Tejate: Oaxaca’s best drink doesn’t get enough love
When you come to Oaxaca, there’s one drink I think you absolutely have to try: tejate.
I’ll be honest — it’s probably my favourite drink in Oaxaca. And considering how much good food and drink there is here, that’s saying something.
The funny thing is that tejate doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves.
You’ll see it being sold in markets and street corners around Oaxaca, usually served from a huge, round bowl. It’s not particularly colourful or flashy, and if you’ve never seen it before, you might have absolutely no idea what you’re looking at.
You’ll probably just walk straight past it.
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What is tejate?
Tejate is a traditional Oaxacan drink made from ingredients including maize, cacao, mamey seed and flor de cacao. The ingredients are ground and mixed with water, creating a thick, slightly creamy drink with a distinctive flavour.
It’s difficult to describe exactly what it tastes like. There’s a gentle sweetness (you can add more), a nuttiness from the maize and cacao, and a really interesting earthy flavour that you don’t get from most drinks.
And it’s served ice cold, which makes all the difference.
On a hot afternoon in Oaxaca, there are few things more refreshing.
Look for the giant bowl
One of the best things about tejate is seeing it being made and served.
You’ll often find women sitting at markets with enormous bowls of tejate in front of them. The preparation is done by hand, and the drink has been made in Oaxaca for generations.
The foam that forms on top is particularly distinctive. You’ll often see the vendor scoop the tejate into a cup, with that layer of creamy foam sitting on top.
It’s very simple, very traditional and very Oaxacan.
And while you can find tejate in different parts of Oaxaca, Oaxaca City’s markets are a good place to start looking.
A drink with a long history
Tejate has deep roots in Oaxaca and is believed to date back to pre-Hispanic times.
It’s traditionally associated with the indigenous communities of Oaxaca, particularly around the Central Valleys.
That history is part of what makes drinking tejate so interesting. You’re not just trying another refreshing drink — you’re trying something that has been part of Oaxacan culture for centuries.
So, should you try it?
Definitely.
If you’re walking around an Oaxaca market and see a giant bowl of what looks like a thick, pale drink with foam floating on top, stop and order a tejate.
It might not be the most obvious thing on the market and it might not be the prettiest.
But in my opinion, tejate is one of the best drinks in Oaxaca — and one of the most underrated.
And on a hot Oaxaca afternoon, sitting down with a cold tejate is pretty hard to beat.
