Chiles

Oaxaca has traditionally been home to a wealth of different chile varieties, especially ones raised for drying. The cuisine was known for a symphony of distinctive chile flavors, with cooks skillfully choosing and blending many kinds that are not grown in other parts of Mexico. I remember first coming to the great Benito Juárez market of Oaxaca City in 1985 and staring at whole arrays of red, yellow, or black dried chiles I had never seen before, realizing how much more I still had to learn about the classic Mexican spice.