With pageantry unrivalled in all of Mexico, the Guelaguetza is the most colorful and exhilarating of the multitude of festivals in Oaxaca.  And in a state with 16 different indigenous cultures, each with its own unique traditions including language, food, music, dress and dance, it should come as no surprise that the annual two-week July extravaganza draws both Mexican nationals and tourists from all corners of the globe.   

The official Guelaguetza celebrations, commonly referred to as the Lunes del Cerro (Mondays on the Hill), take place in an open-air auditorium on a hill overlooking the city of Oaxaca, the state capital.  The festivities occur the last two Mondays of July, except if the second last Monday of the month falls on July 18, the anniversary of the death of Benito Juárez, Mexico’s first indigenous president and Oaxaca’s native son.  In this case the celebrations are enacted on the subsequent two Mondays.

Folkloric dance troupes come to Oaxaca, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, from the farthest reaches of the eight regions of the state to perform their distinctly unique dances to the tune of traditional native music.  It’s all carried out live in the amphitheater.  The performances (an estimated 16 delegations will perform at each Guelaguetza in 2012) are designed to convey the nature and richness of day-to-day life in the particular part of Oaxaca, ranging from representations of rites associated with marriage, to coastal net fishing. Some have a not-so-subtle but always humorous sexual subtext manifest in both dance and the recounting of local tales.  Imagery and movement are sufficiently universal so as to ensure that knowledge of Spanish is not a pre-requisite for enjoying and becoming thoroughly enthralled in what is being expressed through dance, music, and at times light dialogue.

Guelaguetza has been translated from the Zapotec both as “offering” and the “reciprocal exchange of gifts or services.”  The pre-Hispanic origins of the Guelaguetza assist in unraveling the relationship between its literal meaning and its current format, including why, where and when regional delegations descend upon Oaxaca to reenact indigenous rituals.

More than three thousand years ago the hunters and gatherers of the region began to develop a more sedentary lifestyle, in large part due to the cultivation of corn, then other foodstuffs such as tomatoes, squash, beans and chiles.  Corn remained the key staple, and the rains which traditionally began during the summer months assured its growth and an abundant supply throughout the year. It thus became usual practice to pay tribute to the gods and goddesses responsible for bountiful yields during mid-summer to ensure that the rains continued and thus produced the healthiest of fall harvests.  This manifested in the offering and trading of initially foodstuffs and then locally handcrafted products such as clay pots and other wares.  The feast of Xilonen , goddess of young and tender corn, fell on what is in the Christian calendar July 16.

The Spanish, upon their arrival in Oaxaca in 1521, on the one hand attempted to impose their beliefs on the indigenous peoples through conversion to Catholicism, while on the other sought to maintain at least some relevance for tribe members, through reinterpreting their longstanding traditions.  One way was to incorporate the Guelaguetza into the celebration of the July 16 feast of the Virgin of Carmen, beginning at the downtown Oaxaca church of Carmen Alto, once a Zapotec site. 

Eventually the Guelaguetza began to focus on the two Mondays following July 16, and its location changed to the “Cerro del Fortín” which during the 15th century had been the location of Aztec garrisons. The ridge was, and thereafter remained, a place for gathering, and celebrating the Guelaguetza.   

In 1932, as part of the city’s 400th anniversary festivities and its designation as a royal city by King Carlos V of Spain, the forerunner of the modern Guelaguetza was born, with representatives of ethnic groups from the different parts of the state invited to participate.  Thus, 2012 takes on special significance, and has been designated by the state of Oaxaca as the festival’s 80th anniversary – “80 aniversario homenaje racial Guelaguetza (1932 – 2012).”

La Temporada de la Guelaguetza is a time for every Oaxacan to set aside political differences and concerns over inequalities and struggles, and pay tribute to the state’s multiplicity of rich cultural traditions.  The festivities also serve as a reminder that both government and the people must, for generations to come, strive to preserve indigenous heritage through promoting the maintenance of each culture’s precious customs.

Just as Super Bowl Sunday in the US draws TV audiences unprecedented throughout the rest of the year, so too does Lunes del Cerro in Oaxaca.  From morning until evening on those two Mondays, every year, television stations broadcast the Guelagueta.  Nary a restaurant, hotel, craft store, jewelry shop, or even market stall can be found which is not tuned in to the live performances.

Watching the Guelaguetza at the Cerro del Fortín is awe inspiring.  It adds to our respect for and greater appreciation of the different customs, mores and traditions which have endured for centuries, and in some cases millennia.  It reminds us of the state’s rich array of rituals. 

