Specialty Shopping in Huatulco: La Probadita

Where to find all the traditional Oaxacan products Huatulco has to offer

Located in La Crucecita, this women owned and operated specialty boutique offers the perfect one stop shop for any traveling tourist looking for an authentic souvenir. Although it was once considerably smaller, the store has grown both in size and in overall product variety, making it an ideal spot to pick up a few keepsakes.

Mescal

La Probadita offers a wide variety of mescal, an alcoholic beverage made from the heart of the maguey plant, native to Oaxaca. This beverage, traditionally taken as a shot, is truly a Mexican drink. A quick breakdown of the available types can be seen in the chart below:

Crema de Mezcal

Also available are the wide varieties of Crema de Mezcal, as the name suggests these alcoholic beverages have a much creamier consistency than the above mentioned mescals. A bottle will cost you around 170 pesos and they come in a wide variety of flavors. Some of the more popular flavors are Cappuccino, Piña Colada, and Mocha (similar to Baileys liqueur). Other varieties include Blueberry, Mango, Lemon, Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Peanut, Coconut, Cherry Blossom, Caramel, and Coffee.

Chocolate

If you’re looking for something sweet to follow a drink, the store offers a variety of home and factory made Oaxacan chocolates. This chocolate offers a unique flavor and texture. It is a quite grainy in consistency and the chocolate flavor is more muted than we’re used to in the US or Canada. Several flavors of chocolate are available to choose from including vanilla, milk chocolate, mocha and dark chocolate. The ‘traditional’ Oaxacan chocolate flavor contains cinnamon and almond. The chocolate is sold in balls, bars and chips. In terms of price you can expect to pay around $6 for half a kilo of factory made chocolate. The homemade chocolates, not surprisingly, cost a little more going for about $12 for half a kilo, you pay extra for organically grown products and smaller scale production.

Mole

Another very traditional item available at La Probadita is Mole, the name given to this unique Oaxacan sauce. Mole is a thick consistency, much like a paste. It has an impressive list of ingredients; 7 types of chiles, bananas, pears, apples, cinnamon, chocolate, tomatoes, onions, garlic, plain cookies, spices, sesame seeds, almonds, raisins and peanuts. Despite the long list of ingredients the mole comes in just two flavors, Red (hot) and Black (sweet). The only differences being, in Red Mole there are more chiles and less chocolate, while in Black Mole there are less chiles and more chocolate. The price for a kilo of either variety will cost around $10.

Grasshoppers

If you’re feeling particularly daring you can even pick up a jar of grasshoppers for a mere $10, an ideal item to bring out at your next social gathering! These tasty local treats are cooked/fried in lime juice and salt and are quite good (once you get over the idea of putting a grasshopper in your mouth). They offer a really unique flavor and texture and are definitely something different to bring home with you!!

After perusing this specialty shop, grab a bite at the local acclaimed restaurant, Terra Cotta

La Probadita offers a diverse selection of true Oaxacan products that are the perfect way to take home a little taste of Huatulco, Mexico to share with your friends and family.