SAVORING THE TRAVEL FLAVORS OF MEXICO: MAKING AND TASTING THE AUTHENTIC FOODS FROM THIS REVOLUTIONARY OAXACA RESTAURANT COMPANIONSHIP
Above all, this revolutionary Oaxaca restaurant companionship sets a whole new bar of flavor bursting experiences!
Starting off any trip to Mexico almost always begins by savoring the travel flavors, but this revolutionary Oaxaca restaurant companionship is worth experiencing.
Allow me to give a little bit of insight to this companionship Each of these restaurants works together, but also offers a completely different atmosphere, food, and ambience. But they offer the same values, local support, and traditional foundation.
So far, I’ve had the opportunity to experience meals at both and take classes at both as well. Which I’ll get to share some insight with you today, for when you get out there to also experience them!
Each class is a bit different, to cater to the needs of those that have allergies, but overall, still AMAZING!
Oh, and the classes can be offered in either English or Spanish too!
Why not know how the food is made and take a completely immersive cooking class or even a chocolate making class? Not only, will you gain the knowledge, but you’ll make the food, and then savor the flavors of it all. Mmmm..
TAKING A VEGAN/VEGETARIAN COOKING CLASS WITH AN IMMERSIVE MARKET EXPERIENCE
When originally taking the cooking class, the finished result of the Oaxaca meal was a complete surprise, but a pleasant one at that! Not only that, the entire class was such an incredibly immersive experience.
During the class, we started by going to the community market to gather local and fresh ingredients for our class. Each and every vendor had a huge smile when the class came by, and seeing the connection between the locals was astonishingly sweet. Supporting local is always a valuable part of any community, it’s great that the restaurants support each other.
After walking back from the markets, we began to wash our hands, rinse the produce, and prep.
Throughout the class, the chef shared many key points about the town, the ingredients we were working with, and also the cultural traditions.
Let’s Begin!
Together, we made tortillas from scratch made dough, salsa, rice with Mexican truffles, and heated up some black mole sauce to pair alongside it. Thankfully, we didn’t just make it, but we also got to enjoy all of our hard work too!
In Mexican traditions, black mole sauce is typically enjoyed only when babies are born, people die or during the Day of the Dead Mexico.
However, some restaurants, like this one, offer it year round so that those who visit can truly get a chance to taste!
Traditionally it contains bits and pieces of animal products, each variation continuing something different, but I found the only vegan/vegetarian option in all of Oaxaca….and guess what?!
It’s absolutely astonishingly delicious!!! But not only is it delicious, it was made with such precision and care, specifically 18 hours of loving cook time! Wowzers, that’s true dedication!!
The goal of the restaurant from the head chef is to be able to share the original and authentic dishes, but in a vegan way. So that all can enjoy it!
Not only is every meal made with such care and precision, but the ingredients are bought from local merchant markets to keep it a fully sustainable and closed loop system. This type of restaurant is truly rare.
MAKE YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE FROM SCRATCH THE PRE-HISPANIC WAY
As we began the class, we started with the history of cocoa, what our knowledge was of cocoa, as well as the traditions of Oaxaca and cocoa.
Remember when I had mentioned their values, local support, and traditional foundation? Well, for this class, 99% of all the ingredients are fully grown in Oaxaca. For example; their sugar, cocoa, flavorings, and more! Plus, they are the only Oaxaca restaurant to only use 100% Oaxaca cocoa!
Fun facts from class:
- Did you know that most of the world’s cocoa comes from Africa? Only 4% comes from Oaxaca.
- Also, did you know that there is a pod called with white cocoa beans? Neither did I, until this class! You’ll actually get the opportunity to try them out for yourself in this Oaxaca restaurant.
- Almost 80% of the production of cocoa is just for skincare
The original form of cocoa comes in a pod form, is then broken open and the beans are then removed, and the white fruity pulp is removed (Either eaten or used later) and then the beans are either placed out in the sun to dry or are fermented. Although one is definitely one than the other.
Next, once processed, comes the roasting on the stove top! There are two common traditional ways of roasting, the first is by hand and the other is by using a type of grass paddle called a palma.
As the beans roast, you’ll hear a POP, and that’s when you’ll know that the beans are done and ready for the next step of peeling the beans out of their shell. The shell becomes soft when hot and is the best time to peel, just beware of the heat!
However, once it’s cooled just a bit, peeling the roasted cocoa people often say is meditative and relaxing.
Once peeled, the pods get hand ground multiple times and then mixed with the sugar ratio of choice to make the desired percentage of cocoa chocolate, our class chose 70%.
Next, we began placing the final result into chocolate molds, and then placing the trays into the freezer to harden and then placed in adorable little boxes for us to take our chocolate home with us. Since it was still close to The Day Of The Dead holiday, we ended up having the shapes of skulls! How Adorable is that?
Speaking of that festival, I highly recommend celebrating The Day Of The Dead in Oaxaca, here’s a a whole article on it actually! Read the article → CELEBRATING THE DAY OF THE DEAD MEXICO FESTIVAL (DÍA DE MUERTOS) IN OAXACA
I’d also like to give a personal thank you to both of the chefs in these classes, for really pushing through, pursuing their dreams, and staying true to their values. Everything was truly made by hand and with so much love. The dedication and passion truly shows!
If you’re looking to book any of the classes or experiences, be sure to visit Etnofood’s website!
Click here to book a class or experience! (Click Etnofood > Services > Select the class!)
PS: Their desktop version is best viewed on a tablet or desktop, as they are having their mobile view adjusted currently!
