Lunch with Frida

Most market food stalls have pretty boring signs and similar menus.  We stumbled on this eatery deep in the market in Ocotlán de Morelos, about 31 kilometers outside of Oaxaca.

Frida herself brought us a sample plate of 3 moles, a regional specialty, and I chose the dark mole with a hint of chocolate but not the sweetness.  Here it is covering some tasty rolled tacos, paired with a cerveza.

          

And here is Frida, with the eyebrows and the stare, and her admirer.

Christmas Eve in Oaxaca

The Christmas procession around the main square in Oaxaca couldn't have been lovelier. Those are candles lighting the boats. 

Radishes, radishes

I've learned a lot about radishes this Christmas in Oaxaca.  For instance, radish carving in Oaxaca began sometime after the the Spanish introduced giant radishes as a crop in the 16th century.  There was already a strong tradition of wood carving so shopkeepers started embellishing their market displays with carved radishes. This developed into the current competion with hefty cash prizes.

For the most part these are not the shiny red radishes we are used to, as seen here in the nearby town of Ocotlán de Morelos.

 They are really big ugly ones, often weighing 5 pounds or more.

Contestants arrive in the Oaxaca town center, the zócalo, the morning of Dec. 23 to create their dioramas.  Some have obviously been preparing all night.

This is a popular tourist attraction so it is best to arrive as close as possible to 11am to avoid the long viewing lines that circle the zócalo well into the night.

The scenes are often religious. This is the lovely la Virgin de Soledád (Oaxaca's patron saint). 

Here is a detail of her sweet face.

And here is a delightful folkloric dancer in traditional dress with a pineapple on her shoulder.

But the truly fun ones are the fanciful and grotesque monsters.

I'll leave you with this one. Words escape me.