Chochoyotes: what they are and how to make them step by step

What is it?

Chochoyotes are small balls of nixtamalised dough with a central hollow made with the finger, cooked directly in moles, broths and stews to absorb flavour and add a soft texture. They are traditional to Oaxaca, where they accompany mole amarillo, pumpkin-seed mole, segueza, chicken broth and various Zapotec and Mixtec stews. The word chochoyote comes from the Nahuatl xoxoyotl or from Zapotec, depending on the region. Their characteristic shape (a flattened ball with a hollow) serves a practical purpose: the hollow increases the cooking surface and allows the chochoyote to absorb more of the broth or sauce it cooks in. They are an example of Mexican maize cookery at its most versatile: the same dough that produces tortillas, tamales and tlacoyos is transformed here into small dumplings that enrich slow-cooked stews.

Origin and history

Chochoyotes are a product of the pre-Hispanic and colonial cooking of Mesoamerica, developed above all in Oaxaca and parts of Veracruz. Their tradition is documented in colonial recipe books and in the oral know-how of Zapotec and Mixtec cooks. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún mentions variants of dough balls cooked in broths as part of everyday Mexica cooking, though without naming them specifically. The name chochoyote appears in Mexican dictionaries and recipe books of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, always associated with Oaxacan cuisine. Larousse Cocina and the Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana document chochoyotes as a key ingredient of mole amarillo and other festive stews of the state. In contemporary cooking, Mexican chefs such as Alejandro Ruiz, Olga Cabrera and Pilar Cabrera (all linked to Oaxaca) have revalorised them on the menus of premium restaurants, bringing them to international audiences. The traditional cooks of the Mercado 20 de Noviembre and the Mercado de la Merced in Oaxaca prepare them daily.

Characteristic ingredients

Making chochoyotes starts with nixtamalised dough (from white, yellow or blue maize, depending on the recipe and region). The dough is mixed with a little pork lard or asiento (finely chopped chicharrón) and salt, which gives them flavour and keeps their texture after cooking. Small balls are formed (1.5-2.5 cm in diameter) and a hollow is made in the centre with the index finger, pressing until almost piercing through. The hollow is functional: it increases the surface area, helps them cook evenly and allows the chochoyote to soak up the stew it will cook in. Chochoyotes are cooked directly in the hot broth or sauce of the dish (mole amarillo, beef broth, segueza, pumpkin-seed mole): they are added to the pot and simmered for 8-12 minutes until they float and are cooked through. Regional variants include plain chochoyotes (just dough and salt), with asiento (chicharrón), with lard or with fresh cheese. In Veracruz and Puebla there are variants known as chochoyones or ombliguitos de masa. Each has a slightly different texture, but they all share the same culinary function.

Cultural significance

Chochoyotes are a heritage ingredient of Oaxacan cuisine, one of the most celebrated cuisines in Mexico and the world. Oaxacan cooking forms part of traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010. Within the Oaxacan gastronomic system, chochoyotes accompany festive and everyday dishes alike: Zapotec weddings, patron saint festivals in the villages of the Sierra Norte and the Central Valleys, and Sunday family meals. Mole amarillo with chochoyotes is one of the seven traditional Oaxacan moles and a typical dish at celebrations. Oaxaca's traditional cooks, organised in groups such as the Cocinera Tradicional Zapoteca, are the guardians of chochoyote know-how and prepare them at gastronomic festivals such as the Guelaguetza and the Feria del Mezcal. In contemporary cooking, restaurants such as Origen, Pitiona, Casa Oaxaca and Los Danzantes present them to international diners, showcasing the versatility and technique of Mexican maize.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a chochoyote and a dumpling?

The chochoyote is a ball of nixtamalised maize dough with a central hollow, native to Oaxacan cooking. European or Asian dumplings are made with wheat or rice flour. The chochoyote is specifically Mesoamerican, tied to native maize and to the system of stews such as mole amarillo. Its nixtamalised dough gives a flavour and texture impossible to replicate with wheat flour.

What do chochoyotes taste like?

They taste of toasted maize with gentle notes, lightly salted and enriched with lard or asiento. The texture is soft inside and slightly firm outside. As they cook in the stew (mole amarillo, broth, segueza), they absorb the flavours of the dish and integrate perfectly into its overall taste. They are the stew's accomplices, not its protagonists.

How are chochoyotes cooked?

Mix nixtamalised dough with a little lard and salt. Form balls of about 2 cm and make a hollow in the centre with your finger. Add them directly to the hot stew or broth (mole amarillo, chicken broth, segueza). Let them simmer for 8-12 minutes until they float to the surface, the sign that they are fully cooked. They are served in the same dish.

Where do chochoyotes come from?

Chochoyotes originate from Oaxaca, especially the Central Valleys and the Sierra Norte, where they form part of traditional Zapotec, Mixtec and mestizo cooking. Their use is documented in nineteenth-century Mexican recipe books and remains alive in the kitchens of villages such as Etla, Zaachila, Mitla, Ocotlán, Tlacolula and various communities of the Oaxacan Sierra Norte.