Let’s eat!

Who can go to Mexico without looking forward to the food and drink!

Huatulco has some of the best food in Mexico! They are well-known for their coffee, mezcal, mole sauce, chapulines, seafood, and agua frescas.

The food in Oaxaca is complex with strong indigenous roots from the Zapotec and Mixtec groups. Oaxaca has long been considered the epicenter of Mexico’s traditional food culture. Part of its gastronomical wealth comes from the many microclimates found within the eight regions of the state, of which Huatulco is one.

From street stands, markets, and restaurants, you’ll find Oaxaca foods and snacks (antojitos) rich in history. 

Mole (from the Nahuatl word milli meaning “sauce”) is a thick sauce unique to Mexico. Oaxaca is known as the “Land of Seven Moles.” While every Oaxacan home has its own variation, mole is typically made from unsweetened chocolate, spices and many types of Oaxaca’s chiles. Various seeds, nuts, cinnamon, sugar, lard, plantains, cloves, and other spices may also be added.

Tlayudas Oaxacan “pizza”. Made on grilled, oversized tortillas, tlayudas are layered with asiento, black beans and pork fat. Quesillo (Oaxacan cheese) is sprinkled over the tlayudas and topped with tomato, avocado and lettuce or shredded cabbage. The accompanying meat is up to you. Some you can choose from are beef (tasajo), sausage (chorizo) or pork (cecina).

Mezcal Made in Mexico for at least 400 years, mezcal is primarily produced by small families and villages. The name comes from the Nahuatl words “metl,” (agave) and “ixcalli,” (cooked). Most mezcal is made from the Espadin Agave grown in the state of Oaxaca. Traditional methods include using one or more than 30 types of wild agave that are allowed for mezcal production. The agave plant is harvested when they are 10-15 years old. The leaves are trimmed off and the resulting “pina” is roasted in the ground, under stone and dirt. Then the pinas are ground under a stone wheel in a pit. The juice is extracted, filtered, and allowed to ferment in various vessels depending on the taste desired. The fermented agave juice is then distilled in wood-burning clay pots or copper stills.

Chapulines Chapulines are a traditional food of roasted grasshoppers, characterized by a crunchy texture and an earthy, nutty flavor. Chapulines in Oaxaca are a fundamental part of the history, culture, and cuisine of this Mexican region. They offer a rich source of protein and are a delicacy that has been appreciated for centuries before the arrival of the Spaniards.

The chapulines are traditionally seasoned with chili, garlic, salt, and lime juice. They can be used as a filling for tacos with some green salsa and onions, or on tostadas with cheese and guacamole. They are widely sold as street food or as a bar snack to go with mezcal or beer.

Tacos al Pastor Al pastor, a method of shaving meat as it rotates around a heat source, is a method of roasting pork that Mexicans borrowed from Lebanese immigrants when they settled in the country more than 100 years ago. The pork is first sliced very thin, then marinated in combination of chilies and spices, then roasted on a spit, where it rotates as it cooks, allowing the edges to crisp. From there, it's shaved off and served with sliced onions and a bit of roasted pineapple.

Seafood Because Huatulco is a coastal city, fresh seafood is widely available. From daily catches of various fish to shrimp, lobster, oysters, octopus, and everything in between. Huatulco has it all!

Restaurants all over the area are filled with seafood specialties. Many of the restaurants in Huatulco are locally owned. And most are not owned by foreigners or chain companies.

One of the area favorites is 4x4 camarones, a full platter of shrimp prepared in four different ways. Ceviche and shrimp cocktails are another staple in many restaurants or on the street.

Agua fresca The direct translation of agua fresca is “fresh water” or “cool water.” Agua fresca is an umbrella term for a variety of non-alcoholic drinks made with fresh ingredients, sweeteners, and ice-cold water. The fresh ingredients are most often fruit but are sometimes other items such as rice (horchata), a type of hibiscus flower (jamaica), or cucumbers.

They are amazingly delicious, simple thirst quenchers that are fresh, healthy, relatively inexpensive, and available everywhere in Huatulco, in restaurants, on the beach, and on the streets.

Coffee Your stay in Mexico would not be complete without trying authentic Mexican coffee drinks such as Cafe de Olla (cinnamon, star anise, chocolate, and piloncillo) or Carajillo (Liquor 43). Lattes, Americano, and espressos are also very popular.

“Complex flavors with floral notes.” Oaxaca coffee has a rich flavor, sweet-toned with caramel overtones. Most farmers practice traditional coffee cultivation methods with 80-year-old farms managed in the 1940s farming style. Pluma Hidalgo is one of the coffee beans that is cultivated on farms in Oaxaca. While you’re here, plan a visit to a local plantation and shops that roast the beans in very small batches.

Chocolate (hot & otherwise) The craft of chocolate making can be traced back to 1900 BCE in Mesoamerica and in fact, it appears the way the Aztecs prepared it is similar to how Mexicans do today. The cacao beans are typically peeled, fermented, dried, roasted, and then ground into a paste using either a metate, which is a traditional tool for hand-grinding materials or with a molino, a mill. Sugar and cinnamon are traditionally added and sometimes other ingredients such as chilies.

Mexican chocolate is not very sweet, should taste intense, and have a grainy, rustic texture. It can be eaten by itself, but it’s more commonly used in drinks and recipes.

While in Huatulco, you can take tours to chocolate plantations and is available in all its forms in various stores.