in this bewitching place, culinary wonders are conjured. there s 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 most 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 roots, which makes me a texican. i m exploring mexico to see how the people, their lands, and their past have shaped a culinary tradition as diverse as its 32 states. nestled within three vast mountain ranges, oaxaca is so blessed with food riches. roasted chocolate. it s as if the gods themselves dined here. and for its ancient indigenous communities. [laughter] - this land and its produce is sacred. but in these parts, you ve got to work hard for your dinner. oh, my god. i mean, really hard. god, i m sweating. wish me luck. [shouts] [steady music] since pre-hispanic t
[upbeat music] - hi, eva. - hi. how are you? - great. great meeting you. - oh, so nice to meet you. - you too. bienvenida. hi! hi, eva. how are you? great. great meeting you. oh, so nice to meet you. you too. welcome to the world capital of cassilo. oh, it s my favorite cheese. food writer omar alonso is passionate about oaxaca s most famous export, a stringy cheese. legend has it it was created here in the sleepy town of reyes etla, where the locals christened it cassilo, meaning little cheese. cassilo is a very important part of our diet in oaxaca. four days a week we have cassilo
[upbeat music] - hi, eva. - hi. how are you? - great. great meeting you. - oh, so nice to meet you. - you too. bienvenida. welcome to the world capital of quesillo. - oh, it s my favorite cheese. food writer omar alonso is passionate about oaxaca s most famous export, a stringy cheese. legend has it, it was created here in the sleepy town of reyes etla, where the locals christened it quesillo, meaning little cheese. - so, yeah, quesillo is a very important part of our diet in oaxaca. - in your sandwiches? - yeah. [dog barks] omar is taking me to meet one of the most distinguished quesillo makers in the region. there s a difference between the industrialized one and the artisanal way? yeah. janet lópez canseco s family farm is one of the last in mexico to produce quesillo
ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. and take back what s yours. learn how abbvie could help you save. the caggiano s. a family of long island brewers. harvests their own ingredients, on their own turf. there s a story in every piece of land. run with us on a john deere mower and start telling yours. [upbeat music] - hi, eva. - hi. how are you? - great. great meeting you. - oh, so nice to meet you. - you too. bienvenida. welcome to the world capital of quesillo. - oh, it s my favorite cheese. food writer omar alonso is passionate about oaxaca s most famous export, a stringy cheese. legend has it, it was created here in the sleepy town of reyes etla, where the locals christened it quesillo, meaning little cheese. - so, yeah, quesillo is a very important part of our diet in oaxaca.
[upbeat music] - hi, eva. - hi. how are you? - great. great meeting you. - oh, so nice to meet you. - you too. bienvenida. welcome to the world capital of quesillo. - oh, it s my favorite cheese. food writer omar alonso is passionate about oaxaca s most famous export, a stringy cheese. legend has it, it was created here in the sleepy town of reyes etla, where the locals christened it quesillo, meaning little cheese. - so, yeah, quesillo is a very important part of our diet in oaxaca. - in your sandwiches? - yeah. [dog barks] omar is taking me to meet one of the most distinguished quesillo makers in the region. there s a difference between the industrialized one and the artisanal way?