Ask those in the know about global food trends and, undoubtedly, one of their answers will be “Modern Mexican.” Paying tribute to the complex and, in many cases, ancient food traditions of Mexican cooking, chefs are upping standards and price tags by taking classic ingredients and time-tested recipes and giving them a fresh, fine dining-oriented spin. Of course, Mexico City is at the epicenter of the movement, with Pujol, Quintonil, MeroToro and countless others drawing in diners from all over the globe.

But modern Mexican has also taken the rest of the world by storm, notably in the United States. In New York, Enrique Olvera’s Cosme has appeared on countless best lists and won numerous awards. Rick Bayless’ restaurants in Chicago continue to hold strong, and unsurprisingly, Southern California is home to several excellent options, such as Carlos Salgado’s Taco María in Orange County (not a taco shop) and Ray Garcia’s Los Angeles hot spot Broken Spanish.

Perhaps most telling, though, is Hoja Santa, a Mexican fine dining restaurant in Barcelona. Albert Adrià, of Adrià brothers and El Bulli fame, teamed up with Mexico City native Paco Méndez in 2014 to make modern Mexican a reality in a city often lauded for its food culture. Unlike the United States, the relationship between Mexico and Spain, in general, is a bit more tenuous; the two countries’ only modern connection has been that refugees from Spain’s civil war in the 1930s were generously taken in by Mexico. Both Adrià and Méndez were scandalized by the commodification and disrespect shown to Mexican food around the world, and so set out to do in Spain what Rick Bayless had done in the United States. Even more telling is that they named the restaurant Hoja Santa: a heart-shaped, aromatic herb commonly used for cooking in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. What they knew — and the world was waking up to — was that Oaxaca had long been considered the epicenter of Mexico’s traditional food culture.

Known as “The Land of the Seven Moles”, Oaxaca’s cooking history originates from its strong indigenous roots; notably from the Zapotec and Mixtec tribes, which continue to thrive today. Many of Oaxaca’s most popular dishes, mole, tamales in banana leaves, tlayudas, for example, are from these traditions. The cuisine’s use of cacao, hoja santa, agave, corn, black beans, and the smoky chile pasilla Oaxaqueño, which is grown only in the state, can also be traced back to pre-colonial times. Theirs is a tradition of resourcefulness and creativity: insects have a rightful place at the table, be it seasoned grasshoppers called chapulines; chicatanas, which are giant winged ants; or sal de gusano, otherwise affectionately known as “worm salt.” Quelites, an umbrella term for wild greens, are a staple in many dishes, as are a multitude of different kinds of mushrooms, including the magic kind. Tasajo, which is dried, lean beef, is a favorite meat. Flavors are complex and layered, often requiring laborious preparation with multiple ingredients.

Oaxaca’s cooking history originates from its strong indigenous roots; notably from the Zapotec and Mixtec tribes.

With a bounty of riches at their fingertips, it’s hardly surprising to find that Oaxacan chefs in the state’s capital city, Oaxaca de Juarez, are embracing modern Mexican in full force. Mexico’s most famous chef, Enrique Olvera, is the rumored backer behind Criollo, which has chef Luis Arellano, a Oaxaca native and Pujol alumnus, at the helm. Set in a courtyard that is warm and rustic, and taking a page from Olvera’s stylings and sensibilities, Arellano has consistently delighted diners with his contemporary takes on classic flavors and presentations in the most buzzed about restaurant opening in Oaxaca in years. While at Casa Oaxaca, one of the city’s storied favorites, and a noted inspiration for Albert Adrià’s Hoja Santa, one of the region’s pioneers, Alejandro Ruiz, continues to thrive.

Pitiona, which is just down the block from the city’s most famous landmark, the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the brainchild of Jose Manuel Baños Rodriguez. He, too, was born in Oaxaca, in the western city of Pinotepa and received his culinary education in the kitchens of Spain’s best restaurants – notably, El Bulli and Arzak. Pitiona is a verbena-like herb also ubiquitous in Oaxacan cooking, so it was a fitting name for the restaurant, which opened in 2010 and whose recipes draw from Jose Manuel’s experiences cooking with his mother and grandmother. He uses only local ingredients and riffs on traditional preparations: one well-known dish is roasted lamb with rosemary ice cream. Another, beef tongue in chile adobo, topped with potato foam. The menu changes monthly, but what’s certain is that it’s one of the region’s most exciting restaurants.

Just around the corner, also across from Santo Domingo de Guzmán is Los Danzantes, a hidden, open-air dining room tucked behind the storefront for the Del Maguey mezcal’s city operations and an upscale textile store. Designed by Mexican architect Alejandro D’Acosta, who is well known for his work in Baja California, the space captures the magic of Oaxaca city by forcing you to look up to the starry sky or passing clouds. The name, a throwback to the ancient statues that reside at the nearby ruins of Monte Alban, signals that the diner is in for a true Oaxacan treat. Chef Hugo Arnaud Zarate delivers, with a delicate appetizer of hoja santa, the classic Oaxacan herb, and quesillo, griddled to perfection. Mini tuna tostadas bring Oaxaca’s fishing culture to life and are infused with jalapeño and sesame seeds in a break from tradition. Not to be missed is their house mezcal, which they’ll proudly discuss at length when prompted.