Today Oaxaca is famous for
its delicious food

and local craftsmanship.

And rightly so.

But did you know that
these traditions

are thousands of years old
and have their origin

in ancient Zapotecan culture?

Join us as we eat our way
through Oaxaca, Mexico.

Major funding for The Desert
      Speaks was provided by

The Kemper and Ethel
Marley Foundation.

Additional funding was provided
by Desert Program Partners.

And by Arizona
State Parks.

music

Corn feeds hundreds of
millions of people

in countries all over the world.

It started out as a plant that
some people would call a weed.

It was natives of very dry
regions of southern Mexico,

near the modern city of Oaxaca,

who discovered its
true value as a food.

Corn has become the
most important gift

ever to come out of the desert.

The city of Oaxaca is located
in the semi-arid highlands

of southern Mexico.

For many hundreds of years
it's been the crossroads

of middle America,
with a great parade

of indigenous
groups passing through.

It is still the Indian capital
of Mexico, especially Zapotecs.

Today's Zapotecs depend on corn

as their civilization has done
for thousands of years.

5,000 years ago corn
was domesticated

very close to the city
of Oaxaca near Puebla

in the Tehuacán Valley.

And that allowed the development
of very powerful cultures.

Corn was the basis
of the Mexican diet

and is still the basis
of the Mexican diet.

From this corn, these
small ears like this,

from these valleys, came
the basis of the diet of

Mexican civilization.

And it came
basically from here.

Yes. Look, these two varieties,
how far apart, came from here.

Well, corn has many, many
different varieties.

Some are extremely primitive,
some are highly developed.

And from this corn, from
where we get our daily tortillas

and most of the products, many
products through the world.

Same corn, the same basis
for our civilizations

in central Mexico, our
civilizations in

southwestern United States,
our civilizations

in northwest Mexico.

All of it, corn inherited.

Yes. We are just at the cradle
where corn was created.

Dr. Burquez is an ecologist
who is also an expert

in the cultures
of ancient Mexico.

The use of corn allowed
the construction

of extraordinary cities.

One of them is
Monte Alban.

Monte Alban is an emblematic
city so it's a very large city

that just shows how
powerful Mexican history is

and how far back it goes.

The Zapotecs were very
powerful warriors.

They conquered the area, they
developed a flourishing culture,

they have extraordinary
developments in the arts.

But as happened
to most cultures,

they eventually declined.

And they declined because people
didn't want to work anymore

and the nobility was
parasitizing the peasantry

so much that everything
started to crumble up.

That opened the way to
new conquerers that brought

new ways of looking at life,
that brought new styles

of construction, and
brought new forms of art.

Those were the Mixtecas.

All of the cultural
societies needed

a very tight
measurement of time.

And the more sophisticated
the culture,

the more sophisticated
their sky observations.

The Zapotecs were
exceedingly good astronomers

and they built these
structures as this observatory

to keep track of the seasons,

to keep track of the
timing of the year.

That was extremely important
to time up the crop seeding,

the crop harvesting,
the time in which rain

was suspected to come.

Throughout the history of
mankind, brief periods of peace

were followed by lengthy wars.

The Zapotecs were
not the exception.

The Zapotecs were
engaged in lengthy wars

against their neighbors.

These stones are
depictions of warriors

that were ritually mutilated.

These wars were the
response to the acquisition

of new resources, resources
needed to sustain the growth.

Resources like coral,
like pitayas, like corn,

that were the basis of the
economy of the Zapotecs

and most Central American and
middle American cultures.

Monte Alban is divided in five

different stages by
archeologists.

But what did really
matter to us is that

Monte Alban is a magnificent
city that persisted

for almost 1500 years until it
was abandoned 1000 years ago.

Monte Alban is at the
very roots of Mexican culture.

And we Mexicans have Monte Alban
as one of our emblematic cities

and as part of our past.

The genius of Zapotec craftsmen
made the city of Monte Alban

the wonder of ancient
Meso-America.

Zapotec brilliance and
creativity continue

in the hearts and homes
of Oaxacans even today.

All of my town makes
these types of sculptures.

The figurines that we create
here in San Martin Tilcajete

are Zapotec figures.

It's been done
for generations.

For example, we recreate
those images that our parents,

grandparents, and
great-grandparents created,

following in the
same Zapotec tradition.

These are the most
difficult pieces I've made.

This is one whole piece that
comes from the trunk,

this tree trunk.

It takes a lot of time to
carve a piece like this.

You need to be calm when
you do this work,

and you must be patient.

You need to give it time to
develop and to take on a shape.

After shaping it, you
let it dry for almost a month,

then sand it off.

And finally, you paint it.

Making the figurines
gives us a better life.

Working in the fields,
you know, gives us subsistence

but is not quite enough.

We use the copal wood.

Copal is one of the
best types of woods.

It's beautiful.

It's able to give the
best features and enables us

to make exotic figures
that grab your eye.

Just as an example,
look at this.

This is copal.

If you look at this
piece, it's a tree branch

that is very twisted.

