into the belly of mexico via oaxaca. today many of these food gems find their way to the mercado de abastos, a giant market on the edge of state s capital city oaxaca. and in this warren of stalls hola! i hunted down the pioneering chef who put oaxacan food on the map, alex ruiz. the first time i came to this market, i was about 7. my mom used to make fresh cheese. this was your blound? playground? this is my playground. now i m a cook, i come here several times a week. this is my home. let me show you some more noise, if you don t mind walking around. i m sticking close to this guy. get lost here and you may never
i didn t until oaxaca cast its spell on me. in this bewitching place, culinary wonders are conjured. there is a lot of exciting chefs coming out of this region. and oaxaca is now a mecca for food lovers in the know. so good! the gastronomic wizards here wow! can summon so many of mexico s iconic ingredients. have you ever seen such a rainbow of corn? it s the original string cheese. i m eva longoria, born and bred in texas with mexican-american ro roots which makes me a texican. i m exploring lands which are as diverse as 32 states.
quesillo, meaning little cheese. quesillo is a very part of our diet in oaxaca. out of the five days we go to school in the week four days we have quesillo. in your sandwiches. omar is taking me to meet one of the most distinguished quesillo makers in the region. there is a difference between the industrialized one and the artisanal way? very easy to tell from the color to the texture and of course the flavor. reporter: janet conseco s family farm is one of the last in mexico to produce quesillo the traditional way. this is so exciting. i ve never seen how quesillo is made. this is your lucky day. turning the curds into the stringy goodness we know and love takes hands-on attention from janet and her dad juan.
and added last so they keep their delicate form, the squash flowers. such a beautiful green. ponciano s hardworking family have gathered for breakfast. and the star of the meal is, of course, their beautiful corn. it looks so good. i m so hungry. wow. oh my god. i love everything has lemon in mexico, even vegetable soup. it s wonderful eating this delicious, simple food with the family who grew it on their land, just like their ancient ancestors did for thousands of years. i know corn is important in