The Authenticity Trap: Food Tourism in Oaxaca, Mexico

Since the concept of authenticity is so abstract, I chose to focus on three sub-questions.

How do visitors, restaurateurs and locals feel about eating chapulines (grasshopers)?

How do traditional Oaxacan foods, like mole, serve as historical artifacts?

What is the relationship between street food vendors and upscale dining options? 

For my research I conducted observational research, interviews and documentary photography.

In order to get a wide sample, I kept interviews short and spoke with as many street food vendors, tourists, tourism officials and local people as possible.

It is often thought that we love what we know, and we protect what we love. Applying this logic to Oaxaca, food tourism offers the potential to increase understanding and protection of traditional culinary methods. Not surprisingly, however, tourism also brings an array of challenges.

In general, I found it difficult to encounter staunch opposition to tourism among the people I spoke with. Many people, from vendors, to tourist officials to hotel workers and local people praised the tourism industry. Most of the people I spoke with benefited directly from tourism or may have downplayed the harms of tourism. Tourism is the second largest industry in the city, and its economic impact is important. Although foreign tourism has soared, national tourists remain the largest segment of visitors in Oaxaca.

To gain a more holistic picture, I relied on observation. Graffiti messages in public spaces expressed opposition to development. The threat and impacts of gentrification in the historic center are apparent. Most interesting is the way in which entrepreneurs and authorities construct authenticity to attract tourists.

The Centro Gastronomica de Oaxaca is an interesting example of this. This brand new food-hall style restaurant serves food from the eight regions of Oaxaca. The restaurant is built in the former Convento de las Carmelitas Descalzas. The establishment caters towards wealthy tourists. Follow up research revealed resistance to the building of this restaurant from locals, particularly those who own stalls in the city's older markets.

Concerning my first subquestion, I confirmed that the politics around who eats chapulines (grasshoppers) and why are complicated. Chapulines remain a common snack which people sell at all of the local markets. At upscale restaurants, chapulines are often served as a garnish or appetizer. Most tourists I spoke with tasted the insect during their time in Oaxaca. (The food was in season during my trip.) Although many tourists do seem to eat chapulines "on a dare" it's difficult to gauge whether this exposure to new food has negative consequences.

In response to my second question, I found that food certainly acts as a terrific evidence for historical changes in the city. Increased food tourism has led restaurants to embrace traditional cooking techniques. Foods like mole provide evidence of Pre-Colombian culture, as well as the ways in which colonization has altered cuisine.

Regarding my third question on street food, I found that street food is a major reason for many tourists to visit Oaxaca. Most online recommendations for where tourists should eat contain a variety of establishments at different price points. This is largely because street food has and remains a staple of Mexican cuisine. What one tourist official told me is that Oaxaca's street food is much more than tacos. Tacos are one of the most common street foods in the country, but in Oaxaca, they are only one item among many.

Netflix shows, like Street Food Latin America, have played a vital role in increasing the popularity of these foods among foreigners.

• Developed research skills in Spanish
• Experience with documentary photography
• Gained a better understanding of the cultural landscape of Oaxaca
• Gained confidence in solving problems while abroad