Holy Week is fast approaching, and if you haven’t made plans yet, here’s one you’re sure to love, at least for the first weekend of the holiday season: a fair in Oaxaca!
On Sunday, March 29th, the first weekend of Holy Week, the 24th annual Tejate Fair will be held in San Andrés Huayápam, Oaxaca. This event celebrates and offers a taste of this “drink of the gods,” as the locals call it, and will confirm that Mexican culture is truly delicious.
The Oaxaca State Tourism Secretariat extends an invitation to this year’s fair, one of the state’s most emblematic gastronomic celebrations. This year alone, 88 producers are expected to participate.
“More than 88 producers will share the flavor and tradition of this ancestral beverage, known as the drink of the gods,” reads the press release.
In the invitation, local authorities encouraged residents and tourists to consume responsibly and avoid using plastics as much as possible, recommending that they bring their own cup and plate.
It’s worth remembering that Tejate is a beverage with a rich history behind its flavor, but above all, tradition. This is why it’s also known as the “drink of the gods” in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, where it’s popular and often used in planting and harvesting ceremonies. In fact, it’s believed to have been Moctezuma’s favorite drink.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, this beverage is pre-Hispanic; its name was cu’hub in Zapotec, but the name tejate, by which it’s known today, comes from Nahuatl and means “floured water.”
Tejate is a popular drink in Oaxaca used to refresh and quench thirst. All its ingredients are natural and local, but what truly sets it apart is the white foam that forms during preparation.
“The base of this refreshing thirst-quenching option is corn, cacao, mamey seed, and cacao flower. A white, lumpy foam, produced by the cacao flower, is easily visible on its surface,” explains the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
One of the charms of this beverage, which is about to celebrate its 24th edition at a fair, is its high nutritional value and health benefits, thanks to the properties of each ingredient. Consuming it can help you obtain calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc. Furthermore, its energy boost will surprise you.
Source: heraldodemexico
