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Memelas

3.3

(4)

Photo of five memelas on a plate topped with salsa fresca and queso fresco with a bowl of salsa fresca on the side.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

I didn't grow up eating fluffy pancakes on weekends. I grew up eating memelas. They are griddled masa disks that get a little crispy on the edges but stay tender on the inside. Instead of eating syrup, I ate bean paste. And instead of adding fresh fruit compote, I opted for salsa and queso fresco. Memelas defined the childhood of me and my siblings. We’ve been eating them since before I can remember, and to this day it is one of the first meals we have when traveling back to Oaxaca. Some of my favorites are found inside the mercado in Mitla, served by a woman named Flavia.

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