Chochoyotes: masa dumplings sunk in Oaxacan stews

What is it?

Chochoyotes are small balls of nixtamalised masa with a central dimple made with the finger, cooked directly in moles, broths and stews to absorb flavour and provide soft texture. They are traditional of Oaxaca, where they accompany yellow mole, pumpkin-seed mole, segueza, chicken broth and various Zapotec and Mixtec stews. The word chochoyote comes from the Nahuatl xoxoyotl or from Zapotec, according to the region. Their characteristic shape (flattened ball with hole) serves a practical function: the hole increases the cooking surface and allows the chochoyote to better absorb the broth or sauce in which it is cooked. They are an example of Mexican maize cuisine as a versatile ingredient: the same masa that gives tortillas, tamales and tlacoyos is transformed here into small dumplings that enrich slow stews.

Origin and history

Chochoyotes are a product of pre-Hispanic and colonial Mesoamerican cuisine, particularly developed 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 Sahagun mentions variants of balls of masa cooked in broths as part of everyday Mexica cuisine, although without naming them specifically. The name chochoyote appears in Mexican dictionaries and recipe books of the 19th and 20th centuries, always associated with Oaxacan cuisine. Larousse Cocina and the Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy document that chochoyotes are a key ingredient of yellow mole and other festive stews of the state. In contemporary cuisine, Mexican chefs such as Alejandro Ruiz, Olga Cabrera and Pilar Cabrera (all linked to Oaxaca) have revalued them on menus of premium restaurants, bringing them to international audiences. The traditional cooks of the 20 de Noviembre Market and the Merced Market in Oaxaca prepare them daily.

Characteristic ingredients

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

Cultural significance

Chochoyotes are a heritage ingredient of Oaxacan cuisine, one of the most recognised cuisines in Mexico and the world. Oaxacan cuisine forms part of traditional Mexican cuisine, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010. In the Oaxacan gastronomic system, chochoyotes accompany festive and everyday dishes: Zapotec weddings, patronal festivities in towns of the Sierra Norte and the Central Valleys, Sunday family meals. Yellow mole with chochoyotes is one of the seven traditional Oaxacan moles and a typical dish at celebrations. Traditional Oaxacan cooks, grouped in organisations such as the Cocinera Tradicional Zapoteca, are guardians of the know-how of chochoyotes and prepare them at gastronomic festivals such as the Guelaguetza and the Mezcal Fair. In contemporary cuisine, restaurants such as Origen, Pitiona, Casa Oaxaca and Los Danzantes present them to international diners, showing 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 masa with a central dimple, characteristic of Oaxacan cuisine. European or Asian dumplings are made with wheat or rice flour. The chochoyote is specifically Mesoamerican, linked to native maize and to the system of stews such as yellow mole. Its nixtamalised masa gives a flavour and texture impossible to replicate with wheat flour.

What do chochoyotes taste like?

They taste of toasted maize with soft notes, slightly salty and enriched with lard or asiento. The texture is soft inside and slightly firm outside. As they cook in the stew (yellow mole, broth, segueza), they absorb flavours from the dish, integrating perfectly with the general flavour. They are accomplices of the stew, not protagonists.

How are chochoyotes cooked?

Nixtamalised masa is mixed with a little lard and salt. Balls about 2 cm are formed, and a hole is made in the centre with the finger. They are added directly to the hot stew or broth (yellow mole, chicken broth, segueza). They are left to cook for 8 to 12 minutes until they float on the surface, a sign that they are fully cooked. They are served on the same plate.

Where do chochoyotes come from?

Chochoyotes are originally from Oaxaca, especially from the Central Valleys and the Sierra Norte, where they form part of Zapotec, Mixtec and traditional mestizo cuisine. Their use is documented in 19th-century Mexican recipe books and is kept alive in the kitchens of towns such as Etla, Zaachila, Mitla, Ocotlan, Tlacolula and various communities of the Oaxacan Sierra Norte.