At the end of each troupe’s performance, members toss gifts (i.e. offerings) to those in the stands; products brought down from their particular sub-region, ranging from palm leaf hats, fans and mats, to coffee, fruits, vegetables and nuts, to souvenirs created specifically to distribute. One cannot help but leave the Guelaguetza exhausted from cultural overload, but with a special understanding of the magic of Oaxaca.  For the vast majority of Oaxacans the Guelaguetza instills a renewed gratification for their native legacy.

This year, ancillary events include the downtown parade of delegates on the Saturdays, and Sunday evenings at 8:30 p.m. at the same auditorium  the performance of the legend of Donají, the last Zapotec princess (at a cost of 100 pesos for seating in palcos [stands] A & B, upper seating free).  Though still in its planning stages, on the Sunday evenings a performance entitled Las Tradiciones del Istmo is scheduled to take place at a much smaller open air venue downtown, La Plaza de la Danza.  There is frequently a children’s Guelaguetza performed in the Alameda de León, adjoining the zócalo.  Check for posters with details of events in the centro histórico upon your arrival in Oaxaca.

The 2012 Guelaguetzas  take place on July 23 & 30, at 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (free in the upper sections, but attend hours early to be assured seating; otherwise, tickets are 800 pesos for Palco A and 600 pesos for Palco B, available through tourism offices, Ticketmaster and select travel agencies;  ticket prices are more if purchased through the latter two). Each event lasts about three hours.

Many towns and villages hold free Peoples’ Guelaguetzas during the two week period.  Ask for dates, times and locations at your lodging.  They too are very entertaining.  But nothing compares to the state sponsored Guelaguetzas on the Cerro del Fortín;  experiencing  all the color and pageantry on a grandiose scale while sitting in the stands, the stage in front, the spectacular valley of Oaxaca and distant mountains as backdrop.

Alvin Starkman attended his first Guelaguetza in 1991.  He is a paid contributing writer for Mexico Today, a program for Marca País – Imagen de México. Alvin and his wife Arlene operate Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com).

Typical Mezcal Still in Michoacán Decidedly Different from Oaxacan Alambique.  In Oaxaca a two chamber copper apparatus is used; here a single unit does the job of distillation just as efficiently, imparting different flavor nuances. Read more and learn how the family of Don Emilio has been producing mezcal at the family vinata for five generations.

Don Emilio is moderating a mezcal cata (tasting) at the May, 2012, annual gastronomy and wine festival, Morelia en Boca.  “In Oaxaca they drink their mezcal with sal de gusano, but in Michoacán we use our locally produced cheese, queso cotija,as a chaser and side condiment,” he explains.  “The difference is just a matter of varying traditions between the two states.” 

The state of Michoacán in central Mexico, of which Morelia is capital, is home to approximately 700 mezcal producers, a significant number, though admittedly pale compared to the literally thousands in Oaxaca, the largest producer and exporter in the country.  But Michoacán nevertheless has a long and varied history of mezcal production, probably dating back as far as its Oaxacan counterpart, to the 1500s.

Emilio Vieyra Vargas and his father own and operate Mezcal Don Mateo de la Sierra.  Don Mateo was Emilio’s great grandfather.  He migrated from Guanajuato to Michoacán in 1840, and began producing mezcal.  Given that Don Emilio represents his family’s fifth generation of maestro vinatero (in Oaxaca referred to as palenquero), what better ambassador of the spirit of Michoacán.

“In Michoacán we use five varieties of agave to produce mezcal, while in Oaxaca they use 12 – 15, or perhaps more,” Don Emilio continues.  But the differences between mezcal in Oaxaca and Michoacán run much deeper than nomenclature and varietals of agave.  Certainly type of agave (also referred to as maguey throughout Mexico) and growing region factor into flavor characteristics, but variation in the means of production is also a key ingredient in determining distinctions in nose, tones and ultimate overall taste.

The Mezcal Don Mateo vinata (factory, or palenque in Oaxaca parlance) is located just outside of the village of San Miguel del Monte, nestled high up in the pine and oak forests, a 40 minute drive from Morelia.  On the final approach to the vinata one witnesses the tapping of trees, with sap dripping into tin cans, so slowly that it’s undetectable.  It’s visually akin to trekking through maple orchards in central Ontario in early spring and seeing syrup pails hanging from spigots. “The sap has a number of uses, but they’re unrelated to mezcal,” Don Emilio clarifies.  “It’s just that these trees and the agave we use are equally suited to this elevation and other climatic conditions.”

