Oaxaquita my love 

This unit’s material was very special to me, I smiled and I cried. Chef Olvera’s Netflix episode made me feel proud to be Mexican. He made me proud and grateful to be born in Oaxaca. After the episode, I watched Rigoberta Menchu’s film, I got frustrated and sad about the injustices she had to experience. The reading about Brocolli (Benson & Fischer, 2007) made me think about the word desire differently.

When Chef Olvera says ” I want to retire to Oaxaca” or “If it were for me, I would have moved to Oaxaca already”. I got goosebumps. I realized how much I miss my family, my food and my culture. The fact that it was Día de Muertos did not help with my nostalgia.

I miss sharing a dish of chapulines (picture 1), I miss drinking a cup of hot chocolate with pan de Muertos, I miss visiting my grandma and eating her frijoles de olla. I miss sharing food with my family. I miss my Sunday enmoladas, and having mezcalinis with my friends.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, in my home city we have endless issues. Social inequality, poverty, educational backwardness, gender violence, and corruption do not surprise anyone anymore. As citizens, we are always disagreeing. However, no matter your social status, your political view, or your religion, we can all bond over food.

To be honest, I just want more people to know about Oaxaca. 

If you are thinking about a trip post-quarantine to Mexico,  you should definitely consider visiting Oaxaca. I can assure you, you won’t regret it, and your palate would thank you.

Picture 1: Chapulines, Los Pacos, Oaxaca 2019

Picture 2: Mi maleta antes de volver a Vancouver, Oaxaca 2019

Picture 3: Gusanitos de Maguey, Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Oaxaca 2019

 

References

Benson, P., & Fischer, E. F. (2007). Broccoli and desire. Antipode, 39(5), 800-820.