oh my goodness, look at this, this is the biggest piece of cheese i ve ever seen. you know, oaxaca is divided into eight different regions. it gives us the possibility to have all these ingredients. but oaxaca s most famous ingredient, cacao, actually came here via those trade routes. oh, i smell chocolate. and chocolate went on to become a cornerstone of wau hawken gastronomy. if you want your chocolate fix, the mercado is still the place to come. out i m not talking about anything as simple as a sugary snack. this is the boss, el jefe. they make a special version, boss. oaxaca s willy wonkas create bespoke chocolate mixes for their customers to use in cooking. bitter. it is. pure and raw. alex s personal blend combines cinnamon with almonds and a sprinkle of sugar. it s the perfect alchemy for one of his legendary recipes, the luxurious sauce, mole naegro. this is it. we re going to grind this into a paste? iowa. the oil from the nuts turns the d
luxurious sauce, mole naegro. this is it. we re going to grind this into a paste? iowa. the oil from the nuts turns the dry beans into a luscious paste. smells incredible. do you want to try? yes. okay. let s see. mm. mm! i m going to fill the sugar and the cinnamon. but the aroma. the aroma is roasted chocolate. this chocolate is a direct connection to the ancestors of the oaxacans, who worshipped it as the food of the gods. it was used in mexico in place of money. only for the kings. [ speaking non-english ] look at that.