Shopping at Local Markets in Mexico

As a traveler, shopping at local markets in Mexico or grocery stores is a great cultural experience. This is true for every country in the world.

Food is always a good indicator about  people’s customs and lifestyle. It’s different from country to country and even from region to region.

It’s unique and characteristic. That’s why, I often like to get close with my camera, and fill the frame with what I see. This gives a better understanding of what I’m talking about. I do this not only with food, but with many other subjects, including people. ** Click on the photos for a larger better view and more to see!

This for instance, this is a close-up on corn grilling:

… And this a lady preparing fresh dough for tortillas at the market of Acatlan de Osario, Puebla, Mexico:

On the other hand, as a foreign resident in Mexico, shopping at local markets is a special culinary experience. It is also a healthy alternative to the food we found in the modern supermarkets.

My husband and I are still in the travelers category and visited a huge amount of food shops in many places of Mexico. Although I was tempted to, I just didn’t take as many photos as the number of grocery stores we entered in 🙂 I would have filled all my hard drives with only food and markets 🙂 …

Close-ups on Mexican local products

Oh, there is so much food to take photos of in Mexico! On close-ups you can see them better 🙂

I saw this dried shrimp at the market in Comitan, Chiapas. Not sure how they use them though…

You can find all kinds of local vegetables in the Mexican markets, some weirder than others 🙂 Mexicans are using them in their delicious soups and meals in a way unknown to me though… I saw these in the Town of Tequila market:

In Puebla state of Mexico, the squash blossoms are highly prized as food ingredients. I photographed them at the Acatlan de Osorio, Puebla, market. These are just close-ups on what that lady was selling in my first photo – the far right corner of the market.

The tropical fruits however are just amazing: Star fruit, Passion fruit, Mangoes and many more!

I’ve seen these kind of pastries all over Mexico – they call them “Pan Dolce”, which you probably guessed stands for sweet bread. I photographed them at the Etla, Oaxaca market

You may remember this close-up photo of freshly roasted beans in Ajijic, on Lake Chapala.

That’s right, the local market in Ajijic, Jalisco is a dream place for those seasonal or retired “Gringos” living in this area of Mexico. They have everything they want there: food they are used to from the north and Mexican characteristic food. This is a vendor cleaning a Napal leaf for a customer. You can use these cactus leaves in salads, or fry them:

In Ajijic as well as in all other markets in Mexico, you can buy a lot of things besides groceries. They sell household goods, local drinks, freshly squeezed juice, crafts and you name it. Look at these beautiful dolls made out of corn husk and ornamented with ribbons and lace:

Eating authentic Mexican food

Another great aspect of the Mexican local markets are the dining areas. These are wonderful opportunities for travelers to taste the local authentic Mexican food, at ocal prices! Tortillas are common, but they are so different than the ones we can buy in restaurants up North… They are filled with cheese and/or with many other things. This photo below is also from the Ajijic market. BTW: the markets in Mexico are called Mercados.

But talking about people and dining areas at the local markets in Mexico, here is a photo portrait of a Mexican family. They were sitting at the same table with us in the Acatlan de Osorio, Puebla market and answered our questions about the food.

I really hope that you will go and see all these culinary marvels with your own eyes, and not only through my camera 🙂

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Tuesday Photo Challenge – Groceries | Lens Artists Challenge #66 – Filling the frame