Cheeses of Oaxaca
The home of quesillo, the string cheese wound into balls, sold in every market and melted into tlayudas.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: October to March, the dry season; Guelaguetza is in July.
Oaxaca City lies in a high valley in southern Mexico, surrounded by villages that make mezcal, pottery and textiles. It is also the home of quesillo, the stretched cheese known elsewhere as queso Oaxaca. Long ribbons of curd are wound into balls the size of a fist or a melon and sold in every market, then pulled apart and melted onto tortillas.
Quesillo
Quesillo is a pasta filata cheese: cow's milk curd is soured, kneaded in hot water and pulled into long ribbons, which are salted and wound into a ball. It pulls apart in strings and melts smoothly. Villages in the Etla valley, north of the city, are especially known for making it. In Oaxaca, it fills tlayudas, quesadillas and empanadas.
Markets and food
The Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre markets in the centre sell quesillo, quesillo-filled snacks, chocolate, chapulines and moles. Village markets on set days, such as Etla's, bring in cheese from the valley dairies. Tlayudas, large crisp tortillas spread with asiento and beans and topped with quesillo, are grilled over charcoal in the evenings.
A trail idea for Oaxaca
- Benito Juárez market See balls of quesillo stacked at the dairy stalls.
- 20 de Noviembre market Eat at the grill passage and the market comedores.
- Etla valley Visit the villages that make quesillo, on their market day.
- Santo Domingo The church and gardens in the centre of the city.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Oaxaca City" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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