8 strange foods to eat in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico Posted by Michele Peterson on Jun 3, 2014 in Food and Drink, Mexico, Mezcal, Puerto Escondido | 10 comments

8 strange foods to eat in Puerto Escondido, 

Oaxaca, Mexico

Posted by Michele Peterson on Jun 3, 2014 in Food and Drink, Mexico, Mezcal, Puerto Escondido | 10 comments

There’s no better way to dive into a culture than by sampling  the local cuisine. Here are a few strange foods in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. Are they delicacies or fear-factor dining? Take a bite ( or a sip) and decide!

1. Salsa de Chicatanas: At the beginning and end of the rainy season, locals gather baskets full of flying ants as the insects escape from their flooded nests. The black ants are then toasted on a clay grill called a comal and ground in a molcajete to make salsa de chicatanas, a treasured spring delicacy. The ants are so prized you won’t find them in the market so your best bet is to sign up for a food experience with Gina Machorro at the Information Booth or befriend one of chefs at a restaurant such as Las Margaritas, that specializes in local cuisine.

A tasty trio of grilled chicatanas (ants), ants a la Mexicana and ant salsa for tacos Credit: Gina Machorro

2. Tamales de Tichinda: These warm tamales are stuffed (and accompanied) by fresh black snails. Look for them near the Colotepec River or try them in the towns surrounding Chacahua Lagoons National Park.

3. Chapulines: Crunchy, toasted and spiced grasshoppers are delicious in tacos or on their own as a quick snack. Take a food tour with Gina’s Walking Tours for an introduction to these crispy critters or buy some in Benito Juarez Market and experiment with them as topping for your favourite dish.

Pick up some toasted chile grasshoppers called chapulines at Benito Juarez market

4. Cuitlacoche: This unique black corn fungus is so revered for its earthy flavour that it’s known as the Mexican truffle. Appearance-wise, the delicacy may be as appetizing as a lump of coal, but the black gold fetches top dollar in local markets.

5. Mezcal: There’s a reason that artisanal mescal, tequila’s quirky cousin, is steadily earning its place on bar shelves worldwide. While tequila production is restricted to only one type of agave, skilled Oaxacan mescaleros craft mezcal blends using up to 20 different types, resulting in subtle nuances in flavour ranging from citrusy to smoky. For an adventure in taste, try a shot of Don Franco, a potent local  liqueur or indulge in mezcal made with pechuga (raw chicken breast).  Worm salt will make it taste even better.

Mezcal production in Oaxaca, Mexico

6. Nopal: Visitors are likely to raise an eyebrow when first spotting the prickly plant on the menu, but nopal cactus is one of Mexico’s most iconic ingredients.Try it for yourself at the market, where you can watch Zapotec or Mixteco vendors remove the spiky spines, peel the rind and then stack the shiny paddle-shaped leaves to go. With its delicate, tangy flavour, cactus is versatile.

Shop for nopal in Puerto Escondido’s Benito Juarez Market

7. Mole: This staple, which can refer to a variety of traditional sauces, takes hours to make and is a must-have at any Mexican celebration. Though Oaxaca is known as the Land of Seven Moles, if you’re forced to choose just one, go for the mole negro: a rich, spicy and smoky-sweet sauce made from tomatoes, almonds, raisins, chocolate, plantain and chilis, including the rare chilhuacle variety, grown only in southern Mexico.

8. Paletas: Icy paletas, made by freezing purified water with sugar and fruit, offer a quick and delicious way to cool off in the heat. Expect to find watermelon, guava and mango along with exotic creations like tequila, gooseberry or jicama with chili and gardenia petals.

Fresh fruit paletas or popsicles in Oaxaca Mexico

Travel Planner

Oliver Dawson and Alvin Starkman go local during The Spirit of Oaxaca Mezcal and Beer Lover’s Tour of Oaxaca, Mexico

Sample plenty of artisanal mezcal, authentic Oaxacan cuisine and craft beer during the 7-day  Spirit of Oaxaca Mezcal and Beer Lover’s Cultural Tour, taking place on November 1, 2014. While the tour doesn’t go to Puerto Escondido ( yet), it goes deep into the countryside of Oaxaca to meet local mezcal producers.

You can also sample artisanal mezcal at the special  dinner events hosted by The Mexykan Supper Club.

