Pieces & Parts: Fun At The Market

Unlike north of the Border, little of the animal is wasted in Latin-American cultures. I had the unique opportunity of shopping with friends for dinner one day. After scouting around in the mercado, we finally found the perfect pig's head to take back for dinner. The señora of the household slow-cooked the head for hours until everything fell off the bones. Once this was complete, all the meat was finely chopped up and served in fresh tortillas accompanied by cilantro, onions, and salsa. The mixture of both textures ans tastes made these some of the best tacos I've had. Talk about stuffing ourselves like "piggies"!

 

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Holy Mole

Real mole is nothing like what is sold in the jar in American supermarkets. Actually, if I can't have the Real McCoy, I don't even bother to eat its watered down substitute. Although I first tasted mole in the mole capital of the world, Oaxaca, home of at least seven different types of mole, I have more recently found it available in any number of restaurants in Mexico City. Of course, some restaurants do a better job preparing it than others.

A Typical Display of Mole at a Mercado

The Original Fast Food

Tortilla Machine Goin' Strong

What's commonplace to every Mexican boy and girl may appear intriguing to those of us less familiar with it. Yes, the relatively high speed tortilla machine! Of course, some restaurants still make their tortillas by hand, but much more common are the shops that sell warm, freshly made tortillas by the dozens. At particular times of the day, you're likely to see a line of people waiting patiently to get their daily batch of tortillas to take home. Pounds and pounds of masa have been prepared so as to have a nearly non-stop assembly line of this necessary ingredient at every meal. There's nothing better than a warm tortilla hot off the production line.

 

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The Mexican Market

Hardly any shopping experience will compare to that found at the local market. Fresh produce, dried peppers, and an array of exotic to typical products are to be found throughout. Although markets vary in size from the large Mercado Merced to the much smaller Mercado San Juan, they all draw local shoppers in for their daily needs. From the housewife to the professional chef, all can find what they need to prepare the tasty dishes Mexico is know for. Most market also offer a number of inexpensive eateries where one can have an excellent lunch.

Fresh Veggies To Die For!

Chicharron - A Mexican Favorite

Wall to Wall Peppers

 

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Chopped!

Whether for your home or your business, any size chopping board can be found at this stall in the Mercado Merced. No matter what taco joint you pass in the city, you'll see all of them using these exact chopping boards/blocks to prepare the taco filling. Over time, as with any well used and seasoned utensil, these blocks become concave in shape due to nearly non-stop daily chopping of everything from beef to sausages to selected innards like tripe. Yum!

 

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A Visit To The Market

Whether it's the city or a small town, one of the truly unique experiences in Mexico is a visit to the local market. In Mexico City, there are any number of markets to choose from, large to small, general to specialized. Stomping about the Alameda neighborhood this morning, I stumbled upon a relatively small market near the larger Mercado San Juan.

A Real Seafood Lover's Delight

The selection of fish and seafood was truly amazing. Why wouldn't one come here daily to buy fresh fish, fruit and vegetables?

How About A Lobster Tonight, Gringo?

Of course, no market would be complete without a little butchering going on. Cabrito (young goat) is one of my favorite taco ingredients when I can find it. Or, you can take a whole one home for a backyard barbeque.

Oh mama, get the BBQ going. We're having something special tonight!

Of course, for the less adventurous, there is much more offered such as a tremendous selection of fresh fruits and veggies.

One sees row after row of fresh fruit just like this in every market.

Or, as an appetizer, we could begin with a selection of sausages (some of these happen to be from Spain).

Chorizo and much, much more!

All in all, one can spend hours walking around any of the local markets. In this one, I was also treated to some cheese and wine samples. Mexico is really a very civilized place!

 

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