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By Alfredo Espinola
Patricia Guadalupe Flores Martinez y Ana Laura Guzman Medina
Oaxacan gastronomy is recognized worldwide for the diversity of flavors and ingredients that make up its dishes and that accompany its customs and traditions. For this reason, the culinary art of Oaxacan origin is considered a cultural heritage of humanity.
To the delight of the inhabitants and visitors of Mexico City, we can find a corner of Oaxaca in the restaurant La Nueva Guelaguetza. We had the pleasure of talking with Manuel Alejandro Maldonado Flores, one of the partners of the establishment, who told us a little about the history of the restaurant.
The New Guelaguetza was founded 65 years ago. Those responsible were his grandparents, Diodoro Maldonado Colmenares and his wife Olga de los Santos, originally from Tlacolula Matamoros. Always together, they began with the sale of Oaxacan products house to house, which later led to the opening of an inn that offered typical Oaxacan food. The success of Mrs. Olga de los Santos' seasoning and recipes led to the opening of a restaurant called El Cielo Oaxaqueño.
In 1985 an earthquake struck Mexico City, and many emblematic establishments of the city were lost, including El Cielo Oaxaqueño. Don Diodoro, without losing his dream and showing great resilience, through hard work acquired another property, giving life to La Guelaguetza, which, in a literal sense, only changed its name because its flavors and its history remained the same.
Upon the death of Don Diodoro and later his wife, Doña Olga, they left their children in charge, who in turn, upon retiring, decided to sell the property, bequeating the gastronomic legacy to their grandchildren and nephew Manuel Alejandro Maldonado Flores, Luis Enrique Maldonado Cano and Lauro Guzmán de the Saints. They created La Nueva Guelaguetza, as it is known today.
The Legacy Continues
Lauro Guzman de los Santos, Luis Enrique Maldonado Cano, y Manuel Alejandro Maldonado Flores
Manuel Alejandro along with his partners continue with the family tradition, offering their diners their dishes with the original recipes, but with a touch of modernism in the plating and building an atmosphere with the decoration, which transports you to the state of Oaxaca.
The new Guelaguetza is a restaurant with very comforting facilities, warm attention from its staff and food that satisfies the most demanding palates.
But not everything is rosy. La Nueva Guelaguetza, like everyone else, suffered the ravages of the pandemic, which forced them to look for new ways to continue standing. They tried using a third-party delivery app, but due to the type of food, many customers complained that the food did not match what they expected in the restaurant. So they created a WhatsApp group with frequent customers and started making deliveries directly using their own cars. The service in the restaurant was reduced to five tables with a system of appointments based on schedules; that is, people arrived, ate and immediately left when they finished, avoiding sitting on the table. Between the deliveries and the smaller dining room, they stayed afloat. “The families of the employees we have depend on us and that is why we implemented this system,” says Alejandro.
Why Visit La Nueva Guelaguetza?
Throughout its 65 years of existence, a bond has been created with customers, who are considered friends. Many regular visitors came with their children, and today, those children are the ones who visit it with their new generations.
Taste their traditional dishes, prepared with raw materials brought from Oaxaca; savoring the recipes of "Doña Olga" with that touch of origin, is a real pleasure.
During your visit, you can enjoy its star dish, the black mole; as well as grasshoppers, tlayudas, guacamole, Oaxacan chorizo, tazajo, enchilada pork jerky. Or, you can drink a mezcal accompanied by homemade worm salt, a Donaji cocktail, (named after a Oaxacan princess), or savor a delicious horchata water. On weekends you can find a delicious buffet.
Today, La Nueva Guelaguetza has two branches and plans to expand, but it has always preserved its essence and flavor so typical of Oaxacan gastronomy.
THE DATA: The term Guelaguetza is derived from the Zapotec word guendalezaa which means "offering, present or fulfillment". It is one of the most popular traditions in the state of Oaxaca that is celebrated, year after year, in the month of July, with traditional dances, shows, cultural and sporting events.
Alfredo Espinola is a representative for el Restaurante magazine in Mexico City. Reach him at alfredo@elrestaurante.com