Oaxaca — Culinary Capital of Mexico

Oaxaca (pronounced: "Wa-HA-ka") is the favorite of all travelers who truly know Mexico. The UNESCO World Heritage colonial city at an altitude of 1,550 m is Mexico's culinary capital, the center of mezcal culture, and home to the country's most vibrant indigenous traditions.

Culinary Delights — Why Oaxaca?

Oaxaca boasts seven mole sauces (each family has its own recipe), the best mezcal in the world, and traditional cuisine is still cooked here as it was centuries ago:

• Mole Negro: The "queen of moles" — over 30 ingredients, prepared over days. Chocolate, chilies, nuts, spices. Dense, complex, unforgettable.
• Tlayudas: Huge, crispy tortillas topped with bean paste, quesillo (Oaxaca cheese), chorizo, lettuce. Oaxaca's pizza.
• Chapulines: Roasted grasshoppers, seasoned with garlic, lime, and chili. Crunchy, nutty, protein-rich. Try them at Mercado 20 de Noviembre — you'll be surprised!
• Mezcal: Oaxaca is the heart of mezcal production. Unlike tequila (only from blue agave), mezcal can be made from over 30 types of agave. Tastings at the city's mezcalerías (bars) or at distilleries in the surrounding area. A good mezcal costs 60–150 MXN per sip.
• Tasajo: Thinly sliced, air-dried beef — grilled or in tacos.
• Chocolate de Oaxaca: Hot chocolate, hand-ground with cinnamon and sugar. Freshly prepared at Mercado 20 de Noviembre.

Sights

• Mercado 20 de Noviembre: THE food market. The "Pasillo de Humo" (Smoke Alley) with grilled meat is legendary. Here you eat the city's best food on plastic chairs.
• Santo Domingo de Guzmán: Mexico's most magnificent baroque church — completely gilded inside. The adjacent Museo de las Culturas displays Zapotec treasures from Monte Albán.
• Andador Macedonio Alcalá: The pedestrian street from the Zócalo to the Santo Domingo church. Galleries, mezcalerías, chocolate shops.
• Hierve el Agua: Petrified waterfalls (natural limestone formations) that look like frozen cascades. Natural infinity pools at the edge of a canyon. 1.5h from Oaxaca. Breathtaking.