Chef Iliana de la Vega knows where, when, and what to eat in Oaxaca—widely considered Mexico’s culinary capital. Her mother, an Oaxaca native, passed on a love for the city’s smoked chiles, rich chocolates, and distinct spices. For years, Iliana ran El Naranjo, a beloved restaurant and cooking school in Oaxaca, until she relocated her family and business to her adopted hometown of Austin, Texas.

Chef Iliana, the leader of Atlas Obscura’s trip, Oaxaca: Tastes of Past and Present, is here to recommend the best Oaxaca food and where to find it. She’s a 2019 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest, so we’re taking her word for it.

Fonda Florecita

Fonda Florecita is the best breakfast stand in Oaxaca. Among the many delicious options, I love the empanadas de flor. They're large, made-to-order corn tortillas filled with melted quesillo (stringy, fresh cow cheese), zucchini blossom, spicy chile de agua (a local Oaxacan chile), and a touch of asiento (the delicious fat rendered from frying chicharron).

I also recommend a ceremonial drink called chocolate atole. Served in a bowl, it's three-quarters hot atole blanco (a sweet, thick masa drink) with a top layer of cacao blanco. Also called pataxte, it's a variety of cacao with a high-fat content, which is kept underground for one or two years. Along with regular cacao, whole wheat, Ceylan cinnamon, and sugar, the cacao blanco gets whipped until foamy and placed on top of the atole blanco.

The enfrijoladas (corn tortillas with a spicy black bean sauce, and topped with queso fresco and onion rings) and entomatadas (red tomato enchiladas) are also superb.

Casilda Aguas Regionales

A must-try Oaxaca favorite is the aguas frescas from Casilda, which has been inside the Benito Juárez market for several generations. There are many flavors, but a local specialty is horchata con tuna—a Ceylan-cinnamon-flavored rice drink served with red prickly pear puree, pecan pieces, and diced cantaloupe.

El Lechón de Oro

El Lechón de Oro is a great late-night street stand—open from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.—so after drinking some mezcales, this is the place to go! The menu is limited but excellent, with two combinations of pork meat: suckling pig with pork butt, or suckling pig with chicharron. Served in three different ways (tacos, tostadas, or tortas), this is all you need. Ask for your salsa to be served on the side as it’s very, very spicy.

Tlayudas El Negro

The tlayuda, an Oaxacan specialty, is a 12-inch corn tortilla that’s filled with a layer of asiento, black bean paste, quesillo, lettuce, and onion, and then grilled. You can choose some grilled meats to go with it, such as tasajo (salted thin sliced beef), cecina enchilada (thinly sliced chile-adobo rubbed pork), or my favorite, chorizo. There are also several salsas and garnishes to accompany the tlayudas: a mild avocado salsa, an Oaxacan pasilla chile salsa, and a spicy pickled-habanero-and-red onion relish. 

Nieves en el Jardín Sócrates 

Just outside the Basílica of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, you will find a quiet garden with many nieve stands. Nieve is a creamy, refreshing cross between ice cream and sorbet, and the local favorite is the leche quemada con tuna (“burnt milk with red prickly pear”), which is tangy and sweet. Other favorite flavors made with tropical fruits are mamey, guanabana, and black zapote.