Traditions of Oaxaca

built in collaboration with local curators Convivio and Thread Caravan, this meal was a unique exploration of Oaxacan traditions, old and new.

For one night only, Convivio’s patio was transformed, providing the setting for our long table supper featuring the food, drink and art of Oaxaca’s thriving Maker community.

The evening began with cocktails in Convivio’s lush front garden alongside the music of St. Leon. Mezcal was our spirit of choice as we explored its rich history and versatility with mixologist extraordinaire Taïs Kuri and Oaxacan-made Madre Mezcal.

Flores Rudas i Plantas Rudas designed the tablescapes to highlight the traditional growing method of ‘milpa’ developed by indigenous cultures and still used today to grow a diversity of crops in a small family plot.

Dinner was a celebration of Oaxacan cuisine prepared over an open fire by the creative duo behind Teocintle, Ivan Rivera Torres and German Velasco Garcia. The meal started with a Tamale of bean paste and Oaxacan cheese followed by a filet of Branzino crusted with dried chiles and grasshoppers and served with a traditional Mexican mole sauce.

Oaxaca Profundo Sessions then led us in a tasting of cacao blanco, the result of a 12-year regeneration project and guests were challenged to consider their approach to the vast differences in taste, textures, and context that root Oaxacan and Western chocolate traditions.

Dessert was a delightful mixture of meringue and mezcal sorbet with a maguey worm jam by the extraordinary Chef Eduardo Vera.

We ended the evening with a mezcal flight by Mezcal Atila del Sur featuring small-batch varieties from 4th generation producer Rigoberto Garcia Bautista.

*All photos © Amber Breitenberg and Linda Campos