Suzanne Barbazet, the About.com guide who’s a wealth of information about Mexico, also offers custom and specialty tours of Oaxaca through Discover Oaxaca Tours. Read about my unforgettable experience with Discover Oaxaca Tours during Day of the Dead in my postCemetary-tripping in Oaxaca City Mexico. 

Download the Puerto Escondido Travel Essentials mobile travel app with 185 insider tips on restaurants, hotels, vacation rentals and activities. It’s available for $2.99 for iPhone, iPod, iPad and Andorid in the App store and on Google Play.

    

Related posts:

1. Beer Lovers’ Cultural Tour of Oaxaca launches
2. Virgins, mermaids and Frida Kahlo arrive in Puerto Escondido
3. Body + soul: massage therapy in Puerto Escondido, Mexico
4. Beginner’s guide to Puerto Escondido beaches

- See more at: http://michelepeterson.com/2728-8-strange-foods-to-eat-in-puerto-escondido-oaxaca-mexico/#sthash.kCMc9toM.dpuf

Posada Mexico, Zipolite, Mexico

Heven, Zipolite, Mexico

Villas Mykonos Casa Blanca, Zipolite, Mexico

Posada Las Casitas, Zipolite, Mexico

Castillo Oasis, Zipolite , Mexico

Goasia - Endless Fields (Chill Out Set 2014)

8 Hour Relaxation-Nature Sounds-Birds Singing-Mindfulness Meditation-Sound of a Forest

Walking through Puerto Escondido - Mp3 MUSIC.BOREDONKEY.COM Playing Walking through Puerto Escondido | Music Boredonkey - Your Music Center

Echenique Mix Pres. - Decada - A Night At 90's 2 By DJ-POWERMASTERMIX 5 2 1h24m

Echenique Mix Pres. - Decada - A Night At 90's 2 by Dj-Powermastermix on Mixcloud

La Loma Linda, Zipolite, Oax. added 3 new photos.

La Loma Linda, Zipolite, Oax. added 3 new photos.

Posada Mexico Zipolite 37 mins Te esperamos para almorzar en Posada México, de 8 am. a 1.30 pm. Look forward to lunch in Posada Mexico, from 8 am. at 1.30 pm. (Translated by Bing)

Posada Mexico Zipolite

37 mins 

 

Te esperamos para almorzar en Posada México, de 8 am. a 1.30 pm.

Look forward to lunch in Posada Mexico, from 8 am. at 1.30 pm. (Translated by Bing)

Semino Rossi the best of full album By DJ-POWERMASTERMIX 1h35m

Semino Rossi the best of full album by Dj-Powermastermix on Mixcloud

Blue Barrels Angles | LNF : Inside Out

Nonstop Hitmix By DJ-POWERMASTERMIX

Nonstop Hitmix by Dj-Powermastermix on Mixcloud

Spiritform - Progressiv Mix

The Beatles - Megamix By DJ-POWERMASTERMIX

The Beatles - Megamix by Dj-Powermastermix on Mixcloud

Dead Show/podcast for 5/30/14 by The Deadpod

Dead Show/podcast for 5/30/14 by The Deadpod on Mixcloud

Dj Sensi Bashment 2014-04-02 By Smoka Sound

Dj Sensi Bashment 2014-04-02 by Smoka Sound on Mixcloud

Friday Night Takeout February 2014 - Full Posse & Crew By Sandy Bay Social Club

Friday Night Takeout February 2014 - Full Posse & Crew by Sandy Bay Social Club on Mixcloud

PUSH 29 - SEXY HOUSE - deephousemix by TJX

PUSH 29 - SEXY HOUSE - deephousemix by Tjx on Mixcloud

Music That Matters, Vol. 410 - Tangled In A Late Night Of Fire And Fog By Music That Matters

Music That Matters, Vol. 410 - Tangled In A Late Night Of Fire And Fog by Music That Matters on Mixcloud

Mr. G - Megaparty by DJ-POWERMASTERMIX

Mr. G - Megaparty by Dj-Powermastermix on Mixcloud

Well hello Friday ... it's so good to see you AGAIN!

