Searching for Authenticity in Southern Mexico

Maize: the staple of Mexican cuisine

I love Mexico. I love food. And I especially love Mexican food. Growing up so close to the border, it's always been a part of my life and it's usually what I miss most when I travel abroad (or to Massachusetts). Not surpringly, food has been the main focus of my trip so far as I've travelled through new areas of Mexico. Nothing fancy, just lots of budget-friendly food that's as regionally authentic as possible.

Late night tacos al pastor in DF

Mexico City has everything. Finding it, though, is the trick.  The easiest (and cheapest) way to fill your belly with good food while in DF is to find the street vendors with the most clientele. In doing so, I ate freshly made blue corn tortilla quesadillas filled with huitlacoche (a delicious corn fungus) and cheese, tortas that were near perfection, and of course...tacos al pastor.  



perfect carnitas tacos

Heart - Snout - Brain tacos, anyone??

In the city's mercados, with countless food stalls that are run like mini restaurants,  I found my favorite foods of the trip.  The most memorable was a crazy carnitas stall named "Carnitas Paty" where they use every part of the pig for tacos. We had front row seats for the chopping block and I was amazed by how many people will voluntarily eat heart/lung/snout tacos.  Tepache, a delicious drink made of fermented pineapple, seemed to be the drink of choice there.

Also inside the Jamaica Mercado, known mostly for all its fresh flowers and floral arrangements, I had my first (but hopefuly not last) huarache. Dished with a side of grilled cebollitas, nopales and avocado, it's a large mound of masa flattened out, shaped into the same size as the sandal with the same name, and stuffed with beans before being fried and topped with salsa verde, meat and cheese. I loved it. I guess there are lots of variations and even though they originate in Mexico City, rumor has it that you can get some pretty good huaraches stateside these days. 
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The main reason I went to Puebla was to try authentic mole poblano, the pride of this town, which is also famous for the Battle of Puebla (the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo). I sought out many reviews and finally decided on a proper restaurant that would provide me with the meal I had been dreaming of for weeks. As we all know, though, when one's expectations are too high, one is often disappointed. It was too sweet and quite honestly, not very good. So now I am totally and completly over my mole poblano obsession..and sticking with street food and market stalls for authentic food experiences.

A surprising find in Puebla, though, was a rich raisin liquor called "pasita" that was reminicsent of something one would find in the countryside of Italy. It was served with a cube of goat cheese on a toothpick, topped off with a raisin, by a man who looked liked he'd been making this stuff for about fifty years.
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My tastebuds were on high alert entering Oaxaca since so many people claim that it's the food capital of Mexico.  Perhaps once again my expectations were too high! (When will I learn?)

The people of Oaxaca are crazy over tlayudas. The Mexican version of a pizza, it's basically a large flour tortilla crisped over flames or coals and topped with a smear of asiento (lard), refried beans, strands of quesillo, some lettuce, avocado, slices of tomato, and choice of meat, such as tasajo. They're tasty, but I don't get what all they hype is about.  I also had my first memela, which is basically a tostada, but with a freshly cooked crispy tortilla. I think that's the only difference. Pre-cooked tortilla vs. freshly cooked? 
 

Drinking tejate and
remembering my past life 
as a Zapotec princess.

 Tejate, on the other hand, made my tastebuds jump for joy! Once the drink of choice by Zapotec royalty, it is now found mostly in the market stalls in and around Oaxaca. The  watery, often sweetened ancient beverage is made from a base of fermented cacao beans, toasted maize and flor de cacao, the last of which forms the fantastic froth that floats on top. I know it doesn't sound delicious...but you've got to just trust me on this one. I don't think you can find it anywhere but here, and since it's now my new favorite thing, I'll obviously need to return to Oaxaca to drink more tejate in the future. 




I tried chapulines, crunchy fried grasshoppers, which are by far the most famous snack food in Oaxaca and come in a variety of sizes (the large ones must be de-legged before swallowing). They're usually beautifully displayed in big baskets by the indigenous women who sell them at markets. Harvest season starts in May and lasts through fall, but I guess you can find them year-round. This little creature is a hugely important part of the cuisine and, like tejate, dates back to pre-columbian times.


I've always wanted to love tamales, but I've never had one that really stood out as something I'd want to eat again. Until Oaxaca. Here, it comes wrapped in banana leaves and the filling usually includes chicken and mole. It's moist and flavorful...and I want another one. 

Tlayudas & Quesadillas

The village of Tlacolula is about a thirty minute bus ride outside of Oaxaca. It's easy to lose oneself in the chaos of its Sunday market, one of the oldest in all of Mesoamerica. Live chickens and turkeys, piles of fruit and vegetables, the sound of Mayan languages, baskets of dried peppers, tejate (yay!), pulque (a fermented drink made from agave), freshly cooked goat barbacoa, grasshopper flavored salt, beautifully carved mangos on a stick, and of course tlayudas galore. 

Natcho is obsessed with Mezcal, a smokey agave-based liquor often compared to tequila, so I accompanied him on many mezcal hunts around the city and in local villages. The highlight of these was at the headquarters for Oaxaca's pulque workers union, where we learned about and tasted varieties ranging from herbal, apple to pechuga (made with a raw chicken breast). 

A comida corrida is an economical way to have a proper lunch, since it includes a soup or salad starter, main course (usually you have a few choices), fruit water, and often a little dessert all at a set price. I tried a few of these in hopes that the comedor would be serving one of Oaxaca's famous moles (there are seven in total). No such luck, though. Finally, on my last day in Oaxaca City, I gave one more comida corrida a try...and miraculously they had exactly what I wanted on the menu of the day: sopa de guia (a traditional squash blossom soup)...and a red mole dish that was delicious.  I left Oaxaca satisfied, even though I still don't quite understand why it's considered the food mecca of Mexico.  But maybe that's because I still have six more moles to try on my next visit.
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Zipolite, the beach town along the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca, is better known for its nudity than its cuisine (unless you count the "magic" cookies made and sold by local hippies).  However, we did manage to find some great fresh fish sandwiches at a hut on the sand, as well as a fantastic whole fish in the neighboring town of Puerto Angel. Mostly, though, we just drank beer. 
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Best comida corrida yet, starting 
off with fresh cream of squash soup!

There's something so ironic about being in Mexico and craving its traditional food, but encountering endless non-Mexican options, like hot dogs, hamburgers, crepes, falafels, pizzas, etc. This assortment of international fast food appears in every town with tourists, but is especially prominent in the center of San Cristobal de las Casas. At first I was a little put off because I've been on such a food stall / cheap comedor kick, but then I started to really warm up to all the food available here. This may or may not have been a result of the food poisoning I got after eating cheap tacos in a random Mexican food eatery, but it happened. Afterward, I realized I can stop being the traveler in search of "authentic food experiences" and instead, just embrace all the choices available to me at any given time. There's an amazing French bakery here, Italian restaurants that make their own pasta, Napoli style pizza, and the falafel place is so good I've been there twice. 

My time here has reminded me of how silly a traveler's search for authentic experiences can be. Regardless of the "locals only" street vendor or the off-the-beaten-path village market one may find, the truth is that travelers are a privileged group.  We're here by choice, with money in our pockets and comfortable shoes on our feet. Here in San Cristobal, while tourists eat their French pastries or sip their slow roasted organic coffee, young Mayan children roam the center begging for money and scraps of food. It's the paradox of the tourist to be wanting and seeking a genuine experience, while constantly being confronted with one's own privilege.

I'm sadly leaving Mexico tomorrow morning, but excited about what I will experience in Guatemala..."authentic" or otherwise.