ate the worm you would start tripping, that there was a hallucinogenic quality to mescal. >> yeah. >> is there a particular kind of high? is this an enlightening high? is this a good high? >> the high is humorous. you have these funny thoughts dancing around the back of your head. >> happy, witty drunk. >> yes. >> in oaxaca ancient indigenous traditions and ingredients define not only the mescal but also the food. >> one of the main reasons people visit our city is to eat. >> this is alejandro ruiz almeido, one of mexico's best chefs. he started cooking young. when he was 12, his mother died and it fell on him to raise and feed his five siblings. >> this is what we call pasajo. >> today he draws much of his inspiration from oaxaca's central market.