It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Oaxaca City on my first visit to this charming colonial town. There is no question that Oaxaca is for food lovers. The options for delicious eats seems limitless. So many amazing street vendors, restaurants, and mercados. After four days of non-stop eating, I still felt like there was so much more to consume. And to my surprise not only does Oaxaca have great savory food, it also has a sweet tooth that might rival my own. Here are five desserts you shouldn’t miss when visiting Oaxaca City.
Raspados in the Zócolo
Take a break from the heat to enjoy a piña raspado in the Zócolo as you watch the buzzing city around you. Raspados (shaved ice) come in a range of fruit and classic Mexican flavors that are poured over the shaved ice. You can add sweetened condensed milk or lemon and chili as toppings. There are so many raspados vendors around this square just pick the one that speaks to you and enjoy your icy treat.
Meringue Treats
Walking the vibrant streets of Oaxaca, I came across the street-food stand of my dreams. This sweets cart was filled with beautiful treats with creamy centers and meringue tops. I got the meringue with rainbow sprinkles and pink wafers and (not pictured) the casquito, a small, crispy pie shell filled with meringue and topped with pink sugar. You can find regional sweets of the baked and fried varieties all around Oaxaca City just about any day of the year, but it’s during festival weeks that these treats take center stage.
Flan
I always have and always will be a lover of flan. I do acknowledge though that it is one of those things like coconut or cilantro that people either love or hate. Being in the love camp I was so excited to find an all flan based dessert cart on the street between the Zócolo and the Mercado de 20 Noviembre. This sweet girl was selling every form and flavor of flan you could dream up. If you spot her and you love flan, be sure to stop for a treat.
Pastries from Boulenc
Boulenc sells fresh baked bread, pastries, and pizza in the heart of the city. I didn’t expect to find myself here because I generally tend to want to eat things unique to the region, but I received so many recommendations I had to see what all the hype was about. The pastries were on par with some of the best I’ve had. If you love carbs as much as I do, Boulenc is the spot for you.
Helado (ice cream)
Because you can never have too much ice cream you should enjoy it whenever possible. From a ice cream man pushing a cart filled with ice and small batches of home made ice cream or from a storefront like Museo de Nieves Manolo for a scoop of their signature manolo flavor.
Sweet Somethings: