Dos Panteones/Two Cemeteries

Every village has a pantheon, a cemetery and each is different, reflecting the nature of the people in the village. Here are two distinctly different panteones in Oaxaca.  The first is from Tlacolula de Matamoros and the second from San Antonio Castillo Velasco. The first has trees over 500 hundreds old.  And in the second the people come out on Nov.3 to have a mass and to decorate the graves.  There is a competition for the best.  There music and family are always so gracious and friendly

Muertos Dia Dos(2)

Back to Teotitlan del Valle for mole negro, the traditional meal for the second day of Muertos.  And once again, we were so lucky to have Doña Emilia's incredible mole, which I always tell her is, "El mejor del mundo", "The best in the world."

It's not only the taste, but also, the texture and that amazing color.  A little mezcal, some tlayudas, a big bubbling cazuela of mole negro, no wonder the spirits come back.

Riquísimo!!

Very special tamales....

 

In Teotitlan del Valle, each day of Muertos has a different traditional meal that must be made.  Today, the first day, it is these incredible tamales amarillo.  They are wrapped in maiz criollo, fresh green leaves unlike the normal dry corn husks.  But what makes them so special is the masa, which is so smooth and silky.

 

They are small, just a few bites, so you can eat ten easily.... and the taste?  Just wow! I have written many times about Doña Emilia and what  an incredible maestra cook she is.  Tomorrow, it is mole negro and Emilia's is the absolute best in the world.  We'll be there for that.  So mas fotos mañana.