So we take
advantage of it.

From it we create these
fantastical wood carvings.

This lizard doesn't
really have a tail like this.

One of the pleasing
aspects of this he says

is the combination of the
reality of the way the lizard

is in real life and the
fantasy that he brings to it.

And the tail is a
fantastic tail.

It doesn't match
the real lizard.

But it brings to it a
real Zapotecan reality

that we can't see.

This tree is where
the wood comes from.

This is copal.

It's a type of wood that
gives us the ability

to create these wood
figurines from its branches.

If I were to cut this
branch off right here,

you can see the curve and
we use our imagination

and then create an armadillo.

For example, the branches
here are straight.

We can cut them off to
create a singing coyote

with his face turned
toward the moon.

If you want a fantasy figurine,
we can cut the branches.

We can take a head from
here, a hand from here.

But this would be a
figure fantastic.

Only in the Zapotecan
mind and imagination.

Cutting up here there is
a tail of this fantasy animal,

here is the body and
the head would go up here.

But it's like nothing
that exists in this world.

It's a complete
Zapotecan fantasy.

In this town we
are all artisans.

We are proud to
demonstrate, to create,

to make these wood figurines.

It's income to the town.

But we make the fantasy
figurines from the heart.

Native desert plants have both
artistic and practical uses.

They call this kind the
Mexican Fence cactus.

It grows, sometimes it'll
grow in the U.S., not very well.

But it doesn't branch so
you can make them as tall

as you want, nothing
will get through.

I think the reason it's valued
is it tends not to branch,

it just sends up
these straight stalks.

So it uses very little space,
the space that a wall will take.

Oh, my goodness.

What are those?

Pitayo de mayo, isn't it.

It's appropriate.

This is May so it's
the pitayo of May.

And they're coming out.

And the fruits are there.

There is a beautiful bursera
tree and frankincense tree.

Another franc.

One of the tall ones.

Look how the exfoliation's here,

these little piece of bark
rustle in the wind.

It's a charming
part of the tree.

I think maybe that's
the signal that

the fiesta is about to begin.

That's right.

We are now in
San Martin Tilcajete,

a typical Oaxacan town
and gets his name because

of the presence of a cajete,
that is a hole in the ground.

The cajete was a water
source and this old man

was telling us that there
was a big flow of water

coming out of the cajete
and this place was

an enchanted place that
provided all sorts of

good things for the town.

The cajete was guarded by
a demon, a good demon.

And as time passed and
new generations became

less and less respectful,
the water source dried

and now they only have
the cajete and a small well

where they still get some
water but never as before.

There is a lot of
exchange, social exchange,

food exchange, forget all
the offenses and so on.

It's a great event for the town.

This is the Dia de la Santa
Cruz, the Holy Cross Day.

These tamales are so
fresh that they're hot.

Hot enough to burn me.

But ah, inside we see beans,
the black beans of Oaxaca,

and a very fragrant
herb called epazote.

It's used with beans and
to spice a lot of things.

It's a very distinct taste.

It's used all over Mexico
but in Oaxaca they use it

in great quantities and it
makes for a distinctive flavor.

Very Oaxacan and delicious.

The corn that made those
delicious tamales

is often bought at local
markets like this one,

in Ocatlán where you can find
just about anything

you can imagine.

Including the cactus
fruit called pitaya.

I could easily eat 20 of these.

All right, here goes.

Mmmm.

Oh.

On a hot day, when
you're really thirsty,

there's nothing better than
pitaya than to slake

your thirst, maybe followed
by a little mezcal,

of Oaxacan vintage. I'll go for
the pitaya.

Yes, I'll go for the pitaya.

The heart of every Mexican
town is it's market space

and it's been that way
for thousands of years.

More than goods and
food are exchanged.

The air is full of gossip,
proposals, ideas and politics.

I wonder if there's a
demand for hats here.

You don't think I
need a new hat do you?

Well, you need a Oaxacan hat.

I've never tried on a
donkey stomach hat.

It really is too big, is it not?

It is too big, yes.

It's a shame.

I've always wanted a
donkey's belly hat but,

yeah.

I'm going to
stick with my own.

You found the perfect
excuse, David.

That's right.

It is.

That's a neat hat, though.

I heard that for Ocatlan
here, people come from

as much as 50 miles away
every week to bring

their stuff to sell.

And there's a gob of it.

They do so and you can
see the amazing diversity

of fruits, textiles,
different sombreros,

hats, and different
products around.

Just these bags of
de con ciruelas,

there's nothing like that
in the United States.

Here in Oaxaca, there are
marketplaces in each town

on a different day of the week.

And so Ocatlán here is
on Friday and everybody comes

from miles around to
see their friends.

Yes.

Tomorrow is Oaxaca.

D. H. Lawrence wrote about the
Oaxaca market and he said

it was the perfect excuse to
allow the intermingling

of social classes
without any suspicion.

Oh, my.

This is clear,
beautiful bread.

Very nicely done.

And very fresh.

I guess they make
it every morning.

For sure.

