**MOLE, MAIZ &**
**MEZCAL**

If you are interested in being a part of this trip, please send us an email to add your name to our waitlist. If we get enough people interested, we will gladly do this trip again.
*In partnership with Andrea Hagan & Mezcouting*

OVERVIEW

There is no denying that Oaxaca has earned a reputation for its outstanding food, often being referred to as Mexico’s culinary mecca. In no small part, this is due to the three m’s, pillars of Oaxacan gastronomy: mole, maíz, and mezcal.

In Oaxaca, a tortilla can take the shape of a blanda, a tlayuda, a tostada, a memela…you get the idea. Corn is the foundation of all Mesoamerican civilizations, with almost 60 species native to Mexico. As such, its varieties, uses, and preparations are nearly endless. Most of those interested in food come to Oaxaca for one thing: mole, unaware that there are hundreds of moles found in Mexico, many of them hailing from Oaxaca. But what exactly is a mole? A chocolate-chile sauce? Most moles do not have chocolate. A chile sauce then? Not exactly. And what’s the difference between a salsa and a mole? And let’s not forget about mezcal. This agave spirit, often simply described as “tequila’s smoky cousin,” not only has an incredibly rich and politically charged history, but it is also extremely complex, both in its production and flavor, and it’s not necessarily always smoky.

Carefully guided by James Beard Award winning chef Iliana de la Vega and leading mezcal expert Andrea Hagan, this immersive food trip is geared towards those who want to learn in depth about heirloom corn and its uses in Oaxacan gastronomy, what a mole truly is and both tasting and learning how to make them, and gaining a more profound understanding of mezcal. During our one-week trip, we will focus on nixtamalization and corn grinding-techniques, cooking with regional varieties of heirloom corn. We will also visit a traditional mezcal farm far from the city to understand the spirit’s history, process, and its relation to the region’s food system. Lastly, we will learn how to make at least three different Oaxacan moles, taste more than eight different kinds, including the famous seven, and expand upon our understanding of the word.

