[Music] [Walter] Welcome to Oaxaca.

This colonial city founded by the Spanish, is nestled within the rugged Sierra Madre mountains of the Mexican state that bears its name.

All throughout Oaxaca, you'll find the ancient cultural heritage expressed through its native cuisine.

- Unbelievable.

- Colorful buildings, and handmade crafts.

Oaxaca is also known as the birthplace of mezcal.

So it's only fitting that we visit an artisanal distillery that maintains the tradition and the culture of this iconic Mexican beverage.

All this for a Taste of History.

[Sizzling] [Narrator] This program is made possible by: Pasture-raised Australian beef and lamb.

Adding variety into your weekly meals or a unique touch for your next celebration.

Widely available at your local market.

For recipes and more, we're at aussiebeefandlamb.com [Music] [Motorcyle driving by] [Walter] Known for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, Oaxaca is a treasure trove of colonial architecture, art and history.

This lively capital city is also renowned for its vibrant food culture and delicious culinary traditions, featuring a wide variety of flavorful chilies and traditional cooking techniques influenced by its indigenous roots.

The bustling markets showcase the true essence Oaxaca and are a must visit for food lovers like me.

I'm meeting up with Chef Rodolfo Castellanos A legendary Oaxacan chef.

To find out for myself why Oaxaca is known as Mexico's Kitchen.

[Music] [Rodolfo] How are you Walt?

Welcome to Central de Abastos.

[Walter] It's a pleasure to be here with you.

- Well, thank you.

Thank you.

I mean, like, this is amazing in Oaxaca, we have a unique variety of ingredients that just give us inspiration for the restaurant from the most generic produce until the most specific ones.

For example, this is a bean that the name of Oaxaca comes from: guajes.

So guajes, so all the Central valleys of Oaxaca they are surrounded by these trees.

It's a whole routine for us to peel it and mix it, and then just try to get a flavor that is unique.

And it goes with proteins such as goat.

It potentializes the flavor.

[Walter] Your inspiration from early on has to come from coming shopping in the market with your family already.

- With my mom, especially to buy the ingredients and here when you come as a cook, you just get overwhelmed and inspired by all the flavors.

You will see it for yourself.

So let's check it out and then just move around and taste and try.

[Walter] You got me hungry.

[Rodolfo] Yeah, okay.

[Laughs] [Music] [Rodolfo] Mango season is just starting right now and it's popping everywhere.

We have, I don't know, like eight, ten different varieties of mangoes.

[Walter] That's not a watermelon?

[Rodolfo] That's not a watermelon.

This is a spaghetti squash actually.

[Walter] I've never seen it this size.

That's a surprise for me.

[Laughs] [Rodolfo] We use black sapote I don't know if you know it.

[Walter] No, I'm not familiar with it.

[Rodolfo] So it's waxy, it's really soft, and the flavor it's mild.

So we always combine it.

And it's a fruit that we use for agua fresca, for salsas.

The fact that it's something black, it kind of like makes it more special for us.

Like, visually.

Yeah, exactly.

[Walter] Color.

[Rodolfo] Yeah, exactly.

[Walter] That has a great flavor, it lingers in my throat.

- It has a good aftertaste.

- I can see why this is a good base because you have color, you have flavor, and you give it a personality.

This one they are called cuatomates.

- Mmhmm - So cuatomate is It's like a cherry tomato, but very specific.

- Yeah.

- Ohh!

- It explodes - The flavor bursts right out there.

- It's like tomato little bomb.

- I have a million ideas what to do with it.

- I know.

It's crazy.

Right?

- My head is just- my head is spinning!

The size of a currant, but it's so much flavor of a tomato.

It's unbelievable.

[Music] [Walter] So Rodolfo, Chilies everywhere.

[Rodolfo] In the country.

we're so lucky in Oaxaca.

We have a big variety of native peppers, native chilies that we use for different purposes, especially moles which is like the emblematic dish of of the state or the country, right?

And this one in specific it's called Chilhuacle.

It's a native pepper from Oaxaca.

[Walter] Chilhuacle?

[Rodolfo] Chilhuacle.

