Festival Origens, La Etnococina de Oaxaca

        While having lunch at Los Danzantes last week, our hostess told us about a festival planned for the weekend. Festival Origenes, La Etnococina de Oaxaca. All six of us at the table, after hearing about it, immediately bought tickets!  250 pesos, about $21US, bought our entry into an indigenous foods festival.  Seventeen of the indigenous groups in Oaxaca would be serving locally made dishes, and the price included fruit drinks (aguas), mescal, beer and music.  You bet I'll be there!

Sunday afternoon, dressed in my finest indigenous outfit (the only one I own), Stuart, Tom and Jo Ann and I met our friends Elly and Marc.  Being gringos, we arrived at the advertised hour, to find a huge tent set up in the plaza by Catedral (Iglesia?) Soledad, and it was empty of everyone but waiters and cooks.  Being directly in the sun would have made this a miserable afternoon, so we were cheered to see the tent.  Arriving on time also guaranteed us that we could have our pick of tables, as everyone else here works on Oaxacan time.  A little bit later!

The tables were beautifully set, with coordinating cloth napkins and runners, the plates set on silver chargers.  I confess, I did not expect this much elegance, and had packed a Real Fork and cloth napkin in my bag!  I'm embarrased to admit that.

Being early was great, it gave me lots of time to walk past the more then 100 pots of delicious looking food, to take pictures and ask questions.  The tables were arranged around the perimeter, and the cooks and hosts were dressed in their best trajes, village clothes.  I could identify some of the areas by the clothing, and a few others by the signs posted on the hugs pots of simmer food.























Elly grabbed an empanada before we were told we couldn't begin early, and she shared it with us.

Our waitress was all smiles, and cheerfully brought mescal (whets the appetite, you know!), beer and glasses of horchata (a delicious rice/cantelope drink).

A band set up, playing traditional music, and soon a group of young men from the coast took the stage to play stringed instruments. The percussionist played a clay jug!  The band came back, some announcements were made, much applause to the chefs of each village, and we were invited to eat.

Having looked at all pots earlier, I thought I had a plan, but it went out the window when I passed the first table!  It all looked and smelled so good!







The embroidery on the blouses worn by these women is not actually embroidery, but bead work.  They wear these blouses tucked into very full, long skirts.  I don't know the group, but the food was very good!










Albondigas de malanga:  meatballs.














Cazuella de pollo....a chicken stew.  These women were set up beside a wall of beautiful, locally famous green rocks.  They had the coolest spot, in the shade of the cool wall.

Two of the young coastal band, waiting patiently for either their turn to make music, or to eat!









                            




 These were from the coast, filled with corn kernals and bananas.  To a gringo palatte that might sound wierd, but it's delicious.























ohmy.  These women were NOT happy!  But, the embroidered blouses worn by women from Juchitan are simply the most gorgeous.  The Isthmus of Mexico. I saw them later, eating, and they still didn't look happy!



















"ok, so make sure everything is ready in the next few minutes."  Last minute conferences all around!














This may be my favorite photo of the day!  This tiny woman, from the mountains just north and west of the city was being photographed by a Very Tall Spanish man.  She could barely see over the top of the cazuela!  Look at her face... In the past, you would see many people from her village in the city center, but now, the old people are too old to get into town, and the young people don't wear the same clothes.  They are among the poorest people in the state.

sopa de calabazitas:  squash soup













These women are a tiny indigenous group, from the coast. One of the few black indigenous groups. They had a great time, I watched them all afternoon!
















I've never been to this region of the state, on the coast north of Puerto Escondido.

Tamales of fish;
Pilte de pescado: I don't know, but something with fish;  Barbarcoa de puerco:  barbequed pork (yuummm!); Huevo asado con hoja de hierba santa: baked eggs with a local herb that is a little anise tasting.

Mateo Yelto, San Juan Bautista, Valle Nacional: The name of the puebla.














Here is some of what I ate:
A black bean and dried fish dish;
















oh, this was delicious!  A yellow sauce with potatoes and a specific mushroom, from the mountains.  No, not that kind of mushroom!


















I love tamales, and I have two on my plate here.  With a blue corn tortilla.  The corn has probably been grown by the same family for many generations.














Mole has many different personalities.  This one was rich and creamy, with green beans and nopales.
















oh, pickled vegetables from the coast!  I had a short, funny conversation with the woman serving this.  She told me this dish is considered an aphrodisiac!  En escabeche:  pickled.















Baked fish, with tomatoes and onions.  When this was brought out, there was a rush for the few servings they had!  I didn't get any, but it smelled heavenly.


It was one of the Best Days of my life.  Truly a terrific experience. We waddled home, wishing we could have eaten more.  But, it wasn't just the food. The entire experience was almost too good.  Three locals joined us at our table, and one of the woman told us about the food from her village.  We had a special dish only served for weddings in her village:  corn meal, chicken and vegetables.We shared bites of everything, from everyone's plate, laughing and talking over the music, and drinking more mescal.    Delicious!  What a treat to have been here for this.