Ep 9. Oaxaca Breakfast: Messy and Delicious

In the ninth episode of season six of Pati's Mexican Table, we are taken to the beautiful state of Oaxaca, renowned for its rich culinary heritage and diverse, vibrant cuisine. Oaxaca is a food lover's paradise, and Pati explores the region's famous breakfast dishes, discovering a variety of delicious, hearty and soulful breakfast treats that are sure to get your taste buds singing.

The episode kicks off with a visit to Oaxaca's bustling central market, a vibrant hub of activity where the freshest produce and ingredients can be found. Pati immerses herself in the colourful sights and sounds of the market, sampling some of the region's most famous breakfast dishes, including tlayudas, a type of Mexican pizza topped with refried beans, cheese and meat, and memelas, a sort of flattened corn tortilla that's fried and topped with beans, cheese, and meat. Then, she meets up with a group of local women at the market and gets a hands-on lesson on how to make these dishes at home.

Next, Pati travels to a nearby village to visit Doña Lusa, a beloved local chef who has been making traditional Oaxacan breakfasts for decades. Doña Lusa welcomes Pati into her kitchen, showing her how to make tamales filled with beans and chorizo, a staple of Oaxacan breakfast cuisine. The dish is a labour of love, requiring several hours of prep time, but Pati and Doña Lusa find that the end result is well worth the effort. They enjoy the tamales together, accompanied by traditional Oaxacan hot chocolate, made from freshly ground cacao beans.

Later on, Pati heads to the home of a local family who specialize in a unique and messy Oaxacan breakfast dish called molote. Molotes are a type of fried empanada, stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese, then topped with a variety of delicious sauces and garnishes. The whole family gets involved in the cooking process, showing Pati how to make the potato stuffing, roll out the dough, and fry the empanadas to crispy perfection. The finished molotes are piled high with toppings, including salsa, crema, and crumbled cheese, making for a truly decadent and indulgent breakfast experience.

Finally, Pati travels to the town of Tlacolula, where she meets up with a group of women who are keeping the tradition of tamales vivos alive. Tamales vivos are a unique type of tamale that are filled with live insects, including grasshoppers and worms. While they may sound intimidating to some, tamales vivos are a beloved breakfast dish in Oaxaca, and Pati is eager to try them out. The women show her how to assemble the tamales, carefully wrapping the insects inside the masa dough before steaming them to perfection. Pati learns that tamales vivos are a nutritious and sustainable protein source that have been a part of Oaxacan cuisine for centuries.

Throughout the episode, Pati showcases the rich diversity and vibrant flavours of Oaxacan breakfast cuisine, highlighting the region's deep connection to its cultural heritage and local ingredients. This episode is sure to inspire viewers to try their hand at making some of these delicious and soulful dishes at home.