Yes, we have the red we have the yellow and the black And the mole negro from Oaxaca, this is a specific ingredient.

So you want some kick you had a little bit of this one.

- Unbelievable huh?

The flavor, oh, God.

[Walter] And you said this is the hottest?

- It's hot.

Not the hottest.

Not like habaneros, but it's hot.

Chile de árbol we call it.

Try it.

[Laughing] - It's hot.

- Yeah, it is hot.

- [Laughing] Oh, oh.

- When the Mexican people say, like, it's not hot is because it's hot.

- I'm a gringo, so demasiado caliente.

Ooohhhohh.

- You probably have it in your tip of your mouth, then on the back, then on the palate, then the whole thing.

That is something that we enjoy as Mexicans to to experience that.

The spice level on your palate.

[Walter] Unbelievable.

- Le puedo tomar uno Señora, para que se lo enseñe aqui a mi amigo?

So this one is the most popular pepper in Oaxaca we call it chili de agua.

We use it for everything.

We let it dry.

This in the red version, it's getting ripe.

So we sun dry it and we use it for moles or for salsas, but the flavor itself is really, really nice.

So chili de agua, salsa, rajas, rellenos, is from this pepper.

[Guitar strumming] So when we come to the market, this is an official stop that you cannot miss.

I have been coming here since I was a kid.

And it's always overwhelming to taste her sauce, especially.

And this preparation, it's it's really basic.

It's a tortilla spread with lard That we call memela.

And the key or the secret ingredient is her sauce.

It's spicy, just in that perfect level and cheese, that's all you get.

So as you can see, you can garnish it with like steak.

This is the most well known cut in Oaxaca, tasajo.

So you break the little piece of steak because that's that's like making a taco.

We're so used to make tacos, right?

So salsa is always something important like the tomatillos, they're just, like, crushed.

It's amazing.

And then it's just like a big fold.

You have the juices, the drippings.

[Walter] I can see it in your face how much you enjoy it.

[Laughing] [Rodolfo] There you go.

[Walter] Ohhh.

[Rodolfo] How is it?

Unbelievable, right?

[Walter] It really is.

[Rodolfo] I don't know how she manages the texture on the flat-top that is soft and crispy at the same time.

This lady has been here for 38 years now.

[Walter] And I bet she hasn't changed nothing.

[Rodolfo] Nothing [Walter] So you picked up a lot from here that eventually in the future, now you are the top chef for Mexico.

[Rodolfo] Absolutely [Walter] Because you understand the ingredients and you utilize the products of the region you know?

[Rodolfo] Yeah In every single culture as a cook, if you're well rooted in your origins and your family and your traditions, all the conclusions after that, they are very well founded.

[Walter] This whole place feels like family here.

When you see all the freshness and the product and the people are proud of their history.

[Rodolfo] It's soul food, you know?

It's nourishing.

[Walter] That is really, really beautiful.

[Rodolfo] Cheers, man.

[Guitar strumming] [Man singing in Spanish] [Music] [Motorcycle hums] [Narrator] The Oaxaca region of what is today, South central Mexico, was once the site of one of the earliest urban centers of Mesoamerica, Monte Albán.

This ancient city was built by the Zapotec civilization, one of the most advanced civilizations in ancient Mesoamerica.

The origins of Monte Albán date back to 500 BCE when the Zapotecs began to settle in the Oaxaca Valley.

Strategically located on a mountaintop, these skilled architects and engineers built a complex system of terraces and pyramids that still stand to this day.

During its height, Monte Albán was a bustling city During its height, Monte Albán was a bustling city with a population of over 35,000 people and served as the political, economic and religious center of the Zapotec civilization for over 1000 years.

[Walter] It's hard to describe my feelings.

I'm getting, sitting here in this ancient city and envisioning what life was like thousands of years ago in Mesoamerica.

[Narrator] Around 800 C.E.

The Zapotecs experienced a decline, but their cultural legacy continued to influence the region.

As many highly sophisticated indigenous cultures developed in the centuries that followed, including the Maya, Mixtec and Aztec civilizations.