Djmcmaster-DancemcmastershortmixVolume1-10 By DJ-POWERMASTERMIX

Djmcmaster-DancemcmastershortmixVolume1-10 by Dj-Powermastermix on Mixcloud

Italo 1 By Boki Milutinovic

Italo 1 by Boki Milutinovic on Mixcloud

TRANCE By Boki Milutinovic

TRANCE by Boki Milutinovic on Mixcloud

Alezandro a.k.a Toxic Progressive Trance Set //DESTRUCTION GARDEN // BE MUSIC By Alezandro Avila

Alezandro a.k.a Toxic Progressive Trance Set //DESTRUCTION GARDEN // BE MUSIC by Alezandro Avila on Mixcloud

Lord Jebus its A Fiaher by Christopher VanWeezy StrangeLu

Lord Jebus its A Fiaher by Christopher Vanweezy Strangelu on Mixcloud

ALEZANDRO VS PSYKRON HI-TECH SET!!! DESTRUCTION GARDEN A.L.E RECS By Alezandro Avila

ALEZANDRO VS PSYKRON HI-TECH SET!!! DESTRUCTION GARDEN A.L.E RECS by Alezandro Avila on Mixcloud

César Mimesis - 10 Years Shining (Tribute to the Suntrip Records 10th Anniversary)

An Homage to Gloria

1 Reply

An Homage to Gloria Esperanza

Pinky, Fred and I recently had the pleasure of spending a lovely afternoon with Gloria Esperanza, a fascinating lady with some very interesting stories to tell. Gloria had been a legend to me ever since my first visit to Zipolite a few years ago. I mentioned Shambhala, her rambling, rustic resort that sits on the hills at the north end of the beach, in another one of my blog posts. She was, quite truly, the original Flower Child of Zipolite.
I have found her story—how she came to Zipolite in 1969 and ended up staying, and building this rather remarkable place called Shambhala—to be an amazing testimony to the power wielded by a determined female.
I had met Angelica, the woman who runs Gloria’s beachside restaurant, Lo Bohemio, and asked her if she could arrange for me to meet Gloria, and to see some of the jewelry she’s created over the years. I thought that there was a possibility that Gloria might be somewhat intimidating, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. She’s one of those people you meet and feel like you’ve known for a while. Her little dog, Dharma, and Pinky got along just fine. As we visited I heard stories of her first trip to this area, in the late ’60′s. They got off the bus in what was then the small village of Puerto Angel–and they got off in the wrong town. They were trying to go to Puerto Escondido, a larger town further up the coast. They decided to walk the coast a bit, following a dirt path that is now the highway. They ended up in Zipolite, not yet on the map. There was one fish shack, one small tienda, a few local families. There was no drinking water to be had for these gringas from Los Angeles. There were also no toilets, no electricity, and no hotels. The ladies had to camp on the beach and carry big bottles of drinking water along that dirt path from Puerto Angel.
As soon as she saw the cliffs at the end of Zipolite beach, Gloria was hooked. She stayed. Long story short: she married a local fisherman and settled in to life south of the border. One can only imagine what a liberated woman she was in the early ’70′s and because she experienced the macho side of the culture as a wife, the marriage ended 3 years later. But Gloria managed to eventually own the rocky north end of the beach in Zipolite. Paths had to be cut. Jungle had to be cleared. A well had to be dug. Gloria managed to pay a couple of local guys to help her. She also cut, cleared, and dug. But the well water still had to be boiled. Gloria did yoga. She chanted. She had a vision of Shambhala that started as a vegetarian restaurant and became a spiritual retreat. The seekers and the wanna-be hippies started to come. Drinking, drugs, and nudity were not allowed. Gloria continued to build. Shambhala grew. In 1994, Hurricane Pauline happened, and wrecked havoc with Shambhala. Much had to be re-built. Her personal home was damaged, and her jeweler’s tools were destroyed. At that point she started to just work with beads, and those are the pieces I saw. I liked what she had done—in fact, I came away with two necklaces.
At this point, Gloria has had some health setbacks. She finds it almost impossible to get down the hill from Shambhala, so she seems like a permanent part of it, in a house full of her artwork and stories and memories. The gleam is still in her eyes, and she still chants. She chanted while I looked at her jewelry.
Things never stay the same, and I hope that as Gloria is ready to hand It off to the next person (she now is offering part of it as lease to buy) that person will be able to find a way to carry on Gloria’s Shambhala. There is a sign right outside the restaurant that says, “Shambhala, where the 60′s never end. A continuation of the original situation. Welcoming the Return of the Flower Child.” I think Gloria could definitely bring out someone’s Inner Flower Child.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Flower Child, Gloria Esperanza, Shambhala, Zipoliteon March 9, 2014.