Ah, the bees, the
honeybees love the honey on the.

It should be very sweet.

Yeah.

I think maybe I'll
stay far away.

On special days in larger
cities like Oaxaca,

the market spills out onto
the sidewalks and even

onto the steps of churches.

Dia de la Santa Cruz, the
Holy Cross Day, the third of May

is a major celebration
throughout Mexico.

And in major cities like
Oaxaca they set up these

wonderful flower markets because
people will dress the cross

in their homes honoring
the cross, the holy cross.

It's a special day also, it's a
major day for the brick masons.

Brick masons have taken
as their symbol the holy cross.

This flower just seems
to be everywhere

for the Day of the Cross.

I know we call it frangipan,
what's it called down here.

Down here it's called
cacalosuchi or sucheal.

Cacalosúchil.

Yes.

That's a great name.

There's plenty unusual in Oaxaca
but the food is as different

and as far as I can
tell is as good as any,

I mean, here's a
display of. Amazing.

How many different chiles?

They say that there are about
100 different kinds of chiles.

All a different flavor.

Yes.

And that can be prepared in all
sorts of combinations too.

Here's several right here.

Oh, gosh.

Frijol negro, black bean.

Frijoles negros, that's right.

And then they make, what's,
mole negro, the black mole.

Yes, there is mole negro.

You know that Itolo Calvino,
this famous Italian writer

used to say that Oaxaca
culinary expression with

100 different kinds of
chile and a lot of time

to explore and roast
them and mix them.

And each one has its own
little essential flavor,

slightly different
from any other.

And Calvino says and that will
create fountains of ecstasies.

I agree with that.

That fountain of ecstasy
that Alberto mentioned

is exemplified in chocolate.

Judging from the smell,
what do you think it is?

Well, it smells like
chocolate to me.

I think we're near the chocolate
center of the universe.

Let's go in here.

So here we have the product of
another native plant of Mexico.

Chocolate.

Cacao.

Cacao.

So this is a box
full of money.

Did you know that cacao
was used as currency

by the ancient Mexican cultures.

This is as valuable
as gold, huh?

That's right.

So this is a piece of
cinnamon that's added

and this is the almonds
that they grind up

to make what they call the
almondrado or the almond flavor.

This first stage in the
mill mixes the chocolate

and grinds it with
almonds and cinnamon

but not with the sugar.

The original chocolate
was not mixed with sugar.

Then it comes out as a
semi-liquid and it's mixed

with the sugar and
they then process it

through further mills to
come with the product

that we see for sale over
here on the counter.

And this is the real chocolate
as, with sugar in it,

that existed since
the time of the Spaniards.

Mmmm.

Delicious, David.

It's food for the gods.

It's amazing.

It's bitter, it has
not sugar in it.

But it still has that
addicting power of chocolate.

We can't convey the
aroma, the smell,

the overpowering smell of
chocolate and it affects

some center in my brain
and I expect it affects almost

everybody's brain, forms and
addiction even without sugar.

Mmmm.

Oh, that, that hurts good.

Mole, a sort of gravy
made with chocolate,

is just one of the many
delicious native foods

found on the sojado,
the town plaza.

I know these are all
foods that originated

here in Oaxaca and
Puebla, beans,

corn, chile, avocado, squash.

But I must tell you, I don't
know what that is or that is.

Well, this is flor de calabaza,

is the flower of the
squash that is prepared

in several different ways
here in this region.

It's delicious.

But what's that.

These are chapulines.

Chapulines are grasshoppers.

I'm supposed to
eat grasshoppers.

Oh, they are delicious.

You should try them.

They are eaten in this region
and all through central Mexico.

But Oaxaca is the
central place for that.

And not only chapulines, you
should try gusanos and bagay.

You should try caterpillars
from the palo verde or manteco.

Ants.

Many, many different
ones are delicious.

Insects are as an
important part of the diet

as these other things?

Insects were an essential
part of the diet.

All right, I'll try them.

This once.

And they've got chile on them.

A little bit.

Tastes like something
strange with chile on it.

And salt.

I love them.

Actually, they're not bad.

I really like them.

Here's a leg.

I haven't had a chance
to have a leg yet.

Tastes like chicken.

There are many places in
the world to get great food.

But if you want to try food that
has founded civilizations

and is still available, you
need to come to the valleys

of southern Mexico,
especially Puebla and Oaxaca.

This is really
very, very good.

Next time on The Desert Speaks ,

we're off to the Four Corners
region to find markers

from ancient solar calendars.

Seeing these relics on just the
right day offers glimpses

of the artistic life of some of
the first Americans.

The edge of this
rock can be aligned

with those standing
stones that we've seen.

.like Pueblo Bonito, you
look at the rock there.

Of course getting there
can be half the fun.

So this is the sunken plaza.

Patio Hundido.

And I guess that this
was always where they

carry out some very
important ritual.

Major funding for The Desert
      Speaks was provided by

The Kemper and Ethel
Marley Foundation.

Additional funding was provided
by Desert Program Partners.