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Tejate

What: This pre-Hispanic drink, made of ground mamey seeds, corn, cacao, rosita de cacao (a flower), and water, is served cold, with a frothy white layer of foam floating on top (the ladies serving us explained it as the “grasa de cacao”—the fat of the chocolate). This is a fascinating, ancient way of experiencing Oaxaca’s famous chocolate tradition. It tastes of chocolate in a chalky, not-sweet way, and is surprisingly appealing. Per Aztec tradition, this is “the drink of the gods”—and how often do you get to sip on that?

Where: We sampled our superhuman beverage in the labyrinthine Mercado Abastos (betw. Calle Mercaderes and the periférico, map) for 7p.

Alternatively: Look for this in other markets. The chilacayote vendor in Mercado Benito Juárez (Miguel Cabrera at Las Casas, map), for one, also sells tejate.