I do love real markets. There are two very large and old markets here, and then more smaller ones in each of the many local neighborhoods around Oaxaca. You can think of the big ones, like the Benito Juarez market, as being like a Costco for people from the countryside.
They have just about everything but water needed for life in this part of the world. Freshly cut meats on display, beautiful vegtables, herbs for teas, clothing, CD's, toys for kids, all different kinds of spices, bags and piles of chili peppers, breads and other bakery goods, pastas, softball-sized balls of Oaxacan string cheese, a whole isle of nothing but fresh cut flowers, Fruit Loops, fresh-killed and marigold colored chickens, grasshoppers, fresh fish, tortillas, corn maize by the pound for tamales, and my favorite, moles and chocolate . . . just for a start. It's all crammed into small stalls and isles. The passageways are so small, if the stall owner is standing by the goods, only one person can pass. I'd say there are about two square blocks of this visual and fragrent chaos, all under one big roof. And that's just one market.
The moles are made in huge quantities and come in seven varieties in Oaxaca. You buy it in bulk by weight out of tubs or in small bags. The mole colors are the darkest of dark reds, browns, and even blacks, and it has the consistency of cookie dough. These moles tend to not be picante (hot) initially. That's IF you weren't raised on upper Midwest, white, Lutheran food! I've come to really like the Negro Mole with chicken and taking the "fire" on the side.
The chocolate is a whole other thing. I love going into the chocolate shop/factory and watching the cacao beans being ground. The fragrance is like smelling a room full of the darkest chocolate you can imagine. After the grinding process, the product goes a variety of different directions. Most get some sugar and some combination of ground almonds, vanilla, chili, or cinnimon. You can buy the nothing-added bitter chocolate, or put in an order for your favorite blend of ingredients. After getting a little stoned on watching the blending operation, it's wonderful to sit down to a hot cup of the stuff. They make it with either water or milk. I like the milk version, served all frothy after being whipped up with a molinillo or traditional hand beater. They serve it with bread for dipping. Deliciosa! We're bringing a variety of chocolates home along with the needed equipment.
Yes, indeed, three paragraphs back I did say grasshoppers. They're called Chapulines and they're a favorite here. I'm pretty brave, but I just couldn't bring myself to try them. These rust-colered creatures are served fried and seasoned with chilie, lime, garlic, onion, and salt. You can get them everywhere and at the market you can find them in big tubs being sold by older women. I guess it's a good protein, but for me, not so much.
One of the fun isles in the Benito Juarez market is the barbecue area. It is about a block long run of a meat stand with a grill about every 10 feet. I didn't get a good photo for the smoke in the room. The idea is that you get your veggies in the market, bring them to this room, pick your meat, and then they grill it up for you on the spot. The strange thing is that people were picking up their grilled food and then sitting down next to their griller and eating in the greasy fog. We skipped having lunch there, but it did look and smell great. If I was here much longer, I think I'd give it a try. Really!
Here is a great page just full of
pictures from the Benito Juarez market.
All this talk about food has me almost ready to eat again! I'm feeling way under-exercised (life in a a city with bad exhaust fumes) and overfed, but with the mealtime creations made with all these exotic and fresh ingredients, I'll suffer along for a few more days . . . except for the grasshoppers!
Next time, pre-Columbian dog art, and shopping!
Love n Blessings,
Earl and Gwen
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