However, in 1521, the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in present day Mexico City and began to spread their influence throughout all of Mesoamerica.

Ultimately building the colonial city of Oaxaca in the valleys below Monte Albán.

[Walter] Behind me It's one of the most recognized symbols of Oaxaca, the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman.

[Narrator] Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez was given authority over the region in 1529, Cortez invited Dominican friars to convert the indigenous civilizations in the region of Oaxaca, and in 1551, they started construction on the church of Santo Domingo.

This massive symbol of Spanish Catholicism would take over 200 years to complete and is representative of over three centuries of Spanish rule.

Today, the bustling streets of Oaxaca are brimming with color, and people.

Where a fusion of Zapotecan and Spanish cultures converge at the city's main square, the Zócalo, which has been the cultural and social heart of the city since its establishment in 1529.

In the square and on the many adjoining streets, you will find quaint cafes, musicians, fine dining restaurants and passionate food vendors serving up a range of delicious bites to choose from.

[Walter] Saboroso!

It's incredible.

Everywhere you look, there's something delicious to eat from breakfast tacos filled with Oaxacan cheese to ancho chilies stuffed with huitlacoche and traditional drinks.

This city is a food lover's paradise.

[Music] [Walter] Oaxaca is also known as the birthplace of mezcal.

And what is all this great food without something to drink it with?

I'm heading into the countryside to explore the rich tradition and artistry behind the production of mezcal, and witness firsthand the care and passion that goes into every bottle of this beloved spirit.

[Music] [Ignacio] Mezcal is connected to art, to food, the music, the traditions of Mexico.

And that's very important when you drink mezcal you're drinking history.

[Narrator] The process of making mezcal dates back to pre-Hispanic times with its name deriving from an Aztec word, meaning agave roasted in the oven.

This traditional earthen cooking process, as well as the type of agave used, is what differentiates this classic spirit from tequila.

[Ignacio] In Oaxaca, we have 28 different species of agave registered to be used for mezcal.

Tequila only has one, blue agave so every agave has its own characteristics and flavors.

[Walter] It takes 7 to 10 years for the agave plant to mature, but it is worth it.

Skilled workers then carefully trim down and harvest the agave heart for production.

Such an incredible undertaking.

[Ignacio] The agave is ranged from 70 to 200 kilos.

You have to have a lot of strength to be able to do that.

[Walter] It's much easier drinking it than making it, I tell you that.

[Laughs] Unbelievable.

[axe chopping sounds] [Ignacio] When the agave is being prepared to be cooked, workers gather around to say prayers.

Thanking nature for what it has given to us.

Our oven feeds the wood in a different compartment so the smoke doesn't go directly to the agave hearts and that makes Los Amantes very subtle in the smokiness.

[Walter] Eric, un placer.

[Eric] El gusto es mio, chef.

Este punto es importantísimo, no?

[Walter] Sí [Eric] Primero, una sobre la piedra es fibra húmeda para que el maguey no esté en contacto directo con la piedra.

Pero especial volcánicas.

Esas, cuando lo cortan se coloca de una forma especial como en un rompecabezas.

Más o menos llega a alcanzar 1.100:, no?

Entonces no tiene que quedar ni crudo ni muy quemado, no?

debe tener un punto óptimo de cocción para aprovechar al máximo la planta.

[Ignacio] You cover it with canvas and on top of the canvas you add soil.

Dirt on top that keeps the heat contained and inside.

It takes 2 to 3 days to cook.

So after the cooking, you cut them up and you put in little pieces.

You're not grinding, you're juicing it, you're squeezing it.

That's a very important part of the process because when you squeeze, you're not destroying the molecules, right?

That later turn to sugar.

Once you obtain the juice then you take it to the fermentation room it takes from 6 to 9 days.

The first distillation goes into stainless steel and the second distillation goes to copper.

And that makes what you get with Los Amantes which is which is very clean spirit.

There's no aftertaste, just a little bit of smoke, earthiness, and of course, the flavor of the agave heart.

[Music] [Walter] Goat holds a very special place in Oaxaca culture.

