I’ve been dying to go to Mercado San Juan since I flipped open one of my favorite guidebooks, DF De Culto, and saw a diagram of the market’s best stands. A diagram! The writers didn’t diagram any other markets. Or gush about anyone else’s meat, cheeses, imported oils, vinegars, olives, fish….
Actually Mercado San Juan is one of the oldest in Mexico, tracing its roots to prehispanic times. Mexican movie stars have visited the place, although I’m not entirely sure why. (Maybe they liked to nosh on manchego between takes?) And local chefs shop there, too.
My friend Alice and I decided to go last Friday morning. We first grabbed an atole (a sweet, thick rice n’ masa drink) and pan dulce outside the Salto de Agua metro station, because hunger is a bad idea when you’re in a giant warehouse full of food.
Then, on the walk to the mercado, we passed a small city of raw chickens. Butcher shops lined both sides of the street, chicken parts smothering the countertops: Thighs, legs, roasters; deep crimson gizzards; headless chickens, covered in yellow goosepimply skin. Workers snipped chicken parts as fast as they could, so all you could hear was this weird metallic scissoring sound.
That alone was worth the Metro ride, and we hadn’t even made it to the mercado yet. Of course, once we arrived there, I forgot all about the chicken, because the first guy we saw tried to sell us fried grasshoppers and escamoles (ant eggs). Then we walked in further and saw sharks on ice, and ducks, and skinned baby goats. That’s probably about when I fell in love.
Well, that, and when I saw the curly lettuce and leeks stacked practically to the ceiling in the produce section.
Over the next hour or so, I stuffed my bag with asparagus, spring onions, fresh peas, red leaf lettuce, spinach, blackberries, mamey, mangos, proscuitto, freshly grated parmesano-reggiano, smoked provolone, homemade tofu (“Lo hace un chino aqui,” the lady told me), dried mushrooms and cute mini pita breads. (Yes, I’m buying for only two people. I go kinda crazy sometimes.) The proscuitto and parm I bought at La Jersey; the smoked provolone and pita, at La Holandesa. I willfully ignored the French butter and fresh bread. Mmmm. Next time.
What I made with my items:
1. Blackberry-lime coolers (perfect for sipping on the patio)
2. Arroz con leche (the Rick Bayless version) with mango
3. Pasta with peas, asparagus, proscuitto and parmesan
4. Mamey muffins
5. Sliced provolone with salted pita chips
I’d like to go back once a week, but it does require some advance menu-planning. Guess I better hit the cookbooks.
Recently discovered your blog! I am really enjoying it. I just put a link to this post on Global Voices
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/04/22/mexico-the-san-juan-market-in-the-capital/
Take care,
Eduardo
I love the idea of mamey muffins, if only mi esposo wouldn’t get mad at me for making delicious sugary food items.
No, but that’s the thing. These have whole wheat in them. And not too much sugar. You could even do less by adding agave nectar or honey instead. They’re totally not bad at all, as far as muffins go. In fact I made Crayton take some to work today, so tu esposo should try one!
Love the droopy necks. If you go weekly, Jorge will love it! 🙂
By the way, Eduardo: Thanks and welcome!
There’s another building that’s part of Mercado San Juan that sells arts and crafts stuff. There’s like a church and an open area with benches and such, then that arts building. On the other side of the arts building is a ramp down to parking, and in front of this is a place where they grind their own spices. Since you cook, that will be a sweet find. The smell of them grinding their mole is amazing, warm and just awesome.
I took pictures with the intent of making a website dedicated to the market, including pictures of the vendors in some cases and their contact info. Thought it would make a good resource. I think I might finish that actually. I’ll let you know, I have some pictures of the spice place too.
The market is also very close walking distance to Meabe (or Meabbe) which is a big electronics market, and they have the single hugest Al Pastor meat stack I ever saw in the city. We usually park with these guys at a blue wall between the two markets. The electronics market specializes in pirate video games, car audio, computers, video cameras, etc. You have to eat some tacos there, it’s pretty surreal.
Hey Humpty! Yes, I know of the spice-grinding place. I bought garbanzo bean flour there a few months ago. (Wanted to make pizza dough with it.) I love it there! And yes, please let me know if you create a vendor list for Mercado San Juan. I’d be interested to see it. Welcome to the blog!
I recently stumbled across your blog and am loving your perspective of the city! Reading this post makes me wish you could adopt me as your pupil and take me to all the hot foodie spots 🙂 My inlaws are all to busy to take me anywhere and apparently flying solo is still a no-no (eyesrolling).
Keep the goos stuff coming, Im putting this on my list of ” must go” places!