Salt, Smoke and the Night Markets of Oaxaca

Oaxaca does not so much feed you as initiate you. By the third day I had eaten grasshoppers with lime, learned that there are at least seven moles worth arguing about, and been gently corrected on how to sip mezcal (kiss it, don't shoot it).

Pasillo de Humo

Inside Mercado 20 de Noviembre there is a corridor of smoke. You buy raw meat — tasajo, chile-rubbed lamb, lamb sausage — from one stall, hand it to a grill master, and a few minutes later it arrives charred and glistening with tortillas, grilled spring onions and salsa. Sit at the long communal tables and you will be talking to strangers within minutes.

The tlayuda ladies of Calle Libres

After 9 p.m., follow your nose to Calle Libres, where women fold oversized tortillas around seasoned lamb, black beans, quesillo and cabbage, then press them over open coals. It is the best two dollars you will spend in Mexico.

A mezcal primer

1. Espadín — the most common agave, approachable and bright.
2. Tobalá — wild, small, floral; rarer and pricier.
3. Tepextate — takes up to 25 years to mature. Taste it slowly.

Visit a palenque in Santiago Matatlán to see agave hearts roasted in earthen pits. The smoke you taste in the glass starts here.

Practical notes

• Stay in Jalatlaco, a colourful barrio of murals and quiet cafés.
• Come for Día de Muertos (late October to early November) if you can book well ahead.
• Spanish helps, but a smile and ¿qué me recomienda? go further.