And after a hard days work making mezcal, sitting down for a barbecue or feast, is a celebration.

[Shovel scraping] Barbacoa is a traditional Mexican dish where meat is slow cooked all day in an underground oven.

You can eat it many different ways, and today they made a delicious broth called caldo, filled with vegetable and tripe.

Now, this party seems like the perfect place to finally try that mezcal.

Ignacio, so nice to meet you.

You know, you are preserving history and I congratulate you for that.

[Ignacio] I want to tell the story.

I want people to understand how much labor goes into making mezcal, how complicated it is.

[Walter] I know when I would get to try it, I will appreciate it because the amount of energy and love and commitment that you put in every single bottle that has your name on it.

So, you know.

[Ignacio] Finally let's taste Los Amantes, we have joven.

Joven means young.

[Walter] It's called joven because it doesn't age.

[Ignacio] You distill, we rest it, and then we bottle.

The smokiness is going to be very subtle not too much.

Cheers.

[light music] [Walter] It's beautiful pure, soft.

[Ignacio] Soft, elegant.

It doesn't burn you.

It goes easy.

It comes down and at the end you feel this explosion of the flavors of the agave.

[pouring sounds] Now añejo is two years in a french oak barrel.

[Walter] It almost has cognac characteristics.

[Ignacio] A little bit more oakiness.

[Walter] Yeah.

[Ignacio] A little bit of leather, tobacco.

[Walter] Yeah.

- But the beautiful thing about this is that you still feel and taste the mezcal.

That's what we want.

We want people to continue appreciating the agave, the earthiness.

[Walter] To the terroir de mezcal [Ignacio] For Oaxaca!

[Walter] For Oaxaca!

[Ignacio] Salud.

[Walter] Si, salud.

[Music] [Walter] When the Spaniards arrived in the 1520's, the valley's inhabitants had split into hundreds of independent village states.

This established a tradition of community fragmentation that survives today and helps to give the region a cultural mosaic quality.

Every village has crafts, customs and regional markets that help define that area.

And here you can find an abundance of colors, smells and flavors that represents the culture and history of the region.

This is on full display at one of the oldest continuous markets in all of Mesoamerica and only 45 minutes outside of Oaxaca City.

[Music] [Walter] Look at the barbacoa, beautiful.

And here's my favorite, Chicharrón.

Hola Señora me da un cuarto de chicharrón.

This is fried porkskin.

It's salty.

It's kind of like Mexican potato chips.

I don't know of anybody that doesn't like chicharrón.

It's delicious.

Mhmm, rico huh?

Very rich, very good.

You can't just come to a Oaxaca without trying a grasshopper.

In Mexico, it's called chapulínes, usually served fried with chili and lime.

[Woman] Probarlos?

- Sí, quiero probar.

In many places of the world, grasshopper is an insect that hangs out in your garden and your grass.

Down here in Mexico, it's a specialty.

Muy bien, !¡espectacular!

I find it very enjoyable because it cracks a little bit and that little protien is a really good flavor.

[Music] [Walter] Carne asada simply means, grilled meat in Spanish.

But this dish is more than food.

It's an important social event in everyday Mexican life, as is the case in the United States or Australia.

Asada is a way to bond with family and friends.

Like here I'm standing in the middle of the market and I'm cooking up my steak, my dinner right here.

Isn'‘t it spectacular?

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

So there's a piece of fat over here.

You cook a little bit and keep the flavor and then you put it right on top and then later we're going to turn it once.

Oh, yeah, look at that.

So when everybody talks about carne asada, that is exactly what is carne asada.

Unbelievable.

And the idea of having a little piece of lard or fat on the side is great, because I was asking for oil.

No oil.

This is the oil!

And it's basically done, in real time.

Here.

[Man] Oaxacan cheese.

[Walter] Okay, put it arriba.

And the chorizo should be ready.

You pick your produce, you pick your meat, pick up a few tortillas and lunch is served.

It smells fantastic.

The aroma that comes right out of there.

And I was explained exactly how you eat it.

So I'm going to follow the directions.

So you take the piece of meat, you put it inside.

