Nieves

One of my goals each day in Oaxaca is to have a dish of two different nieves, a scoopable very icy frozen treat like sorbet. You can find nieves everywhere, on the streets, in stands in doorways, in the mercados. I have eaten many nieves but my favorites come from Chonita who has a stall in the Mercado 20 de noviembre. This sign shows all the nieves that Chonita makes and sells along with her son.

For me, the nieves of Chonita are the best because they are not too sweet. The balance of sugar and water or milk is very important for the taste and texture.

The challenge when selecting nieves for the day is to match two that complement each other. Some good combos are chocolate and coco, nuez (pecan) and cajeta (caramel), but the best, classic pairing is tuna (fruit of the prickly pear cactus, not to be confused with the fish) and leche quemada (burnt milk). Burning or toasting are characteristics of Oaxacan foods.