Australian Gourmet Traveller - (10)October 2019 (1)

This“cocteleríaconhierbas”takesits

inspirationfromancestralknowledge and

thewidespreaduse ofmedicinalherbs

in Oaxaca’s indigenous communities.

a centrethatrehabilitatesagavesandcactithat
havebeensavedfromdestruction.There’sa strong
focusonsustainability,withwatersuppliedbya
rain-fedcisternandtheuseofsolarpanels.Access
is viaguidedtoursonly;nobookingsrequired.
CnrReforma& Constitución, Centro, +52 951 516
5325, jardinoaxaca.mx

Tlacolula market
Ina traditiondatingbackcenturiesinMexico,vendors
travelbetweentownstooffertheirwaresat weekly
open-airvillagemarkets,ortianguis.Oneoftheoldest
continuouslyoperatingmarketsinMesoamericais
thehugeTlacolulamarket,heldonSundaysabout
30 minutes’driveeastofOaxaca.It’sa treasuretrove
oftraditionalceramics,fruitandflowers,mezcaland
mole,barbacoaandlivebirds,andtejate,a traditional
Zapotecdrinkmadefromcornandcacao,andknown
asthedrinkofthegods.

Alsoworthvisitingis theFridaymarketinOcotlán
deMorelos,a townabout 30 minutes’drivesouth
ofOaxaca’scentre.It’sthehometownofthepainter
RodolfoMorales,knownforhismagicrealistwork;
learnmoreat a museumdedicatedtohisworkand
seehismuralsinthetowncentre.
Colectivos(sharedtaxis)departregularlyfrom
theEduardoVasconcelosStadiumortheCentral
deAbastosmarketand drop off at markets in
surrounding towns.

Shop

Huizache
Thisshopstockstraditionalcraftsmadebya
cooperativeof 70 artisanfamiliesfromaround
Oaxacastate.Greatfortextiles,clothing,hammocks,
ceramics,wovenbasketsandbags.CnrMacedonio
Alcalá & Murguía, Centro, +52 951 501 1282

Tienda Q

Thishigh-endcontemporarydesignstoreandgallery
featuresuniqueclothinghandmadeinorganicnatural
fibresbyMexicandesignersincludingCarmenRion
andAureaBucio.It’salsoknownforjewellery,leather
shoesandwiresculpture.ManuelBravo 109, Centro,
+52 951 514 8880, tienda-q.com.mx

La Tiendita delBarro
TheLittlePotteryShopspecialisesinhandmade,
sustainablyproducedceramics,fashionedin

contemporarydesignsusingtraditionaltechniques.
It’spartofthe 1050 Gradosceramicscollective
bynon-profitnetworkInnovandola Tradición,
andusesa rangeofclayssourcedinOaxaca.
RufinoTamayo800c,Centro, +52 951 132 6158,
innovandolatradicion.org

Drink

Cafébre

Thiscafétakesitscoffeeseriously.Oaxacanbeansare

boughtinsmallbatchesfromlocalproducers,and

meticulouson-siteroastinghighlightsthenuances

offlavours.OrderAeroPress,Frenchpress,v60or

Chemex,andbuybagsofOaxacan coffee beansto

go.Manuel Bravo 108, Centro

Hierba Blanca

This“cocteleríaconhierbas”,literally“cocktail

barwithherbs”,takesitsinspirationfromancestral

knowledgeandthewidespreaduseofmedicinalherbs

inOaxaca’sindigenouscommunities.Barstaffmix

uniquecocktailsusinglocalingredientsfromOaxaca’s

Mixtecaregion,includinga rangeofagaves.Popular

drinksaretheCerroNegro,madewithvermouth

mixteco,mezcalandlocalherbs,andtheChangochela,

a mixofmezcal,beer,gingerandcardamom.Murguía

202, Centro, +52 951 173 8525

In SituMezcaleria

MezcalconnoisseurUlisesTorrenteraownsthiscosy

bar,whichis theperfectplaceforfullimmersioninthe

worldofmezcal.Thelistis overseenbyTorrenteraand

partnerSandraOrtízBrena,whohaveassembledwhat’s

saidtobethebiggestcollectionofmezcalinMexico,

withmorethan 180 varieties.Joina guidedtastingand

hearthehistoryofeachmezcal.AvMorelos 511, Centro,

+52 951 514 1811, insitumezcaleria.com

Mezcaloteca

Bookaheadtotastetraditionalmezcalsinhour-long

sessions,whilelearningaboutthediversityofmaguey,

thedifferencesintasteandaroma,andtheproduction

techniquesusedinthehandfulofMexicanregionsin

whichmezcalis distilled.Reforma 506, Centro, +52 951

514 0082, mezcaloteca.com

Selva

Thiscocktailbar,styledas a junglehideawayand

locatedabovethepopularrestaurantLosDanzantes,

is a perfectspotfora pre-dinnerdrink.Cocktailsoffer

someunusualcombinationssuchas theDonAlfredo,

withdehydratedpineappleandtamarindtepache,or

theSierraNorteAmarillo,withOaxacanyellow-corn

whisky,cacao-blossomsugarandbitters.Macedonio

Alcalá 403, +52 951 501 1184, losdanzantes.com➤

GOURMET TRAVELLER 157