After my culinary experiences in Yucatán, I thought this would be hard to top. But then I visited Oaxaca and tasted its famous „moles“ (pronounced „MO-les“) and street food. And Oaxaca has its own take on several dishes you can also find elsewhere, like its empanadas and tamales. But what is even better: There’s no need to head to fancy restaurants to experience Oaxacan cuisine. Just stroll through a local market or head to the small comedores (family-run restaurants), and you’ll find some of the best flavors. So without further ado, let’s dive into the most iconic Oaxacan dishes you should know, whether you’re visiting the capital Oaxaca or another city in the state of Oaxaca.

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1. The Seven Moles: The Heart of Oaxacan Cuisine

Welcome to the “Land of the Seven Moles”! Oaxaca is known for its great variety of moles (pronounced “MO-les”). Mole is a rich and thick sauce made from a complex mix of many ingredients, such as chiles, spices, nuts, seeds, and even chocolate. The traditional seven types of mole include mole negro (black mole), mole rojo (red mole), mole coloradito (colored mole), mole amarillo (yellow mole), mole verde (green mole), mole chichilo (charred chile mole), and mole manchamanteles (“tablecloth-stainer mole”). However, every restaurant has its own variation of moles, and its recipes are based on family tradition.

Each mole has its own unique flavor, and they can be served over anything from chicken to pork to enchiladas (stuffed tortillas; then also called “enmoladas”).

2. Estofado: The Party Mole

Oaxaca doesn’t just stop at the 7 traditional moles: There’s way more than that. One of my favorite moles is estofado, and thus it merits its own mention. It’s usually eaten at big family reunions and other festivities. Thick and rich and lightly sweet, it’s delicious and very filling. Again, each family and restaurant has its own variation of this type of mole. I had an estofado made with almonds, but there is also a variation made with capers that is then more sweet-sour (also very delicious).

3. Tlayudas: The Ultimate Oaxacan Street Food

A tlayuda is kinda like a Mexican-style pizza with a thin crispy corn tortilla as a base instead of wheat dough. It’s a perfect substitute for pizza lovers who can’t eat wheat. The massive, crispy tortilla is layered with bean paste as a base, quesillo (Oaxacan cheese), avocado, onion, and your choice of meats like tasajo (thinly sliced beef) or cecina (marinated pork). The tortilla gets often folded together like a pizza calzone to make it easier to eat when you buy it at a market stall. Make sure it’s fried over charcoal for the best flavor!

4. Tamales Oaxaqueños: Wrapped in Banana Leaves

Tamales are a typical Mexican food you can find all over the country. A tamal consists of corn dough filled with ingredients like salsa or meat, then wrapped in corn husks and steamed. If you buy tamales on the streets, they often have less filling and are therefore cheaper. I prefer to buy them at a market (or in a restaurant) because they usually have more filling which in the end means more flavor.

The specialty of Oaxaca is to wrap tamales in banana leaves instead of corn husks which gives them a special flavor. I prefer them this way because the dough is flatter and broader than when the tamal is wrapped in a corn husk, and I think you taste more of the filling and less of the corn dough.

Tamales are often eaten for breakfast, and you can find them at street stalls or markets. The corn husk or banana leaves they’re wrapped in are not eaten, they’re just used to hold everything together and keep it warm.

5. Tasajo and Cecina: Oaxacan Grilled Meats

Both tasajo (thin slices of beef) and cecina (marinated pork) are popular Oaxacan meats that are usually grilled over an open flame. They’re often served with tlayudas or tacos, but they can also be a dish on their own accompanied by rice, beans, and tortillas.

In the Pasillo de Carnes Asadas in Mercado 20 de Noviembre, you can pick your meats and watch them being grilled in front of you.

6. Empanadas: A Hand-Pie Full of Flavor

Oaxacan empanadas are different from the rest of Mexico: While you can find empanadas made of wheat dough or pastry, in Oaxaca, they use a large crispy tortilla instead. Like a tlayuda, the tortilla is then filled and folded together. The fillings vary from different moles to pumpkin flowers. Especially typical for Oaxaca is the Empanada de amarillo filled with mole amarillo (yellow mole) and chicken. The yellow mole adds a unique, slightly tangy flavor.

7. Memelas: Thicker Tacos with Beans and Quesillo

A memela is an oval-shaped corn tortilla thicker than the usual taco tortilla. It’s topped with refried bean paste, quesillo (Oaxan cheese), and salsa, and can get additional toppings like meat or egg. It’s simple but delicious.

To sample various toppings for memelas, try the Memelitas Las Marchantas in the Chili Guajili restaurant at the zócalo (Miguel Hidalgo 814). They come with tasajo, al-pastor-flavored meat with pineapple, and chicharrón (fried pork skin).

8. Nieve de Leche Quemada con Tuna: A Delicious Desert

On a hot day, there’s nothing better than a cup of nieves (pronounced “nee-EH-ves”). These are local ice cream-like desserts made from fresh fruits and other unique flavors like leche quemada (burnt milk) and tuna (pronounced “TOO-na”, prickly pear) which is one of the favorite combinations in Oaxaca. Nieve translates to “snow”, and it’s rather icy and lighter than traditional Italian ice cream. Some nieves are made of water and some of milk, depending on the flavor.

