIRST came to Mexico when I was 19. The food was a revelation, and I ended up travelling all around Mexico eating everything I could see.
Ten years later I was back. I visited Oaxaca City – and have been going there regularly ever since. It’s where the idea for Wahaca, my chain of Mexican restaurants, was born, and where I still come to research our menus. The Oaxaca region has its own distinct microclimate, which means it has amazing produce. It’s best known as the ‘Land of Seven Molés’, special sauces which are made with all kinds of chillies.
It’s there that I met Alejandro Ruiz, a great chef who’s revitalised the restaurant scene in Oaxaca City. His Casa Oaxaca Cafe does the best traditional Mexican breakfasts: huevos rancheros – fried eggs with a Mexican herb called hoja santa – panes de nata, which are clotted cream cakes, and Mexican hot chocolate, made with water instead of milk and a special blend of cacao, almonds, sugar and cinnamon.
Round the corner is Itanoní Flor del Maíz, a corn restaurant. Whether you go for quesadillas, tacos or memelas, they’re all made from various varieties of corn sourced from a co-operative of different growers. It’s a pretty spectacular place, where you can see everything made on the griddle in front of you.
Alejandro is an amazing guide to the city’s markets. You can book a tour with him of the main wholesale market in the city, the Central de Abastos, through his hotel, Casa Oaxaca – and for 2,000 pesos (€87) he’ll show you round the best places, such as Valentina’s memela stand, then
buy ingredients and give you a cooking class. All with wine, of course.
Alternatively, you can explore the Benito Juarez Market by yourself. It’s the oldest in the city and more touristy, but lovely. Find empañadas de molé mario, which is a variation on a taco, loaded with yellow molé, shreds of chicken, and white onion relish.
You can also buy ingredients like chorizo and steak and take it to be cooked to eat with the different tortillas. It’s a very democratic way of eating.
For further information on Oaxaca, go to visitmexico.com. AeroMexico ( flights.aeromexico.com) offers return flights from London Heathrow to Oaxaca from about €625. Tour operators include Last Frontiers (lastfrontiers.com) and Journey Latin America ( journeylatinamerica. co.uk).