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EveryMasala

Spices of Oaxaca

The southern Mexican city of seven moles, with markets of dried chiles, chocolate and herbs.

Oaxaca

Traded and grown here

Mole (sauce)Chili pepperCinnamonAllspice

Best time: October to November for Day of the Dead, and July for Guelaguetza.

Oaxaca is one of the culinary capitals of Mexico. Its markets, such as Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Benito Juarez and La Merced, sell many dried chiles, chocolate, cinnamon and herbs, and the region's food is built on moles.

A street in downtown Oaxaca de Juárez
Photo: Apsu09, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spices and trade

Chiles in Oaxaca include chilhuacle, pasilla oaxaqueno, costeno and amarillo. Moles may combine chiles with chocolate, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, clove, allspice and herbs, and the seven moles of Oaxaca are a regional pride. Hoja santa and epazote are used as herbs.

The place and its people

Zapotec and Mixtec communities shape the food. Day of the Dead and Guelaguetza are major celebrations.

Visiting

Cooking classes and market visits are easy to arrange. Chocolate mills grind cacao with sugar and cinnamon.

A trail idea for Oaxaca

  1. Mercado Benito Juarez See chiles and herbs.
  2. A chocolate mill Taste hot chocolate with cinnamon.
  3. A mole restaurant Compare moles.
  4. A cooking class Make a mole from scratch.
About this page

Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Oaxaca City" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.

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