One of my favorite things about living in Mexico, and something which you will find in just about every city and town that you go to here, is shopping in markets. In some cases this will be a permanent market such as you will find throughout Mexico City, in others it will be markets that pop-up once a week, on certain streets and at certain times.
Regardless of what kind of market you end up in however, there are some very compelling reasons as to why you should make sure that you shop in this way, for all of your needs.
Supporting Independent
The single biggest reason for shopping in a market is to make sure that you are supporting the locals who are running their stalls as their only source of income. If you go to the grocery store then all you are doing is taking money out of the pockets of local vendors in favor of the larger corporations. In most cases you will find that the products and the food which is sold in the markets come from the same place as the grocery store get theirs, making it nonsensical to go with the big store.
Haggling
The markets here are run in the same way that they always have been, and that means that haggling is something which you are pretty much expected to do. Make sure that you get the very best price for your goods when you are in the market, and try your hand at negotiating prices. Not only is this something which helps you to get a better price, it is also something which adds a bit of fun to your shopping trip.
Everything You Need
When I first got to Mexico I figured the markets were all about fruit and vegetables, and little else. My friend and chef Javier Burillo however was able to show me that there was in fact more, much more about these markets. In truth no matter what it is that you are looking for you will find it in these markets. This goes for every food that you can imagine, as well as household items and even clothes and accessories. The market truly is the perfect place for all of your needs.
Closer
There are markets literally everywhere and that means that you don’t have to travel very far at all before you are inside a place where you can get everything that you need. Traditionally speaking grocery stores are placed much further outside of the center of things, which means that you have a trek on your hands to get there. Make your life easier by simply heading to a market and grabbing everything that you need for you daily life.
You won’t have to look far at all for a market in Mexico and they are by far and away the best option when it comes to buying your goods and food items.
