¡Viva México!

Oaxaqueños have a saying: “Para todo mal, mezcal; para todo bien, también.” For everything bad, mezcal, for everything good as well. Oaxaca, the capital of the south-east Mexican state of the same name, is the home of the agave-based spirit. Shared during family celebrations, festivals and important events, mezcal is part of everyday life. For the city’s 255,000 residents, it’s more than a drink – it’s culture, tradition and a source of pride.

Mezcal is often compared to tequila but, apart from their common source, they’re quite different. Tequila is made from only one type of agave (also known as maguey), while mezcal is made from many, and it’s more complex, often with a rich, smoky flavour that comes from the traditional production methods still used today. While sometimes served with orange and sal de gusano, or worm salt, the customary way to drink mezcal is straight – and don’t shoot it. Oaxaqueños “kiss”, or sip, their mezcal.

Widely acknowledged as the heart of traditional Mexican cuisine, Oaxaca’s ethnic diversity is reflected in the vast range of ingredients and cooking methods used in dishes ranging from tlayudas eaten on the street and complex, celebratory moles, to barbacoa that has been pit-roasted for hours and fried snacks of chapulines (grasshoppers) and chicatanas (ants).