For some of the best nieves in Oaxaca, head to Jardín Sócrates just outside the Basilica de la Soledad, where you can find various ice-cream parlors selling nieves.

9. Caldo de Piedra: Stone Stoup

One of the most unique dishes you’ll find in Oaxaca is caldo de piedra, or stone soup. This traditional dish comes from the Chinanteco people and is made by placing hot river stones into a bowl filled with ingredients like fish, tomatoes, onions, and herbs, cooking the soup right before your eyes.

To experience caldo de piedra, visit Restaurant Caldo de Piedra a 30-minute drive from Oaxaca (Carretera al tule Cristóbal Colón 116, 68270 Tlalixtac de Cabrera). It lies on the way to the El Tule tree, so you can combine both stops.

10. Molotes de Plátano: Stuffed Plantains

While molotes can be found elsewhere in Mexico as well where they’re being prepared with corn dough, ripe plantains are the basis for the molotes in Oaxaca. They’re mashed and stuffed with panela cheese and then cooked. They’re topped off with condensed milk (lechera) for a sweet touch to it. One of my favorite desserts!

11. Chapulines: Crunchy Grass-Hoppers

Chapulines are fried grasshoppers and have been an important part of the local diet since pre-Hispanic times. Seasoned with lime, garlic, and chile, they’re crunchy and full of flavor. They’re served on tacos, sprinkled on guacamole, or eaten by themselves as a snack just like potato chips.

You can buy them at any Oaxacan market by the bag, or from street vendors.

12. Chile Relleno de Picadillo: Stuffed Chile

Unlike the typical cheese-stuffed chile relleno, the Oaxacan version is often filled with picadillo, a mix of ground beef, fruits, and spices. It’s pleasantly seasoned meat that’s not too spicy. The thus stuffed mild chile gets then battered and fried.

You’ll find chile relleno de picadillo at many local restaurants in Oaxaca.

13. Enmoladas: Mole-Topped Enchiladas

If you love enchiladas, you have to try enmoladas. Like enchiladas, they consist of rolled-up corn tortillas filled with chicken, cheese, or pork. Enmoladas are then topped off with a rich mole sauce and quesillo (Oaxacan cheese).  In the end, it’s one more way of indulging in Oaxaca’s delicious moles.

At restaurants, they’re called either enmoladas or enchiladas de mole.

14. Tetelas: Triangle-Shaped Corn Treats

Tetelas are a simple Oaxacan snack, made from thin corn dough that gets filled and folded together to shape triangles. They’re typically filled with black beans, cheese, or chicken and cooked on a comal (griddle). Tetelas can be enjoyed plain or topped off with vegetables or meat.

15. Pan de Cazuela: Oven-Baked Sweet Bread

A typical Oaxacan bread is pan de cazuela. “Cazuela” means casserole, because this bread was usually baked in small clay casseroles in an oven. The dough contains cinnamon and anise, and before baking, raisins and melted Oaxacan chocolate are added. The result is a sweet fluffy bread. Watch out, vegans: Ask if it’s been baked with lard (“manteca de cerdo”).

16. Pan de Yema: Egg-Yolk Bread

Pan de yema (see picture above) is a slightly sweet, airy bread made with egg yolks (yema), and it’s a beloved treat in Oaxaca. It’s commonly enjoyed with a hot cup of Oaxacan chocolate. Dip it into the chocolate and quickly have a bite before the bread falls apart. It’s soft and fluffy with a delicate flavor and has sesame seeds on top.

During the Day of the Dead holidays, a small hand-painted face made of dough (“la carita”) is stuck into the top of it, representing the souls of the departed family members who are being commemorated during those festivities.

For some of the best pan de yema, check out the bakeries at Mercado de la Merced or Panadería Yema.

17. Tejate: A Corn-Based Beverage

Made from corn, cacao, mamey seeds, and rosita de cacao, tejate is a typical corn-based drink comparable to the atole in other states. It’s simple, yet refreshing and thus perfect to enjoy on a hot day.

Try tejate at a local market like Mercado de la Merced, where women still prepare it the traditional way.

18. Chocolate: The Traditional Pre-Hispanic Hot Beverage

Oaxaca is one of the best places to experience traditional Mexican chocolate (pronounced cho-co-LA-te). Here, chocolate is ground with cinnamon, almonds, and sugar, then whisked into hot water or milk to make a frothy, rich drink. You can enjoy it on its own or alongside pan de yema for a classic Oaxacan breakfast or snack.

For an authentic experience, visit one of the chocolaterías like Chocolate Guelaguetza where you can see the chocolate being made.

19. Mezqual: Tequila’s Little Brother

Mezcal is like tequila’s little brother who has become more and more popular lately. While tequila can only be called tequila if it comes from blue agave, mezcal can be derived from any type of agave, which made it more economical and was thus enjoyed by the common man. Nowadays, you can find Mezcalerías (mezcal bars) all over town, and sipping mezcal has become kind of a trend.

Remember that mezcal is sipped, so take your time and enjoy this flavorful drink.

Sounds delicious?

The Oaxaca cuisine is famous for a reason. Moles, tlayudas, tamales, mezqual…I definitely recommend staying for more than just one day in this beautiful city. And while you’re here, add some sightseeing to your foodie tour. Enjoy Oaxaca and its great cuisine!

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