There’s a reason so many people visit the city of Oaxaca: The food, the people and the art are so striking they leave you lingering over them, long after you’ve returned home.
I visited there ostensibly to brush up on my Spanish, and I did, taking classes there most mornings, as well as eat, drink and soak up the atmosphere of one of Mexico’s more memorable cities. But I was really there because I needed a chance to start sorting things out in my life, and I was hoping I’d be able to.
I’ll say at the outset that Oaxaca is a safe city. I never felt uneasy there, walking around, even at night. I can’t say this about everywhere in Mexico. It is an old city, too, nearly 500 years old — and that’s just since the Spaniards arrived.
But Oaxaca is far older than that. It is perhaps the most indigenous of Mexican states, with the possible exception of Chiapas. To walk the streets is to rub shoulders with Zapotecs, Mixtecs and other groups who of course predate the Spanish conquest, but also whom the more famous Aztecs never conquered, either. It’s a radically different feeling from, say, the streets of Hermosillo, a Sonoran city I visited in December.
And where flour and beef are king in the north, in Oaxaca corn rules, and while there is beef and pork around, far older proteins still hold sway — notably chapulines, the ubiquitous roasted crickets that taste earthy, crunchy, meaty and spicy from chile, lime and salt.
You can eat chapulines atop esquites (a cup of corn with lots of seasonings); as a taco or a taco topping; in a quesadilla, which, in this part of Mexico may or may not actually include queso; or just as a snack. You can even taste them mixed with salt on the rim of your glass of mezcal.
Mezcal is everywhere, as is its ancient ancestor pulque. Pulque is fermented agave nectar, and is not unlike a quickie wine or cider… or prison pruno if you get the bad stuff. It’s light, fizzy and low in alcohol — maybe 3 percent or so — so you can drink it all day if you’d like.
Mezcal arrived with the Spanish, who introduced distillation to Mexico. While agave spirits exist in most parts of Mexico, they are at their best in Oaxaca. Tequila, the most famous, is made from just one species of agave, and must be made in a set location, primarily the state of Jalisco. Oaxacan mezcal is made from about a dozen types of agave, most made idiosyncratically by individual mezcaleros — think moonshine, but much, much better.
I liken it to the the difference between Cognac and Armagnac. Cognac is buttoned up, precise, dainty even. Think Audrey Hepburn in her little black dress. Armagnac is her country cousin: a wildcat, fierce and varied with the winds. You can guess which I prefer.
The beer scene in Oaxaca is just so-so. Victoria is the beer of choice, and while it’s OK, I vastly prefer Tecate or Carta Blanca or even Modelo, which are all beers of the north. There are craft beers, but the craft beers of Mexico are just not that good; the industry is much younger there than here in the US.
And the food! It’s not easy to find bad food in Oaxaca, but I’ll be honest: The worst meals I had were at the palaces of cuisine, Casa Oaxaca and the vaunted Criollo. Both meals were forgettable, and very expensive. The best part of my Casa Oaxaca meal was the dessert, a fun play on the mamey fruit. As for Criollo? It was watching the bunny who lived in the courtyard.
The two restaurants I can wholly recommend are 15 Letras and Tierra del Sol. Both specialize in traditional Oaxacan dishes and both were an order of magnitude better than the more famous places.
But I loved the serendipity of the various street eats, the tlacoyos and memelas, tetelas and empanadas — all fun things to eat made of incomparable masa. Oaxaca may well be the spiritual home of corn in Mexico, and that’s saying a lot. Interestingly, tacos, while present, weren’t really that common in the city. The other masa shapes took precedence.
The rhythm of my days was essentially coffee in the morning, Spanish class, then walking and eating until it got too sweaty, then a nap, then back out until I ate my fill, a nieve (sorbet) to finish, then back at my Airbnb with a glass of mezcal on the balcony.
The week served as a much needed interlude, a week away from the maelstrom of my life. Oaxaca is interesting to me, but I am not writing a book about its cuisine (many others have done so), so I could just eat and drink as a visitor without worrying too much about taking notes or doing research.
I was solo, so the alone time has helped me start to hash things out in my head. I’ve found myself careening from thing to thing, social situation to social situation, without end. I suspect this is a semi-unconscious attempt to not be lonely. Solo time has been at a premium.
I am zeroing in on places to put down new roots here in the US. Salt Lake City, Kansas City and the Twin Cities are the leading contenders so far. Spokane, Tucson, Tulsa and Fargo also intrigue me. When I might buy a house is unclear, though. I need to really be sure, and given that I will be working full-time as the chef at the Pine Ridge Grouse Camp this fall, I might not settle down until 2024. That thought is daunting, but not terrifying.
I have also decided that I must at least start the writing process on my next book, tentatively titled Del Norte, which deals with the cuisines of northern Mexico, at some point before spring 2024. Otherwise, I’ll just keep researching it endlessly; I know myself. I need a deadline.
Oaxaca helped me sort that out, and for that I will be thankful. If you have any questions about visiting the city, ask away — or if you want to share your experiences there, I’m all ears. Or if you want to give me some tips on those cities I’ve mentioned, that’s welcome, too.
Good, thoughtful stuff, Hank. I've found myself, not all that long ago, going through some similar (but not same) changes, and alone on a porch overlooking a special place was a good way to do it.
Always wanted to check out Oaxaca. Hell, I've always wanted to check out lots of parts of Mexico. My exploration so far has been pretty much limited to the Baja penninsula.
I am surprised at your list of places you are considering for possible relocation. I lived outside Salt Lake City for some years (Heber City) and after I left, the overcrowding and home prices became somewhat shocking. The coldest I have ever been was on a job interview in the Twin Cities — a damp cold at -15F, too much for me despite my Adirondack roots. I’ve settled into the mountains outside Asheville and invite you to explore this area before making a decision. The gardening, foraging, fishing and hunting are superb, and Asheville and Johnson City TN provide the city amenities. Also the climate would even please Goldilocks — not too hot, not too cold, but just right. And land and homes here are quite affordable by national standards.