Anaheim Spotlight: Authentic Oaxacan Cuisine at “El Fortin”

Anaheim is a beautifully diverse city, with people hailing from all over the world. Not only do they bring their unique traditions and languages with them but also something very easy to share with others: their food!

Located in southwestern Mexico, the state of Oaxaca has a long history of tradition, nature, and flavor, which is what the founders of El Fortin Restaurant brought with them when they opened their location in Anaheim, California. With a rich history, authentic ingredients, and traditional offerings, El Fortin has everything you need for a delicious night out.

As a region of Mexico, Oaxacan cuisine reflects traditional staples while also including a local flair. A number of dishes rely on locally grown ingredients—including corn, chiles, and herbs—that can only be found regionally and have remained sustainable thanks to the state’s relatively isolated geographical location, including certain types of cebollin and marjoram.

Oaxacan cuisine also utilizes a number of different moles, or chili sauces. Frequently referred to as “ the land of the seven moles ,” Oaxaca takes the traditional styles of mole (amarillo, chichilo, coloradito, negro, manchamanteles, rojo, and verde) and expands upon them, incorporating things like native plants and grains, as well as a number of regional chilis, including pasilla Oaxaqueno and chihuacle.

Oaxacan culture is at the center of El Fortin, celebrating its 570 municipalities, 9,000 localities, and 16 linguistic groups in a way that only authentic food can. As El Fortin puts it, “In Oaxaca, you live to eat, and in California, you eat to live.”

El Fortin imports 100 percent of its ingredients from Oaxaca in order to create authentic dishes. Along with ingredients, they also offer a number of Oaxacan products, including chorizo, quesillo, chocolate, tlayudas, and totopos at all three of their locations, including Anaheim.

The menu at El Fortin offers a wide variety of Oaxacan dishes, including appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Many dishes use regional terms, so a helpful glossary explains what some dishes are, including ingredients, flavors, and spices.

Some of the more unique items on the menu include the popular Plato Especial, which includes fried plantains, and the Tasajo Con Nopalitos, which is served with a side of fresh cactus. You might consider starting off with the Quesadilla de Chapulines, which is stuffed with Oaxacan cheese and grasshoppers, or ordering the Oaxacan beverage Chilacayota, made using fresh pumpkin, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

With El Fortin and other restaurants providing so many unique flavors steeped in authentic tradition, Anaheim is a delicious place to live. If you’re searching for a new place to start your own traditions, Twin Pines Apartment Homes in Anaheim, California can help. Contact us today to learn more.