Dressing for the Beach. Or Not.

1 Reply

I have no idea who these guys are, or what they were up to. They are not appropriately dressed for the beach, that’s for sure. Now let’s consider a whole different direction for beach attire.
Did I mention that nudity on the beach in Zipolite is okay? In fact, as is pointed out on some websites, nudity is one of the things that this beach is known for. No shirt, no shoes, no pants; no problem. (But you can leave your hat on.). So everyday, sunrise to sunset, there are a fair share of beach-goers who are just letting it all hang out. Nudity is certainly not required, nor do the majority of the people doff their duds, but it is pretty constant. As in, at any given moment there is probably someone in your field of vision who is naked as a plucked jay bird.
I have always prided myself in being very open-minded, pretty liberated (especially when it comes to other people’s behaviors), and non-judgmental. Yet I find myself pondering this situation, and trying to figure out how I feel about it. And how I feel, in a word is — conflicted.
It bothers me that I tend to think I would like for most of these free spirits to wear a sarong, or at least a thong. Perhaps some “private parts” need to stay private. Somehow full-frontal nudity walking in my direction feels just a bit confrontational.
Since I am fairly self-centered, the first thought I have is, “Would I do that?” The answer is definitely, “No”. But I’m not sure if it is because of modesty or vanity. I’m sure part of the “no” is motivated by a desire not to be checked out. The reason I think l would be checked out is because I check other people out. I look at the nude ones with a much more critical eye than I use on the ones in attire. And, in the course of analyzing how I feel about the situation, a lot of what I’m analyzing is my own thoughts. I am, in fact, viewing others through critical and judgmental eyes. I don’t think that’s very nice. I would much rather look at beautiful bodies that out-of-shape, sloppy ones. That, too, makes me feel kind of hard-hearted.
However, one of the first things you realize is that most of the people who take part in the nudity do not look fabulous without their Speedos. They are male and female (although probably 70% are male), all types and all ages, but only a small minority could dance for tips. I think that the ones who could really pull off pulling it all off usually don’t and the ones who might want to rethink the whole thing are the ones who do. I certainly wouldn’t want to rain on their parade or cramp their style, and I appreciate their lack of self-consciousness. I really do. But then, I ask myself how anyone could possibly not be self-conscious while walking up and down the beach naked. Keep in mind I am not talking about just discreet sunbathing ( which I wouldn’t give a thought to). I’m talking about walking up and down the beach, or finding a very prominent spot to do your morning yoga, or your afternoon tai chi. Some days I think I have landed in the middle of an exhibitionist convention. Of course, all this is very dependent on the weather, and it is hot here. And, nudity only happens here on the beach. No one is trucking around on the main street without at least a bikini. In fact, on the website of the place where we are staying they respectfully request that residents don’t go nude on the pathways. No worries about the Ellis bunch messing up on that one.
It doesn’t really bother me, it simply puzzles me on a number of levels. In questioning how I feel about it, I have to question how I feel about the freedoms of others and where lines should be drawn. The real truth is, I find it a little bit entertaining, and that kind of bothers me, too.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Beach Attire, Exibitionism, Nudity, Zipolite onFebruary 13, 2014.

Blue Barrels Angles | LNF : Inside Out

Photo Gallery: Laser light show at Grand Coulee Dam

Photo Gallery: Laser light show at Grand Coulee Dam

How to Make a Tuna Can Camp Travel Stove Send to Kindle By Wade Shepard @vagabondjourney

http://www.vagabondjourney.com/how-to-make-a-tuna-can-camp-travel-stove/

How to Make a Tuna Can Camp Travel Stove

Send to Kindle

By Wade Shepard @vagabondjourney

How to convert a tuna fish can into a fully functional, efficient, and cheap cooking device.

There’s a whole array of camp and travel stoves out on the market — from butane to kerosene, white gas to solid fuel — and so many varieties of portable camping stoves available for sale that the once primitive act of creating fire to cook some beans in the bush has been turned into adventure in consumerism.

I have some simple advice here on what travel stove to purchase: none of them. Instead, make one yourself!

For only US$0.80 and ten minutes of work you can have a fully operational alcohol burning stove that rivals all the $100+ commercial models in terms of functionality, efficiency, and weight.

