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Best Markets
Since the early pre-Columbian era, open-air markets, or tianguis, were the center of trade and commerce in Mesoamerican communities. After the conquest, many of these markets remained in operation, though most were eventually relocated over time. Today, despite the proliferation of supermarket chains throughout Mexico City, traditional markets are a mainstay in their neighborhoods and a unique window into the culture of the city.
The One and Only: Mercado de la Merced
If you only have time to visit one market, there is none more emblematic of the city than the immense and atmospheric Mercado de la Merced, in the eastern Centro Histórico. The main building is filled with fruits and vegetables, from towering stacks of neatly folded banana leaves to piles of nopal (cactus) paddles. In the back, crafts, kitchen products, and food stalls cram labyrinthine breezeways. There's even a Metro station right inside the market.
The Oddball: Mercado de Sonora
Right next to the Merced, the Mercado de Sonora is best known for its off-beat, esoteric offerings, like medicinal herbs, healing candles, and witchcraft products. However, it is also a great place to buy traditional crafts and supplies, adornments for altars during Day of the Dead, children's toys, and costumes.
A Gourmet-Hunter's Dream: Mercado de San Juan
The Mercado de San Juan on Pugibet, located in the old San Juan neighborhood, is known throughout the city for its unusual selection of meats and produce, like quail eggs, razor clams, gorgeous tropical fruits, alligator steaks, toasted grasshoppers, and other Mexican-made and international delicacies. For a truly unusual market experience, have a snack at one of the Euro-centric cheesemongers, who sell plates of Spanish-style tapas accompanied by little glasses of wine.
Gift-Shop Central: Bazaar Sábado
The weekly Bazaar Sábado, held every Saturday in San Ángel, is a well-known place to shop for traditional Mexican crafts as well as handmade leather goods, shoes, candles, and other souvenirs.
Punk's Paradise: Mercado del Chopo
Mercado del Chopo, held every Saturday, is an open-air market selling records, rock posters, band T-shirts, and every other manner of music memorabilia. As it's packed cheek to jowl with black-clad, tattoo-bearing youngsters, the people-watching is as good as the shopping.
The Neighborhood Gem: Mercado San Cosme
The small, clean Mercado San Cosme is a lovely place to stop in for an inexpensive meal or to browse the selection of food and produce for sale. Though not as spectacular as mega markets like the Merced, it's a great example of a well-maintained neighborhood market where locals come to eat and shop.
The Mother Ship: Central de Abastos
If you really want to get an idea of the size of Mexico City's food economy, head to the dizzying Central de Abastos, a wholesale market that supplies 80 percent of the capital's edibles. There is nothing you won't find here, from potatoes to crab meat, and the sheer size is overwhelming, covering over 300 hectares.