Although 80% of the mezcal Don Emilio produces is made with wild agave, the family does cultivate its own maguey on the rolling hills below the vinata.  “We make our mezcal utilizing four of the five varieties used in the state,” he indicates.  “Most of our sales are from cupreata, perhaps because it produces a mezcal a bit sweeter than the rest, and second most popular is americana; we also do a blend of the two.” The other two types of agave used in the Don Mateo vinata are ineaquiden and angustifolia.  Some producers also use agave azul, of tequila fame.

The baking of the agave in an in-ground, airtight oven over rocks and firewood is the only significant commonality between traditional production of mezcal in Oaxaca, and in Michoacán.  And even then, at least in the case of the vinata of Mezcal Don Mateo, the firewood used is exclusively (green) oak, as compared to in Oaxaca where a number of different species of tree are utilized.

Some Oaxacan mezcal operations have moved away from firewood, to a fossil fuel engine which pumps vapor into a sealed room. It flows through tubing on top of which there is a grate piled high with agave, thus effectively steaming the maguey.  “None of us in Michoacán use vapor, but over in San Luis Potosí some do it that way,” Don Emilio distinguishes.

“Here in Michoacán we have never used a horse or donkey dragging a big limestone wheel over the baked agave to crush it, like they do in Oaxaca,” he continues.  “We used to pulverize the plant using a big wooden mallet, but now many of us use an electrically powered chopping machine to cut the maguey into tiny pieces in preparation for fermentation.”

While in Oaxaca custom dictates fermenting in 2,000 liter pine tubs, Don Emilio uses 5,000 liter rectangular tanks cut into the ground, lined with oak boards. In keeping with family custom, only spring water is used to top up the tanks holding the baked mashed maguey.

The Michoacán alambique  (still) bears little resemblance to its Oaxacan counterpart.  The latter is comprised of a brick or stone encased oversized copper pot with conical lid. It connects to copper tubing rising above and across it, attaching to a copper serpentine submerged in a companion tank of water.  The Michoacán still, by contrast, is a single unit.  The only copper component is the large pot enclosed in a stone and mortar housing. An oak cylinder extends above it. A funnel – shaped stainless steel cone filled with water sits on top of the cylinder and extends back down into it.

In the Oaxacan palenque, firewood (again often different types) heats the crushed agave fiber and fermented liquid, steam rises through the copper apparatus, and when it descends through the copper serpentine in the tank of water, it condenses.  In the Don Mateo vinata mainly oak is used to fuel the still. The steam rises through the oak cylinder, condensing when it touches the stainless steel water-filled cone. 

Esteban is the Mezcal Don Mateo manager of sales.  He accurately summarizes the factors which give his mezcal its flavor nuances, distinguishing it from the spirit produced by other maestro vinateros and Oaxaca’s palenqueros:

·        The variety of agave (Oaxaca continues to use mainly espadín)

·        The climatic region including elevation and soil composition

·        The means of cooking such as using vapor and in what kind of room or drum (i.e. clay brick, stainless steel, etc.), as distinguished from over (what type of) firewood

·        The characteristics of the fermentation containers

·        The distillation equipment employed

Superimposed on each of the foregoing are more subtle deviations and distinctions (beyond the purview of this essay) , as well as the variables of time and number; length of time the agave grows and for how long it remains in the fields after its quiote (stalk) is cut before harvesting, number of days of warm versus cold weather and centimeters of precipitation (over the course of several years of growth), length of time the agave is baked and at what temperature, number of days  the crushed baked maguey is allowed to ferment as often determined by ambient temperature, and the controls placed on distillation time and speed.    

For tasting, Don Emilio has on hand mezcal made from agaves cupreata and americana, and a blend of the two.  He’s now aging in white oak barrels, but none is currently available.  However there are variations of the foregoing three on this morning in his vinata, based on vintage of the harvest and length of time stored in glass containers, whether the particular varietal of agave is wild or cultivated, and pechuga.  All told about ten mezcals are sampled, out of the 20 he produces throughout the year.

Pechuga generally connotes chicken or turkey breast. During the second (and usually final) distillation, breast meat is hung in the still in a cloth bag (similar to and serving the function of cheesecloth), often with other local foodstuffs including seasonal fruit.  Don Emilio’s wife’s recipe calls for chicken breast, deer meat and a blend of select spices.  The mezcal takes on a fuller, richer taste. 