We have some Oaxacan cheese, which is like a string cheese in the States.

Then we have chorizo.

Beautiful serrano pepper, beautiful, roll it up.

The flavor is incredible.

Cooked fresh, I'm proud of it.

Looks good, tastes even better.

And on top of it, it's so easy.

You can come in here with your family, girlfriend, anybody, and cook up a quick meal and have it.

Really fantastic.

What a great, great, great experience.

[Music] Family is an integral part of Oaxacan food culture as traditional dishes are often passed down through generations and prepared by family members at home or in small family owned restaurants.

I am stopping in such a restaurant where Ignacio's mother, Gloria, prepares classic pre-Hispanic dishes like mole and pozole.

[Gloria] Cada estado de México tiene su tipo de mole.

Varian en sabores y modo de cocinarlo pero todo es delicioso.

[Walter] Oaxaca is famously known as the land of seven moles It may look bland at first glance, but it's truly one of the world's most spectacular culinary art forms.

[Ignacio] Welcome to Pozoleria Mama Gloria today is your lucky day.

You are about to taste two very important pre-Hispanic dishes in Mexico.

[Walter] It is my lucky day.

[Ignacio] Mole, as you can see, takes all these ingredients to make and is a long process.

So you ready to try it?

[Walter] But of course.

[Ignacio] We usually take a tortilla.

[Walter] A tortilla.

[Ignacio] And you can either make a taco or cut it in half and make like a little spoon with a tortilla, like this.

[Walter] Okay I'm gonna try that here.

Alright.

[Ignacio] Buen provecho.

[Walter] Oh.

Oh.

What a combination of flavors.

[Ignacio] And these types of dishes are so elaborate that they are only made when you're celebrating something.

This mole is my mother's own recipe and the magic of pulling all the ingredients together and at the end, having a symphony of flavors that's so, so important.

- It all comes together, so smooth and so well-balanced.

I can understand how much detail goes in and love and work and commitment.

It's really beautiful.

[Ignacio] Everything con amor, no?

[Walter] Sí [Laughing] [Music] - The other dish we're going to have is pozole.

[Gloria] Este es el original, Pozole.

Antepasados nuestros indígenas todo el maíz se le busca un guisado y es delicioso.

Y el sabor es único porque todo la carne suelta el jugo ahí Una cosa deliciosa y aquí está la carne.

Mira que delicia.

[Ignacio] It'‘s very laborious.

You have to soak the maíz one night before, and then you boil it with the pork for 4 hours, and then you garnish it.

Chili pepper right, oregano, onion, radishes.

[Walter] Beautiful.

[Ignacio] And then some lime.

[Walter] And the lechuga, little salad on top?

[Ignacio] Why not?

[Walter] Let me get creative too The avocado.

[Ignacio] And this is, voilà.

Mix it a little bit.

Right?

[Walter] Beautiful.

[Ignacio] One with a little more chili for mine.

[Walter] Thank you for not doing much chili on mine.

[Laughing] [Ignacio] Buen provecho, enjoy it.

[Walter] Let me try that there.

Mhmm.

Golly, beautiful flavor too, huh?

I think I want to move down here.

[Ignacio] Please do.

These two dishes date, you know, as I mentioned hundreds of years ago from the times of the Aztecs.

And so we've been keeping the traditions, and it's incredible that we we can be able and are so lucky to enjoy something like this.

I love it.

This is a taste of history.

[Walter] No question about it.

[Music] [Walter] Oaxaca is more than just a city, it's a celebration of life, whether it's through their colorful traditions, or their delicious cuisine.

The people of Oaxaca exude a contagious passion that captivates and inspires visitors from around the world and celebrates a toast to life itself.

All this for A Taste of History.

[Sizzling] [Narrator] This program is made possible by: Pasture-raised Australian beef and lamb Adding variety into your weekly meals or a unique touch for your next celebration.

Widely available at your local market.

For recipes and more, we're at aussiebeefandlamb.com Viewers can find DVD's and cookbooks at atasteofhistory.org Including the all new A Taste of History cookbook, complete with step by step instructions of recipes seen on the show.

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