Whether it’s smoke-filled market stalls grilling up tasajo and Oaxacan chorizos, the curbside stands on cobblestone streets specializing in pre-Hispanic fare, or mezcal-making palenques in the surrounding Valles Centrales, it’s little wonder why Oaxaca has been called, ‘The Mexican city every food-loving traveler should visit now.’

The state’s diversity—both culturally and culinarily—has left its indelible mark on its capital city, officially known as Oaxaca de Juárez. It’s the beating heart of Oaxaca's culture and the epicenter of the state’s cuisine.

With traditions measured in millenniums and a culinary heritage dating back to the domestication of maize, the state of Oaxaca is like no other in Mexico. Home to eight regions and sixteen indigenous peoples, Oaxaca has the distinction of being Mexico’s most biologically, ethnically and linguistically diverse state. More than a million Oaxaqueños—or a quarter of the state’s population—speak local languages.