TRIP ITINERARY

After arriving in Oaxaca City, our driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel. Take some time to settle before we meet for a welcome mezcal at our hotel's rooftop.
We will then head out for dinner at one of the finest restaurants in the city, where we'll sample modern interpretations of Oaxacan cuisine, including our first taste of mole and toast to the wonderful week ahead of us.
Our day begins with breakfast at our favorite market stand, where we’ll try a ceremonial corn-based drink, chocolate-atole, and sample a variety of Oaxacan comfort foods such as enfrijoladas, entomatadas, and empanadas, all made with tortillas and/or masa. After this, we’ll make our way to Teotitlán del Valle, a small town outside of Oaxaca, where we’ll learn to do a quicker nixtamalization process to make tostadas de maíz quebrajada, ground by hand on the stone mill (metate), and make three textures of tortillas: blandas, tlayudas, and tostadas. We will also prepare the pre-Hispanic drink tejate, whose main ingredients of corn and cacao are some of the most important in the region. We´ll also learn to make a traditional dish, amarillo (often referred to as yellow mole), which is thickened with heirloom corn masa. During this class, we’ll work with four types of heirloom corn grown on site by our teacher, traditional cook, natural dyer, and weaver, Aurora. Here, we’ll enjoy our lunch with some agua fresca and mezcal.
After lunch, we’ll return to the hotel so you can enjoy some well-deserved rest. We’ll reconvene later in the evening and head out to sample a true Oaxacan street food: tlayudas (a tlayuda is a 12” round semi-crispy tortilla with various toppings or fillings) at a very local and lively street stand.
On our way to the Sunday open-air market of Tlacolula is the town of Santa María del Tule, home to the widest tree on earth. There, we will kick-off our day with a traditional Oaxacan breakfast at a popular eatery that serves incredible chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and enmoladas before visiting El Tule tree. Afterwards, we’ll drive to the village of Tlacolula for their Sunday open-air market, or día de plaza, where vendors from all over Oaxaca come to sell everything from live turkeys and fresh produce to fabrics and bootlegged dvd's. The día de plaza highlights the importance of the region´s food system and helps to understand corn’s important role in each region’s gastronomy. We'll spend some time there, exploring and shopping before we make our way back to Teotitlán del Valle, where Aurora will talk to us about the town’s tradition of rug-weaving and the natural dyes they use. For lunch, we'll enjoy a traditional Zapotec feast that will include two very different moles, including the famous mole negro, at the private home of a cocinera tradicional (traditional cook).
After our incredible meal, we'll make our way back to the hotel to rest before we meet again in the evening for a variety of appetizers, including a memorable suckling pig taco, while we enjoy panoramic views of the city at the terrace of an upscale restaurant.
Our day will start with breakfast at our hotel before making our way to the town of Miahuatlán, two hours south of the city. Guided by mezcal expert Andrea Hagan, we’ll visit a traditional small-scale mezcal farm where heirloom corn, beans, and squash are grown alongside agaves. We’ll learn about and see the biodiversity of the different agaves used to make mezcal, as well as the history and process of mezcal-making in the region directly from the families who have been distilling their mezcal in copper for four generations, as well as its relation to the milpa (three sisters agricultural system). We’ll also get to taste traditional mezcales made on site and you’ll have a chance to purchase the spirit directly from the producers
After our mezcal tasting, we’ll enjoy a farm to table lunch of local delicacies prepared by a cocinera tradicional. After a full day, we’ll make our way back to the city and the hotel. The rest of the evening will be yours to rest or explore Oaxaca at your own pace, maybe with a mezcal cocktail (or two) at a rooftop bar.
Today will be all about Oaxacan moles and ingredients, learning about them, and understanding how to use them in your own cooking back at home. Our day will start with breakfast at a popular eatery that specializes in all things corn, including their beverages, where everything is made to order using heirloom varieties of corn. We'll then make our way to a residential market nearby to shop for ingredients for our cooking session. Our mole culinary workshop will be led by James Beard Award winning chef Iliana de la Vega at the gorgeous home and kitchen of world-renowned photographer Marcela Taboada. We will be making three different types of moles among other things. While our lunch is cooking, we'll also learn how to make traditional Oaxacan cheeses guided by Rosa María, who comes from a family of cheesemakers.
After lunch, we’ll return to the hotel. Enjoy some time to rest or explore the city before we meet again this evening for a candlelit dinner of traditional Oaxacan tamales, from mole to salsa verde and even a dessert tamal, from our favorite local street cart, which will be served with a mezcal pairing.
Our last day will begin with breakfast at a terrace offering lovely views of the city, where we can try a variety of atoles and delicacies made in the comal. Then, we will make our way to visit the largest and most important archeological site of Oaxaca: Monte Albán, where a local expert guide will explain the legacy and history of the Zapotec site. Then, we’re off to enjoy a lunch of traditional food from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—a completely different cuisine from another one of the eight regions of Oaxaca—at the private home of a local cook. After lunch, you'll have some time to relax or enjoy your last day in Oaxaca on your own before we meet again for our farewell dinner.
We’ll reconvene one last time for dinner at the celebrated restaurant of a woman chef who serves a mix of traditional dishes and her own amazing creations. Here, we’ll get to try a new kind of mole, inspired by tradition but made with a creative touch.
After a week of exploring and eating your way through Oaxaca, it's time to head back home with a head full of memories and perhaps a couple of bottles of mezcal. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the airport. You may depart early in the morning or enjoy breakfast at the hotel beforehand.

*Please keep in mind that this is a sample itinerary and it is subject to change. We expect to do everything listed, but the order may change depending on local conditions and availability.

Andrea Hagan has a background in food systems and community development. Originally from Chicago, she has been a traditional mezcal educator in Oaxaca since 2013. She is a co-founder of Mezcouting and is currently guiding unique cultural experiences.