Tejate Doña Roberta Estilo San Marcos
DETAILS:
Location: 2646 S Mansfield Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90016 (in front of St. Agatha Catholic Church)
Hours of Operation: Weekends, typically between 1PM-7PM
Cost: $5 per cup of tejate. Cash only!
Parking: Street parking. Please observe any street signs.
Miscellaneous: While specializing in tejate, Dona Roberta’s stand also sells snacks, pastries, and empanadas de mole amarillo made on a flat top grill.
I firmly believe that a diverse community is always a strength and there’s no better melting pot than right here in Southern California. From Koreatown to Little Ethiopia to Olivera Street and all the other global enclaves in-between, a multitude of cultures are just waiting to be discovered as long as we’re willing to find them. And the best byproduct of this just might be all the amazing food and drink native to their respective countries. Case in point, the Oaxacan ceremonial drink called tejate.
Tejate can be traced back to pre-historic times and was so scared in tradition that the Aztecs often referred to it as the drink of the Gods. Fast-forward to the present and you’ll find this beverage still so revered and popular that a festival in its honor, Feria de Tajate, is held each year in the Oaxacan town of San Andres Huayapam. So I jumped at the opportunity to try a drink with this much legacy. Before we go any further, as a spoiler to all you lushes out there, tejate is non-alcoholic. But it’s full of nutrients, said to have restorative properties, and goes down pretty well on a warm, sunny day. On any day for that matter.
One of the few places you can find tejate outside of Oaxaca is at Tejate Doña Roberta Estilo San Marcos in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles. Doña Roberta runs her stand in front of a small church on most weekends and she’ll no doubt be in the midst of preparing another batch of this ancient libation when you arrive. The craftsmanship in which she operates is a sight to behold. She begins with a large bowl of masa that has been milled together with maze, cacao beans, mamey seeds, and the ingredient that gives tejate its signature taste; the rosita flower. She then spends the next ten minutes painstakingly kneading the masa as she slowly pours water into the mixture, kneading it over and over again until it finally transforms into a frothy, oatmeal-like liquid. She’ll ask you if you want it for here or to go. Definitely opt for “here” since she’ll serve it to you in a ceremonial jicara (instead of in a plastic cup if you ask for it “to go”), topping it off with a splash of sugar water to infuse it with a little sweetness.
I’m sure you’re wondering what it tastes like and I’ll fail you for a description because it’s literally like nothing I’ve ever tasted. But I can definitely relay that Doña Roberta’s concoction is thankfully more delicious than it looks because I’ll admit I was a little skeptical before trying it. Subtly chalky like pulverized meringue cookies with the distant flavor of chocolate milk, think of it as a remote cousin to horchata and you’ll get the vaguest sense of what to expect. Things like this are always best to experience for yourself. So go!