Don Emilio quite accurately ballparks the percentage alcohol of his mezcal based on the size of the perlas (literally pearls, or bubbles) it produces when poured, and how long it takes for them to dissipate.  Of course he does have alcohol meters for more precise measurement for commercial bottling and labeling, but soundly boasts; “after so many years of being a vinatero I can pretty well tell you the strength.”  Most of his mezcal is in the range of 48 – 52 % alcohol by volume.

The same mezcal with two different alcohol contents takes on different flavor characteristics including sweetness.  More alcohol does not necessarily mean less smooth. Alcohol content is marked on each of the filled multi gallon glass containers in his small warehouse, along with month and year of distillation and distinguishing features of the agave, ready for bottling for the retail buying public, in smart 750 ml bottles.

Mezcal from Michoacán cannot be exported from Mexico at the present time.  Most producers are not registered with the federal government’s Hacienda, or tax department.  But this is not the major impediment, given that the same holds true in Oaxaca.  Rather, Michoacán mezcal must first be designated with a denominación de origen, which effectively provides consumers with a guarantee of origin and overall quality.  Only then will COMERCAM (El Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal A.C.), the federal mezcal regulatory agency, begin to accepts registrations for the spirit’s export.  Proceedings are under way.

In the interim, the best way to sample and buy Mezcal Don Mateo de la Sierra and other regional mezcals, is to visit central Mexico.  That way you can make your way up to the vinatas, speak to the maestro vinateros, and most importantly learn first-hand about the mezcal of Michoacán.

Alvin Starkman has written over 250 articles about life and cultural traditions in Mexico, most often about Oaxaca.  He has a particular interest in mezcal and pulque, and periodically takes visitors to Oaxaca to visit small mezcal palenques in the mountains, and into the fields to harvest aguamiel from which pulque is derived.  He and his wife Arlene operate Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. Alvin is a paid contributing writer for Mexico Today, a program for Marca País – Imagen de México.

In only two short years Morelia en Boca has become one of Mexico’s premier culinary and wine festivals.  The second annual Morelia en Boca, el Festival Internacional de Gastronomía y Vino de México, was held in the capital of the state of Michoacán, May 25 – 27, 2012.  The weekend fete featured participation by nationally and internationally renowned chefs as well as regional cooks, Spanish and Mexican wineries and acclaimed Morelia restaurants.  Also included were workshops, panel discussions and demonstrations, as well as cheese, wine, beer and mezcal tastings.

Recipe for a Successful Gastronomic Event in Mexico

Michoacán is not noted for its gastronomic greatness within the broader context of Mexican cuisine.  So how did Morelia en Boca pull off a three-day extravaganza of excellence?

To begin with, aside from the prix fixe cenas held in restaurants throughout the city, the entire festival unfolded in a single venue in the heart of downtown Morelia, the Centro Cultural Clavijero.  The spacious historic building reputed to have the most photographed open courtyard in the city, housed each and every daytime event:  tastings including pairings with local foodstuffs such as Michoacán’s famed queso cotija; upwards of 50 food and drink booths contained in a gourmet village; and round table discussions and recipe demos akin to mini cooking classes.

Morelia en Boca was conceived to be financially accessible to almost all foodies and aficionados of alcoholic beverages, and designed to provide a broad diversity of experiences and opportunities to discover new palate sensations.  The event is based on a flat fee philosophy.  This year’s daily entry passes for Friday and Saturday, the two fullest days, cost 382.5 pesos (under $30 USD) – to sample and to participate in formal tastings (promotional Morelia en Boca wine glasses were distributed to each attendee); to learn from culinary experts through attending forums; and to buy.

Organization is a key ingredient to any successful event of this magnitude, gastronomic or otherwise.  Aside from the odd short, somewhat anticipated delay, the weekend went off without a hitch.   The smoothness of operations was in large part as a result of the crackerjack cooperation between government and corporate sponsors and their respective memberships (i.e. Chef Joaquín Bonilla, Corporate Director of the Colegio Culinario de Morelia).  While the event website, the press (i.e. food and wine journalist Rubén Hernández) and social media networks (Facebook in particular) were invaluable, distribution of a detailed print catalogue of events, each with a specified date and time, location and description, further assured that attending Morelia en Boca would be as easy as could be divined.

