Almost on every block, visitors can find a place that sells food ? from tiny street stalls that offer tortilla wraps or fruit, or simple eateries to restaurants with local and international dishes on the menu. Even the most budget-minded traveler will not search for a long time. In fact, it is more difficult to find expensive restaurants in Oaxaca, especially where prices reflect quality. Food from market kitchens is generally safe but those in doubt may prefer one of the many inexpensive restaurants. For self-catering, there are plenty of markets, but supermarkets are less common and with a limited choice.

Mole is the Oaxaca specialty. The spicy thick sauce based chile comes in three varieties: negro (black) made on real chocolate, amarillo (yellow) which gets its color from the chayote vegetable, and coloradito (red) because of tomatoes. Moles are usually served with chicken. Other typical food includes tamales, which is a kind of corn paste wrapped in banana leaves. Tamales can be spicy or sweet depending on the ingredients. Worth a try for the more daring are the chapulines: fried grasshoppers spiced with chili and lemon, served as a snack, with guacamole or sometimes as a pizza topping.