Saturday, October 3, 2009

Mercado San Juan, Centro Historico, Mexico City...

The market where all the chefs and people in the restaurant trade go to get their ingredients in the city is Mercado San Juan, and it is not hard to see why.....

It is one of the great advantages here that you can buy a whole range of the freshest ingredients from which to start your cooking from scratch, unlike in London whereby the supermarkets seem increasingly stocked with more and more packaged, processed food and ready meals. I had to smile recently when reading the inscription on a plastic bottle of lemonade in Tescos this summer in London "lemons lovingly handpicked by the local farmers in sun-kissed Sicily" hmmmmmm.....

As well as buying great fruit, veg, chillis, meat, and fish, you can also stop by the coffee stands for a quick caffeine shot, or at the cheese stalls for a quick snack of wine, cheese, tapas, and great bread. All in all, it makes for a wonderful pitstop on a Saturday or Sunday morning... although personally, I do tend to avoid armadillo and piglet corner....


Mercado San Juan is open every day, and is located in the Centro Historico on calle Ernesto Pugibet. For other global glimpses check out My World Tuesday postings by clicking here.

14 comments:

Fly Girl said...

Armadillo and piglet corner! I was about to call this the dreamest market I've ever seen but I don't savor the scent of fresh armadillo and pig meat wafting through the stalls!

PeterParis said...

A real market place!!! I live very close to a covered market place with quite a nice offer, but nothing like this; too much of the products you can find in any supermarket!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Cath: That was a cool trip and the produce look just wonderful, thanks for sharing the beauty of the market.

Photo Cache said...

I wouldn't mind getting my first taste of an armadillo :), it would be some experience.

I love open air markets, the produce look tempting.

www.ewok1993.wordpress.com

Owen said...

A brother who lives in Texas once told me there is a cook book for road kill armadillo dinners... but I thought he was just kidding ! I see otherwise. From what I gather they are in rather plentiful supply, but wow, it must take a little preparation to actually sit down and consume one... Beautiful colors in the produce stands there... technicolor fruits !

B i r g i t t a said...

Lovely pictures and lovely arrangements :)

Sylvia K said...

Oh, I love farmer's markets wherever they are and this one looks wonderful! Such great shots, Catherine! Thanks for sharing the day!!

Have a great week!

Sylvia

Catherine said...

Hey Fly Girl, Owen...didn't realise that the armadillo detail would strike such a chord...am going to have to go and photograph that section now...not for the squeamish...watch out for it in a later post!!

Catherine said...

Hi Sylvia, Photo cache, Peter, Birgitte and fishing guy...thanks for the comments...will be doing some more stuff on markets here soon...

magiceye said...

wow! that is some market!!

J said...

Mmm I think we're agreed on the food front - that cheese counter looks amazing, I'm seriously jealous!

Gaelyn said...

This looks so inviting. I loved the mercados in Oaxacca. You could get anything. And the prepared food was exquisite. The meat stalls weren't my favorite. Your images scream out fresh.

Arija said...

Great market. Pity I could not get the second picture though. We shop at our farmes' market on a regular nasis and only get some dry goods and dairy products in a supermarket.

Catherine said...

Hi J bar, J, island rambles, gaelyn, magic eye,arija - thanks for the appreciative comments...glad you liked the post