Materials needed

• 1 Standard size tuna fish can
• 1 Paper hole punch
• 1 Can opener

How to make it

1. Open the tuna fish can, and discard (eat) the contents.
   Wash the can out, remove the label, and
   throw away the lid.
2. As this is going to be a side burner stove, it needs ventilation holes for the fire to breathe and also to rise up through to meet the surface of the pot. To make these, use the paper hole punch to put holes just under the lid around the complete circumference of the can. Try to keep the holes roughly an eighth of an inch apart, making two staggered rows (like in the photos).

Done! Your travel stove is now completely fabricated.

How to use a tuna can stove

Using a tuna fish can trave l stove is no more difficult than making one. Just pour in the alcohol, light it up with a match, let the flame warm up for a moment, and then put on whatever you want to cook. Generally, these stoves work best for boiling watery contents in pots, and the pots can be laid down right on top of the stove. In my experience, a tuna can alcohol stove will boil water in a 6” diameter camping pot in roughly five minutes, and use but an ounce or two of fuel.

One point to note is that these tuna can alcohol stoves are very prone to wind impact, so, if using outdoors, making a wind shield is advised. There are many ways to do this, but one method that is recommended is to use aluminum foil. To do this, wrap a sheet of tin foil around the outside circumference of your pot, giving roughly three inches of additional play. Then take this foil and fold it length wise. Now make it into a ring shape and connect its two ends together, and then put it around your pot and stove so that it blocks the wind from blowing the flame.

Keep in mind that these stoves do not have an off switch. So once they are lit, the only ways to put them out is to smother them with dirt, or pour water over them, or just wait for the fuel to expire.

What kind of fuel do I need?

I generally use denatured alcohol or 90% or higher isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol as a cooking fuel. Keep in mind that the lower grades rubbing alcohol — such as 70% or 30% — will not work for cooking purposes, but other types of alcohols can also be utilized.

Many long distance campers recommend denatured alcohol, a.k.a. methylated spirits, which is ethanol mixed with methanol and other additives to make it undrinkable (to avoid excess taxation inherent to selling straight ethanol). This type of alcohol, besides being used as a cooking fuel, is also used as a solvent, and can often be found in hardware stores, camping supply shops, and even gas stations. Denatured alcohol is sometimes dyed bright, toxic looking colors to inhibit the unscrupulous from attempting to drink it. Most commercial alcohol camp stoves need this kind of alcohol to work, but your tuna can stove will also burn 90% rubbing alcohol as well. Pure ethanol can also be used, but it tends to be more expensive to purchase and should be only resorted to if the other two alcohols are not available.

When abroad, being able to find suitable alcohol fuel is a hit or miss endeavor. In Latin America, the fuel that you need is called “Kemar” or cooking alcohol. Or you can look in the pharmacies for bottles of rubbing alcohol that have 90% written somewhere on the bottle. In Europe, denatured alcohol is generally available, but you may have to do some searching for it. Generally speaking, adequate alcohol for cooking can be found in most places in the world.

A tuna can stove in action

The following video shows how to make an alcohol burning stove from a tuna fish can

The video below shows how to make the cheapest and lightest camp or travel stove there is.

Conclusion

This was the type of stove that I used daily to cook with as I traveled by bicycle across Iceland, and I keep one in my pack at all times no matter where I am traveling. Having the means to cook for yourself in travel makes you far more self-sufficient, gives you more dining options, and, in some parts of the world, is absolutely essential. I always travel with cooking gear, and because of this I am able to eat cheaper, healthier, and get sick less often.

These tuna can stoves prove to be very efficient cooking devices, burning just an ounce or two of fuel for each pot of water boiled. At a price of under $2 for 16 ounces of 91% isopropyl alcohol in the USA, these stoves are very economically efficient as well. Although a commercial multi-fuel camping stove may prove to be more versatile than my tuna fish can alcohol stove, it is my impression that the two devices do the same thing: they provide a flame over which a traveler can cook their food.

The major difference here is that a tuna can is just about free. I actually prefer the tuna can as a cooking stove, as it is a one piece device, is very difficult to break, can be repaired easily (if it gets misshapen just bend it back into shape), are easily replaceable, take a readily available fuel source, and a pot can sit steadily on top of the stove itself without needing a grill or any additional supports. These tuna can stoves are not just specimens of travel gear that should be used because they are cheap and easy to make, but they are simple, rugged, efficient, cheap, light weight, and, best of all, do the job.

The 80 cent Travel Stove