I'll be in Mexico City after nightfall on December 10th. A few hours on the bus and I'll arrive in Oaxaca de Juarez (Oaxaca, for short: pronounced "Wa-ha-ka") where I'll be for a (noncommittal) couple of weeks. With a population of 250,000, Oaxaca is a small-sized Mexican colonial city and is refuted to be Mexico's 'foodie' capital, known for it's seven moles. My motives are anything but hidden.
My Oaxaca objectives are not entirely hedonistic. I'll be spending 10 days or so taking Spanish language lessons, and putting my new vocabulary to practice at the street food vendors and markets. Cooking classes from a local Oaxacan chef and proponent of local agriculture are also in order. The city and surrounding area has important Zapotec and Mixtec archaeological ruins that I plan to explore.
My timing couldn't be better, since I'll be Oaxaca for the annual "Night of the Radishes" (Noche de rabanos) festival, a celebration of local food that started in the 19th century. It's essentially an exhibition of radish sculptures, crafted from radishes that weigh up to 7 lbs. The festival has evolved into an event that showcases the local agricultural bounty, but the radish sculptures still take centre stage.
I can't wait to explore this culinary capital, and find out how it's avoided many of the food-related pitfalls North American cities have fallen into (think massive supermarkets filled with processed food from thousands of miles away). I'm convinced places like Oaxaca can teach us something about what a healthy food system looks like, even given its geographical and climatic differences. I'll keep you posted!
