Oaxacu is most famous for their mole, but the humble tlayuda (pronounced tlah-yoo-dah) deserves some of the glory.
Some Oaxacu locals might object to them being called a pizza, though the street food staple has plenty in common with the Italian slice, bar a few variations.
First up is the base: a special tlayuda corn tortilla the size of a truck’s steering wheel (read: extra large). If we’re remaining entirely traditional, it then goes into clay comal (a type of griddle) until it’s so hot it can be brushed with asiento (lard) and topped with crumbly queso fresco. Then, it's finished with mashed refried beans or spicy beef, cabbage, and a touch of spicy salsa roja.
“Not all tlayudas are made the same. It should not have radishes or any other vegetables for that matter. A good one must be made out of corn and nothing else," explains one Mexico City tlayuda buff in a piece titled Mexican Tlayudas Are Better Than American Pizza.
Indeed, the original tlayuda ferried no vegetables but like all foods, has since been appropriated.
Peter Lew and Nicole Galloway will be serving them up at their soon to open Mexican eatery in Sydney’s Kings Cross. The couple, who ran taqueria and tequileria Barrio Chino at the Cross until it closed last January, have just taken over the Hugo’s Pizza Bar site across the road where they’ll be opening their new Mexican eatery in September.
“Nicole used to run Hugo’s Bar and Pizza – it’s actually where we met, so we have an emotional attachment to the site.” Lew says.
Unlike the Tex Mex menu at Barrio Chino, the new restaurant will be spotlighting regional Mexican cuisine from Tijuana to Oaxacu and beyond.
“We’re in the process of bringing out a chef from Mexico City. Mexican food is so varied depending on where you are. We always eat things over there and wonder why we can't get it at home,” Lew says.
The focus at the yet unnamed venue will be on seafood, with plenty of ceviche and grilled fish cooked over charcoals. And of course, there's the tlayudas, in a homage of sorts to the glory days of the Hugo’s Pizza site.
“Our tlayudas will be made with a corn masa base, so they’re gluten free. It’s generally crispier than a pizza, and not very doughy. And we’ve got a great supplier of Oaxacu cheese, which has a similar texture to mozzarella but a different taste.”
Lew says they’ll likely be featuring an al pastor (marinated pork) tlayuda, plus some seafood and vegetarian options.
“We think people are really going to love them.”
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