Olfactory Notes From the Field: Oaxaca
A magical place filled with aromatic delights.
We landed in Oaxaca at 6:20pm just as the sun was setting over the Sierra Madre mountains. This city in the southern part of Mexico sits in a valley 5,085 ft (1,550m) above sea level, which is significantly higher than the 39 ft (12m) of my hometown, so it makes you breathe (and smell) a little differently.
The airport is small and instead of disembarking through an airtight jetway directly to the terminal, we were asked to take the stairs down to the tarmac, allowing us to be greeted by a 90°F (32°C) gust of air. The warm embrace was my first clue this place was going to be special.
Me being me, of course, I stuck my nose out to get the first olfactory impressions - a little salty, whispers of woody and green notes from the distance, with a good amount of jet fuel. I skipped down the steps quickly, hoping to spare my lungs from any further assault.
When we got into town we spent the rest of the evening walking around to get an initial feel for the place. Visually, the city immediately grabs you. The buildings are colorful, the streets are lined with cars, and strewn with people walking here and there. To get a respite from the action, at one point we ducted into a quiet side street and were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by large mannequins wearing traditional clothing. I later learned you can find them all over town, directly outside of museums and craft stores, of which there are many.
Sadly, the air quality in Oaxaca isn’t that great. Most cars are older and likely don't meet current emission standards, and the main streets are congested with traffic all day, every day. It doesn’t help that the city sits in a valley, trapping pollution like a blanket. So, we smelled a lot of exhaust that first night - the evening heat holding the musty, dirty odor molecules in a tight grip around our nose - but eventually it took its place as a muted background smellscape because so many more novel and interesting scents presented themselves.
Land of Diversity
Oaxaca is the most ethnically and linguistically diverse state in México. It’s home to more than 16 distinct indigenous languages, with the most prominent being Zapotec, Mixtec, and Mazatec. And what’s beautiful is that their cultures can still be witnessed firsthand through the handicrafts and the archaeological ruins, but especially through the food. The region's rugged terrain and favorable temperate climate has allowed foods like corn (maize) and squash, domesticated by these earliest civilizations, to remain a dominant staple today.
Land of Flavor
There’s a reason why Oaxaca is known as the gastronomical capital of México. Renowned chefs, restaurateurs, and foodies flock to this region for its rich produce and distinct flavors. So I expected a certain level of epicurean delight. But I was truly blown away by the level of culinary creativity expressed, while still staying true to ancestral traditions. My senses of smell and taste were on cloud nine.
“Oaxaca is a state of mind. Its flavors, its traditions, its people - they linger with you long after you’ve left, like the taste of mezcal on your lips.”
~ Anthony Bourdain
Honestly, there was so much to try that I can’t possibly take you through all of it here. But I’ll focus on a few of the culinary highlights I experienced, and will encourage you to put this city on your bucket list of places to visit for what I promise is a truly rich olfactory experience.
Mole:
Oaxaca is nicknamed “the land of seven moles” as each of the state’s seven regions produces its own variation of the spicy mole sauce. These moles - amarillo, chichilo, rojo, manchamantel, verde, coloradito and negro - are all abundantly present and part of almost every menu we encountered. While each sauce is distinct, there is a basic combination: toasted dried chiles (ie. pasilla, ancho, mulato, guajillo), roasted or blackened vegetables (i.e. tomatillos, tomatoes), roasted nuts and seeds (ie. almonds, sesame seeds), dried fruit (ie. raisins), bread or masa, and in some chocolate (the highlight of the mole negro).
The beauty lies in the fact that all mole ingredients are first individually roasted and then combined, resting the sauce on a deep, rich, smoky foundation from which the varied ingredients can shine.
Chocolate:
Despite the hot weather, I wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity to try the famous Oaxacan chocolate caliente (hot chocolate) made fresh by grinding cacao beans on a metate (stone slab) and mixed with preferred levels of cinnamon and sugar, then steeped in hot water (tourists prefer milk). We enjoyed a cup of 60% chocolate, made the local way with water, at Flor Cacao. While richly delicious and not too sweet, I was surprised by the grainy texture - it’s common to taste bits of ground cacao beans in each sip - and was told to use the molinillo (traditional wood whisk) to further grind and froth for added flavor.
