The economic and cultural hub of the Sierra Sur, the Miahuatlán area is a biodiversity hotspot. It boasts an immense variety of mezcal producing agaves endemic to the area, resulting in some of the most complex and rare mezcales in all of Mexico. The region's cuisine creates a perfect complement to its traditional drink resulting in regional specialities like shobatá, chichilo, or barbacoa de chivo, or goat roasted in an earth oven. Barbacoa de chivo might as well be the official party food of December in the southern mountains of Oaxaca. Goat or lamb barbacoa is served to a crowd of anywhere from 15 to 1,000 guests in celebration of an end-of-year baptism, wedding, or quinceañera. During this experience we will immerse ourselves in the culture of mezcal country, preparing a traditional earth oven barbacoa with a maestro mezcalero and his family.
We will leave Oaxaca City and head to Miahuatlán where we will begin the preparations for the barbacoa: prepping the oven, chopping vegetables for the consome, and nixtamalizing dried corn for freshly made tortillas. On Day 2 we will rise early to learn how to butcher the goat and begin the day-long earth oven roast. While the oven is doing its job we will make consomé and handmade heirloom corn tortillas as well as learn about and sample traditional mezcal made on site. We recommend scheduling the experience on Monday and Tuesday so that we can incorporate a trip to the regional market where small farmers and vendors come in from surrounding areas once a week to sell and buy goods. Here we'll find everything from tamales, organic vegetables, up to 7 types of bananas, chiles native to the region, hand woven straw mats, pottery, to rain tarps and bamboo baskets.
Itinerary: 3 days, 2 nights 2024 dates: Sat-Mon Sept 28-30, Dec 7-9
Groups: 4 minimum, 8 maximum 2025 dates: Sat-Mon Jan 25-27
Price per person: $760 USD/13,700 MXN
The economic and cultural hub of the Sierra Sur, the Miahuatlán area is a biodiversity hotspot. It boasts an immense variety of mezcal producing agaves endemic to the area, resulting in some of the most complex and rare mezcales in all of Mexico. The region's cuisine creates a perfect complement to its traditional drink resulting in regional specialities like shobatá, chichilo, or barbacoa de chivo, or goat roasted in an earth oven. Barbacoa de chivo might as well be the official party food of December in the southern mountains of Oaxaca. Goat or lamb barbacoa is served to a crowd of anywhere from 15 to 1,000 guests in celebration of an end-of-year baptism, wedding, or quinceañera. During this experience we will immerse ourselves in the culture of mezcal country, preparing a traditional earth oven barbacoa with a maestro mezcalero and his family.
We will leave Oaxaca City and head to Miahuatlán where we will begin the preparations for the barbacoa: prepping the oven, chopping vegetables for the consome, and nixtamalizing dried corn for freshly made tortillas. On Day 2 we will rise early to learn how to butcher the goat and begin the day-long earth oven roast. While the oven is doing its job we will make consomé and handmade heirloom corn tortillas as well as learn about and sample traditional mezcal made on site. We recommend scheduling the experience on Monday and Tuesday so that we can incorporate a trip to the regional market where small farmers and vendors come in from surrounding areas once a week to sell and buy goods. Here we'll find everything from tamales, organic vegetables, up to 7 types of bananas, chiles native to the region, hand woven straw mats, pottery, to rain tarps and bamboo baskets.
Dishes learned:
Tortillas (blandas)
Barbacoa de chivo
Consomé
Blood sausage
Salsa for the barbacoa
Skills learned:
Nixtamalization using cal (calcium hydroxide)
How to grind nixtamalized corn with an electric stone mill works (molino)
Have an understanding of how to form tortillas with a press and by hand
How to build and heat a traditional barbacoa oven
How to butcher a goat
Includes:
Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)
Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca city (2 hours each way)
Two days of traditional cooking classes, including learning how to butcher a goat with a maestro mezcalero, how to make your own barbacoa oven, the nixtmalization of heirloom corn, and how to make tortillas by hand
Visit to 2 traditional mezcal palenques where will learn about the history in the region and production from a mezcal producing family
Tasting of traditional mezcal at the palenques
A chance to buy mezcal directly from the producer (price not included), our help packing in for travel
7 meals
Two nights stay: 2 nights accommodations at Rancho Los Nahuales (double occupancy)
Drinking water and light snacks
Donation to future community youth center