Some Key Participants at Morelia en Boca:  Chefs, Wineries, Restaurants & More

Traditional cooks from the furthest reaches of Michoacán prepared regional dishes.  They came from towns and villages including Santa Fe de la Laguna, Zacán, Angahuán and San Lorenzo, courting the appetites of the urbanites.  They wooed not only Mexican nationals and tourists from abroad, but also chefs; both those who have borrowed from repertoires of generationally developed recipes, as well as visiting culinary dignitaries highly respected on the international stage.  Morelia en Boca was a class example of the melding of tradition with modern trends in culinary seduction.

More than 20 chefs with impeccable credentials came to cook, from Spain (i.e. Oriol Castro), England (i.e. Anthony Demetre), the US (i.e. Dominique Crenn, winner of Iron Chef America), and to no surprise from different parts of Mexico (i.e. Alejandro Ruiz from Oaxaca; Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, Pedro Abascal, Paulina Abascal, Enrique Farjeat and Jair Téllez from Mexico City; Christian Bravo from Yucatán, Guillermo Barreto and Benito Molina from Baja California and Marta Zepeda from Chiapas). 

They participated in round table discussions and workshops, and bestowed their culinary prowess upon those attending the evening dinner / wine pairing galas (i.e. chefs Pedro Abascal and Edgar Nuñez at restaurant San Miguelito, chefs Ruiz and Lucero Soto at Lu, Chef Crenn at Casa Grande, chefs Bravo, Téllez, Nuñez, Jonatán Lómez Luna, Diego Hernández, Joan Bagur and Maritere Ramírez Degollado at Hotel Juaninos, chefs Zepeda and Rubi Silvia at Los Mirasoles, and chefs Lula Martín del Campo and Jorge Vallego at Casa San Diego).

Tastings were bountiful, diverse and delicious, wines ranging from domestic (i.e. Casa Madero, L.A. Cetto and Monte Xanic), Spanish (i.e. Rioja) and Australian (i.e. Penfolds), to Mexican beer, to mezcal produced near San Miguel del Monte, nestled in the pine and oak forests high above Morelia.  Thematic topics included “same grape, different regions,” the unusual “pairing mezcal with cotija,” and the predictable “wines and cheeses.”

Organizers of the catas seemed intent upon enticing the broadest array of individuals by ensuring that pricing of alcoholic products presented by chefs and sommeliers was appealing to all.  For example there were tastings of three varieties of Bohemia beer (partakers were provided with a full bottle of each along with perfectly paired canapés; presenters included Chef Zahie Téllez), young wines in the 70 peso range, and priced at 630 pesos an exquisite Villa Montefiori Nerone with tones of dark fruit, violet, vanilla, black pepper and red cherry, with hints of mint and eucalyptus.

While the ten cooking demonstrations were by all counts both enjoyable and informative, two in particular stood out.  Chef Castro, who has worked with Chef Ferran Adriá at famed Spanish restaurant elBulli, explained current trends and techniques in the handcrafted creation of sweets (dubbed “Las técnicas de elBulli”).  Chef Muñoz Zurita and well-known regional cook Benedicta Alejo combined skill sets in a workshop entitled “Tamales, Corundas y Uchepos” to illustrate how haute cuisine and traditional cooking can coalesce within the context of crafting tamales and their Michoacán counterparts.

Lessons Learned in Michoacán:  The Future of Morelia en Boca & Other Mexican Culinary Events

Organizers of similar events throughout Mexico have much to learn from Morelia en Boca.  Its success was, and for years to come will continue to be based upon its flawless institution of a well - planned format, accessibility to all, and broad consumer appeal.

But Morelia itself provides an alluring setting for staging a culinary event aimed at attracting visitors from throughout Mexico as well as tourists from abroad; anyone interested in food and drink.  Its proximity to both the nation’s capital, as well as pre-Hispanic ruins, craft villages, nature preserves and even beach resorts such as Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, no doubt will continue to be at least a part of Morelia’s recipe for success. The recent inscription of Mexican cuisine on UNESCO’s representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity provides a further stimulus for considering Morelia en Boca in 2013, and beyond.

Alvin Starkman has written over 250 articles about life and cultural traditions in Mexico, with an emphasis on food and drink.  He is a paid contributing writer for Mexico Today, a program for Marca País – Imagen de México.  With his wife Arlene he operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.casamachaya.com) and with Chef Pilar Cabera Arroyo Oaxaca Culinary Tours (http://www.oaxacaculinarytours.com).