Oaxaca Seasonal Food: What to Eat by Season 2026

What is in season in Oaxaca, and what to order when the market changes.

Next up in Oaxaca

Dia de Muertos

28 Oct to 4 NovPan de muerto, mole negro, chocolate

Spring

Chiles de agua: The light-green chile is the only chile genuinely endemic to the Valles Centrales of Oaxaca, in season March to June and at peak in Mercado de Abastos stalls.
Escamoles: The ant larvae (caviar of the desert) appear in late spring at Mercado de Abastos and Mercado Benito Juarez, expensive (over 1000 pesos a kilo) and brief.
Jumiles: The stink-bug-shaped insects appear in March around Cuilapan and Zaachila, traditionally eaten live in tacos or ground into salsa.
Mango Manila and Ataulfo: Pacific-coast mango season runs March through June, with the Manila and Ataulfo varieties dominating Mercado de Abastos.

Chapulines: Grasshoppers are eaten year-round but peak summer through autumn, when they come in size-graded (small, medium, large) bags from Miguel Cabrera vendors at the Mercado Benito Juarez.
Cuitlacoche: The corn smut delicacy peaks in the rainy summer months (July-September) on Sierra Sur and Etla criollo-corn fields, served at Itanoni and Casa Oaxaca.
Flor de calabaza: Squash blossom is at its peak in summer, served in quesadillas, memelas and the Itanoni rainbow-maize tlayudas in Reforma.
Wild mushrooms (Sierra Norte): July to September rainy-season mushrooms (clavito, panza, hongo de pino) appear at Suculenta and Itanoni from Sierra Norte gatherers.

Pan de muerto: From late October the Mercado Sanchez Pascuas and the Carmelita bakeries on Morelos sell pan de muerto, an egg-yolk-rich loaf for Dia de Muertos altars.
Mole negro: Mole negro is the season's headline for the Dia de Muertos table, made at every comedor with chilhuacle negro, chocolate, sesame, almonds and 25-plus other ingredients.
Chiles en nogada: In season from late July through October, served at Los Danzantes, Casa Oaxaca and other Andador rooms during patriotic season.
Cempasuchil (marigold): The marigold flower fills the markets and altars from mid-October, with petals used to dye and flavour traditional breads at the Day of Dead.

Romeritos en mole: Seepweed in mole negro is a Christmas-week tradition, with the bitter green served at Casa Oaxaca, La Olla and family Christmas tables across the city.
Bacalao Vizcaina: Spanish-tradition Christmas bacalao (salt cod stewed in tomato, capers, olives) is served at Asador Vasco, La Olla and family tables on December 24.
Buñuelos and atole: The Christmas and Three Kings buñuelos (fried dough on plates that buyers smash for luck) and atole de granillo run at the Posadas through December and early January.
Radish carvings: The Noche de Rabanos winter festival on December 23 brings massive oversized radish carvings to the Zocalo, with totomoxtle and flor inmortal competition categories.