The beauty of the chocolate culture here is that you can adjust the flavor profile to your preference: buy any combination of chocolate/sugar/cinnamon to suit your palate. For me the 60% chocolate was ideal because it was still bitter enough (I’m a dark chocolate girl), but allowed the cinnamon spiciness to shine through.
Insects:
What you might not realize is that insects are a common delicacy in Oaxaca, and can be readily found in salsas, moles, and eaten straight as a snack. The most common ones are chapulines (grasshoppers), chicatanas (leaf-cutting ant alates), and maguey (worms).
I wasn’t keen on trying insects “neat”, if I’m going to be perfectly honest, but a tour guide on our way to the mezcal distillery passed out some toasted chapulines to everyone on the bus, so I really had no excuse. The grasshoppers come in various sizes and are prepared by toasting or frying them on a comal (a flat, cast-iron griddle), then seasoning them with garlic, lime, salt, and chiles for added flavor.
I closed my eyes to avoid the image of the little creature in my mind, and popped the entire, albeit small, grasshopper in my mouth. It was surprisingly good and not at all what I expected. It had a fishy, mesquite, almost anchovy-like flavor, with salty and sweet undertones. Of course, the crunchy texture gave a slightly incongruous mouthfeel. And, while I don’t think I’d enjoy having them as a regular snack, I can definitely see the appeal of adding them as a flavor punch to salsas and moles.
Mezcal:
Along with chocolate, there’s nothing more “Oaxacan” than mezcal (ancestor to tequila). The alcoholic drink, made from a variety of agave plant species native to the region, gets its name from the word mexicali, meaning ‘cooked agave’ in the ancient Nahuatl language, and was born after the Spanish introduced distillation to México. There are three methods to making the drink: ancestral (clay pots), artisanal (copper pots), and conventional (industrial).
We went to one distillery where, like most producers in Oaxaca, they make mezcal using 16th-century methods: the heart of the agave plant is smoked underground for several days before being crushed by a millstone known as a tahona, usually drawn by a horse or ox. The pulp is then added to wooden vats for fermentation, followed by at least two distillations in copper or clay pots.
If you’ve ever tasted mezcal, you know it’s got a very smoky flavor profile. For many it’s an acquired taste, especially when you drink it straight up like the locals prefer to do. While I enjoy its more earthy, complex punchy flavor vs. tequila, I had a more pleasurable experience tasting it in cocktails served in bars and restaurants throughout town.
We enjoyed the classic mezcalita, a margarita made with mezcal instead of tequila, but were really impressed with the creativity of some of the bartenders, who took local flavors to a whole new level.
At bar Selva I tried the pasillo de humo, dubbed “the Chanel No.5 of Oaxaca” made with mezcal, smoked campari, lillet, dry vermouth, impressions of chorizo, and corn miso. I was, of course, drawn to the name and had no idea what to expect, then was utterly delighted by its smooth, signature smoky, a bit salty, slightly herbal, yet bright flavor. Sadly, I think the name was more of an ode to the luxury flavor than to the actual aldehydic scent profile of the perfume itself (much to my disappointment).
Oaxaca is truly a magical place that has left a lasting impression of rich culture, warm people, a vibrant atmosphere, and absolutely incredible food. I hope this gives you a small sense of the experience. I hope you’ll have the chance to go yourself one day. Or have already been?
This week on my podcast An Aromatic Life:
In this latest episode, I sit down with perfumer and Travertine Atelier CEO Terry Carter to discuss his journey as an aromatic entrepreneur.
Terry shares the enormous influence his parents had, and why perfume has always been in his life. He explains what drew him to studying International Studies and Japanese in college, and how law school was a natural part of his journey.
Terry then reveals how he started his business in 2004, shares why he’s always been a learner, and gives great advice on the key things that have given him longevity in his business career.
We discuss the importance of maintaining high standards, the continuing need for educating a misinformed public, and the importance of taking care of yourself through the highs and lows.
Terry also gives a sneak-peak into an exciting new project he’s working on with Osmo Labs.
You can hear this episode and many more on Apple podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.