Are you a MexiCan or a MexiCan't: Oaxaca

I'm watching Mexico, One Plate at a Time. It's cheesy as hell, but the main dude cooks dishes from Mexico with his daughter (who is barely tolerable in her cheesiness). I'm brought back to my many trips to Mexico and aaaaaaaaaaaall the awesome food I got to eat there. Being of Salvadorean background, there has been at times that I have had to hear about the animosity/rivalry between Mexicans and Salvadoreans, which I've never understood. Mexico is beautiful, El Salvador is Beautiful! Both their dishes are AMAZING! But today is my ode to Mexico, mostly because I have spent a considerable amount of time there, and watching this show has brought back many beautiful culinary memories filled that intertwine with the amazing women in my family. Today I thought of Oaxaca.

Oaxaca is this beautiful sleepy city which amazing Catholic churches in green limestone, bugambilia lined court yards, and the breath taking pyramids of Monte Alban. I had the luxury of being able to road trip through this  beautiful state with my cousins all the way to the beach. One moment your in desert- like areas and BOOM tropical forest! While in Oaxaca I got to body surf on the beaches of Puerto Escondido, tan near a turtle sanctuary, and go day unfortunately without bathing (not by choice)

The Grub

Tlayuda

Tlayuda (TLah-You-Dah) is magical. The first time I ate one was with my mother in the city of Oaxaca. A tlayuda is a big tortilla that's been toasted with black beans on top. It is layered with steak and Oaxacan cheese. The cheese from Oaxaca is my Achilles heal. The cheese melts beautifully! My cousins and I would often make late night quesadillas in my aunts kitchen with this cheese. And yes you see correctly, it is a ball of cheese. HOW AWESOME IS THAT! 

BALL-O-CHEESE

Now, if you ever get a chance to go to Oaxaca, go to the market place. It's a pretty big tourist hot spot, but man, if you can have a tlayuda followed by a pan with chocolate, your mind will be blown. The chocolate is rich and the bread is 'bland' so you can dip it in the chocolate. You soak the bread with the chocolate and eat away. I seriously can taste it now. 

I feel so blessed to have experience this, and it breaks my heart to see all the turmoil and violence my Mexican brothers and sisters are going through. It's such a beautiful, rich country, that to see it marred is disheartening. I hope that in my life time people will stop associating Mexico with violence. Mexico to me has become synonymous with positive female energy and woman camaraderie. My mother would take me and we'd see the painting of Frida Khalo. My aunt (may she rest in peace) would make fresh orange juice, cut me fresh jicama, all the while being a badass doctor that worked hard to help her patients . My cousins and I would gossip, relive messed up dates, and try to solve all our love problems over a tiny table in my aunts kitchen. When I speak of Mexico, I can't help but think of emotion, and food. Food should always be an emotional experience: beautiful, rich, and tasty.