I was born near the smoke and the comal, says host of the Oaxaca restaurant

The music that is heard just by transferring the entrance door is enough to move to Oaxaca, and with Juana Amaya as a host cook, more than enough to undertake the trip to the flavors of the state’s ancestral food, which is available in the restaurant recently opened in Coyoacán.

The protagonists of the menu are the green, almond, chichilo, colored and, of course, the black, typical at parties and also in the days of mourning. The woman, enthusiastic and proud of what she knows, affirms that these and other endemic foods of the entity of the southeast of the Mexican Republic live in each cook, women who preserve and transmit their gastronomic knowledge, which they acquired In life, from girls.

Juana Amaya did not imagine that one day those knowledge would help her get out of poverty and be different, as she says.

I was born in the groove, near the metate, smoke and comal. Remember your childhood surrounded by poverty. We lived in a jacaland now he knows that he also suffered domestic violence, associated with the alcoholism of the men nearby.

I had to do tortillas, the work and work of the field, for which no studies were needed. Then, when he married and had his children, as always happens, The need guides youand started selling food To help my husband and my son finished school.

Juana Amaya is originally from Zimatlán de Álvarez, in the central valleys of Oaxaca. There he opened his first business, 15 years ago, With five plastic tableswhich soon became an establishment with capacity for 200 diners.

In addition to the wide variety of moles, for which endemic ingredients of the state are used, mainly water chilies, tabiche, chilhuacle and herbs we have in the fieldthe restaurant’s culinary offer includes meals day -to -dayincluding Tlayuda.

Explain: Ancestrally, the tlayuda was pure seat (butter), cheese and sauce. Then he evolved and now beans, lettuce, avocado and tomato are placed. This is the one offered in the afternoons in the restaurant.

For those who do not know, the term Tlayuda It refers to the cooking of the tortilla, which goes from soft, cooked, tlayuda and toast. Now, it is also accompanied by Cecina, Tasajo and Chorizo.

That was Juana Amaya’s life in her business in Oaxaca. There he was when the proposal of his countryman Ángel Díaz Ortiz arrived, who since 1968 lives in Mexico City, and was interested in bringing the ancestral cuisine of the state to the capital of the country,

Thus was born the Oaxaca restaurant project: ancestral cuisine and gallery, where in addition to menu with traditional foods and campirans, diners can admire the works of Oaxacan artists.

Juana Amaya will give courses of the most remote gastronomy of her state, and from this month cooks of the seven regions will join the workshops, they are open to the general public and professional chefs.

The Oaxaca restaurant: ancestral cuisine and gallery is located in Felipe Carrillo Puerto 54, Coyoacán Center. The schedule is from Wednesday to Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.