The Building Blocks of a Distinctive Cuisine

Many of the distinctive ingredients required for Oaxacan dishes are available here, either imported from Oaxaca or produced locally.

* Asiento--This soft, pale brown paste, made from the fat used for frying chicharrones, is an important Oaxacan condiment. Look for it in refrigerator cases in Oaxacan delis.

* Avocado leaves--The leaves of a fragrant Mexican avocado tree add an anise-like flavor to black beans, barbacoa and other dishes. Dried leaves are occasionally available in Oaxacan shops.

* Black beans--The black bean is a basic accompaniment to Oaxacan meals.

* Cecina--Thinly sliced pork either plain (cecina blanca) or marinated with red chile (cecina enchilada). Oaxacan meat shops sell cecina both ways.

* Chapulines--Tiny grasshoppers that thrive in the milpas (cornfields) in Oaxaca. Sun-dried and fried to a dull red color, they’re a popular snack.

* Chepil--The small leaf of a bushy plant, fresh chepil is often added to tamales or rice. Dried chepil is more likely to be available here.

* Chilacayota--The pulp of this large green and white squash is shredded and added to a sweet drink called agua de chilacayota. Oaxacan growers raise chilacayota in California. It can be found at some farmers markets.

* Chile de agua--A fresh green chile with orange markings, similar to the Anaheim chile in shape but shorter. It is often available in Oaxacan shops.

* Chile chilhuacle--A squat, dark dried chile that is essential to Oaxacan black mole. It is brought here from Oaxaca.

* Chile costeno--A small dried red chile, Oaxacan costeno can be found at some shops here.

* Chile pasilla de Oaxaca--Also known as pasilla mixe, this dark dried chile has a pleasant smoky taste. In Oaxaca it is sometimes stuffed. Like chile chilhuacle, it is a specialty item available only in Oaxacan stores.

* Chocolate--Chocolate shops in Oaxaca grind cacao beans with sugar and flavorings such as almonds, cinnamon and vanilla to produce chocolate for use in moles and to combine with milk or water as a hot drink. One leading brand sold here is Mayordomo.

* Chorizo--Small, round sausages that retain their shape when cooked. They are seasoned differently from the crumbly Mexican chorizo sold in most markets.

* Clayuda--Also called tlayuda, this is a giant thin corn tortilla baked on a clay griddle. Clayudas are chewier than ordinary corn tortillas and keep for weeks. Look for them in Oaxacan shops.

* Flor de calabaza--Fresh squash flowers appear in many Oaxacan dishes, including soups and large tortilla turnovers called empanadas.

* Hierba santa--A large, anise-scented leaf used in a variety of Oaxacan dishes. The fresh leaves occasionally appear in Mexican markets.

* Mole pastes--In Oaxaca, cooks may prepare their own mole seasonings and take them to a mill for grinding, but they also use premixed pastes, which they season to taste. Oaxacan-style mole pastes can be purchased here.

* Quesillo--A flavorful string cheese formed into long ribbons that are wrapped in a ball. American-made versions available in supermarkets may look the same, but they lack the flavor of the Oaxacan original. Bakeries, delis and Oaxacan markets usually have Oaxacan quesillo.

* Queso--The Oaxacan version of queso fresco, a crumbly, soft cheese used as a garnish and in dishes such as chiles rellenos. Shops that carry quesillo usually have Oaxacan queso too.

* Tasajo--Thinly sliced salt-cured beef.