We're certainly all familiar with Mexican food, especially here in LA. However, Mexican food isn't just the
giant burritos and enchiladas dripping with cheese that we're so accustomed to. And don't even say anything about Taco
Bell.
Oaxaca (wah-HA-ka) is a state of Mexico toward the southern end of country, and borders the Pacific Ocean. The food and cooking of Oaxaca is unique from just plain "Mexican food," just as many of the other regional cuisines of Mexico that reflect the differences in locally available ingredients and cultural histories.
Oaxacan cuisine is labor-intensive. The hallmark of the cuisine is mole. "Mole" is a general term for a type of incredibly complex sauce made with as many as 20, sometimes 30 ingredients, including chocolate and spices like cloves and cinnamon. The sauce can vary in sweetness,and can go from mild to fiery hot.
Though I grew up on Mexican food in San Antonio (Tex Mex), and now here in LA, I am fairly new to this specialty cuisine from Oaxaca. I found the moles to be very earthy, and the mole verde over chicken that I ordered was very mild. There's no monstrous plate of refried beans, no dry red Mexican rice, but a simple focus on vegetables and meats.
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