Buen Provecho! Bon Appetit! Enjoy the meal!
When you come to Teotitlan del Valle why not take a cooking class from Reyna Mendoza Ruiz? Reyna is part of the well-known Mendoza weaving family. Her brother is Erasto “Tito” Mendoza and her cousin is Arnulfo Mendoza. She deserves recognition in her own right for the experience and knowledge she offers visitors who want to learn traditional Zapotec cooking.
The only hitch is — classes are only taught in Spanish! So, if you don’t speak Spanish you can bring along a translator or attempt your own interpreting based upon keen observation, and knowledge of ingredients and measurements.
I have been to Reyna’s home on several occasions over the years to see the weaving work of the family — which is pretty extraordinary. They weave in the Saltillo style which means the loom is warped with 22 threads per inch resulting in a very small and fine tapestry often with complex designs.
Example of Saltillo-Style Woven Handbag by Mendoza Ruiz Family. This bag was woven by Tito Mendoza Ruiz and is in my personal collection.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Reyna is giving cooking classes. A bonus to visiting in Teotitlan del Valle.
Here are the contact details: reynamendozaruiz@yahoo.com or see Reyna’s website: http://cookingclasseselsaborzapoteco.blogspot.com/ Here is a link to El Nahual Folk Art shop owned by Tito and his wife Alejandrina Rios http://www.elnahualfolkart.blogspot.com/
Mexico City food writer Lesley Tellez took a class from Reyna recently and wrote about it on her blog: The Mija Chronicles. I’m sharing it and some great photos of Lesley’s experience with you here. http://lesleytellez.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/cooking-a-homemade-oaxacan-meal-metate-and-all-with-reyna-mendoza/
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