Friday, June 23rd, 2023
By Jessica Hernández
Known as the drink of the gods, tejate is the traditional elixir of Oaxaca. It is made from corn, cocoa, mamey bone, and cocoa flower. It is characterized by a lumpy foam formed by the cocoa flower.
Tejate originates in pre-Hispanic times, in the region of the central valleys, it was drunk in planting and harvest ceremonies. Its name in the Zapotec language is cu’hub, however, it is currently known as tejate, a word that comes from Nahuatl and means floury water (“textli”/dough and “atl”/water).
Thanks to the hard work of the Oaxacan women, especially from the community of San Andrés Huayapam, this delicious drink was not lost, its recipe was preserved by oral inheritance during the different generations from its creation to the present. Currently, every year the traditional tejate fair is held in this community, where Oaxacan women dedicated to the elaboration of this drink are placed in their stalls with their clay jars where the tejate is ready to be tasted by the thousands of local and foreign people who come to this tradition.
If you are passing through the state, we recommend you try this refreshing drink that will transport you to ancient times, then you will understand why it is called the drink of the gods, its flavor and texture really make it worthy of the name.
