The Bounty of a Mexican Bakery
Oaxaca is a culinary destination, offering many foods specific to the region. What can be challenging is discerning if that beautiful plate of black mole sauce has meat hiding in it, or how much lard and chicken stock is mixed into that vegetarian-looking dish. With some key questions and some basic restaurant guidelines, vegetarians and even vegans can find diverse foods on which to dine. After all, many Oaxacans are incidental vegetarians, eating what is available from nearby farms or fields and consuming meat only on special occasions.
Instructions
1. From the street stalls to the markets, the cafes to the restaurants, the city of Oaxaca can seem like one long buffet table. For a vegetarian, it takes a little tenacity to discover the truly vegetarian options. For example, asking someone if somethings is "sin carne" or "without meat," may result in a yes, even when the reality is no. This is because "carne" can also imply only red meat, so chicken, pork and fish may be in that "sin carne" dish. The simplest approach is to ask for specific things, such as cheese enchiladas, chile rellenos without beef or chicken, vegetable soups, mushroom empanadas, potato and chile tacos, and memelas. If you're a strict vegetarian, remember to say "sin aceite," or without lard.
2. Oaxaca has restaurants that specifically cater to vegetarians. In the center of town, Manantial reserves one page of its menu for veggie options, and has a weekend buffet in which half of the dishes are vegetarian. Flor de Loto offers a "comida," a meal of the day, every afternoon with vegetarian entrees. Both Cafe de la Olla and La Biznaga have inventive soups and salads, such as a squash flower soup, served in a bohemian surrounding. Itanoni, in the Reforma District. emphasizes organic, vegetarian ancient Zapotec Indian dishes made with biodiverse corn.
3. Oaxaca's year-round temperate climate guarantees a bounty of fruits and vegetables that is not dependent on the season. Pushcart peddlers offer cups or trays filled with sliced and diced fresh fruits and vegetables for under two dollars. Choose from cantaloupe, papaya, watermelon, mango, cucumber and, in the more exotic stalls, tuna fruit and chico zapote. Remember that raw fruits and vegetables that have been peeled are safer to eat. Don't forget that vendors will add a squeeze of lime and chili sauce for free. At breakfast, some stalls offer yogurt, granola and honey as toppings.
4. Pick any day of the week and some neighborhood in Oaxaca city will be hosting a tianguis, or an open-air market. Tables and blankets jam streets, sidewalks or green spaces. Certain Oaxacan markets specialized in organic, natural and vegetarian options. On Fridays and Saturdays the Pochote market, hidden under the old city aqueducts, offers a wild-greens based torta (sandwich) on a whole grain bun. Another booth offers vegetarian foccacia while another mixes up the strange yet addictive tejate drink made from nut milk, fruit seeds, chocolate and more. Other natural tianguis include the La Estacion, the Multi-Bio Cultural Organico Market, and Plaza 8 Regiones.
5. Another fun adventure for vegetarians is Mexican bakeries, which can be stand-alone operations, simple stalls, or departments of a large grocery store. In all of these cases, the routine is the same. Find the large tray that looks like a pizza pan. Grab a pair of tongs. Stalk the aisles of sweet breads, stuffed breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, custards and buns and select what strikes your fancy. Bring it to the cash register and hand over the tray and the tongs so that the clerk can use the tongs to place your purchases in a bag. Some top bakeries in town are Bambi, which features traditional Mexican breads, and Pan y Co., which specializes in Italian and French-style pastries and loaves.
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