Oaxaca: 5-Course Tasting Menu

Did you know the Oaxaca Valley has been inhabited since 11,000 BC?  Considered the birthplace of corn and squash, the corn-centric menu demonstrates the versatility of this vital food dating back thousands of years.  Each savory dish uses corn distinctly and is complemented by the abundance of ingredients and flavors from this vibrant region of Mexico.  Tickets can be purchased here.

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Amuse Bouche - Molete

From the Nahuatl language, meaning “package,” this popular Oaxacan street food dish is corn dough stuffed with chorizo​​ and Oaxaca cheese, drizzled with black beans, and topped with a delicious Xnipec salsa from the nearby Yucatan peninsula.   

 

First Course  - Chileatole Verde

Originating in pre-Hispanic Mexico, this soup has a corn masa base with white corn kernels. It is flavored with epazote spice and serrano chili and topped with queso fresco.  

 

Second Course - Memela

A popular Oaxacan snack eaten with your hands, this fresh corn tortilla has a refried black bean spread and a chicharrón crumble and is garnished with pico de gallo, mint, and avocado coulis.

 

Third Course - Ensalada de Tomatoes 

Oaxaca has up to 23 varieties of tomatoes, and this salad highlights five. It is accompanied by eggplant puree (also part of the tomato family), cucumbers, and purslane and dressed with an oregano vinaigrette.

 

Intermezzo - Oaxaca Refresher

A sorbet of cucumber, mint, limon and mezcal​

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Fourth Course - Panceta de Cerdo (Pork Belly) with Coloradito Mole

Braised pork belly with a coloradito mole, a traditional Mexican sauce originating from Oaxaca as one of the seven moles of Oaxaca.  The red mole adds a robust flavor to pork hoja santa sauteed hominy and grilled squash.

 

Fifth Course - Crepa de Chocolate and Cinnamon

Crepes, considered a cousin to the enchilada, were introduced into Mexico during the French invasion in the 1860s. This Oaxacan chocolate and cinnamon crepe is accompanied by palanquetas de cacahuates (Mexican peanut brittle), red berry compote, and a mezcal-flamed, orange-zested Swiss meringue.