Posted in Creativity, Culture, Markets, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, Mercado IV Centenario, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos on May 8, 2020| 8 Comments »
Informational: Symptoms and methods of prevention.
Advertising: Stay at home, Café Lavoe offers you home delivery.
Service: A hand washing station at the Av. de la Independencia entrance to Mercado IV Centenario.
It’s my favorite — a quintessential example of the Oaxacan ingenuity and creativity!
Posted in Markets, Parks & Plazas, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, empty streets, grocery shopping, markets, Mercado Benito Juárez, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, plantón, traffic, zócalo on March 26, 2020| 6 Comments »
Yesterday, with a fair degree of trepidation, I ventured out onto the streets of Oaxaca. Even during these times of coronavirus, a gal has to eat, thus a trip to Mercado Benito Juárez could no longer be put off. Unfortunately, I got a late start and didn’t leave until almost 10:30 AM but, happily, my first observation was that traffic was much lighter.
Walking east on Av. Morelos
However, much to my dismay the zócalo was lined with food and vendor stalls and continues to be occupied with a plantón in front of the Government Palace. This, after a caravan of municipal police trucks mounted with loudspeakers plied the streets on Monday advising people not to gather in groups, to maintain “sana distancia” (healthy distancing), and to try to stay home.
Protest encampment in the zócalo
I walked through, trying to avoid coming within a meter of anyone and making a beeline toward the market. An aside: Afternoon temperatures continue to hover around 90º F and, yes, the sky is that blue!
Facing south on Calle Flores Magón
I turned right on Las Casas and discovered cleaners power washing the sidewalk in front of Mercado Benito Juárez.
Trying not to get wet, I ducked inside the unusually quiet market.
Main aisle just inside Mercado Benito Juárez
I quickly made my rounds: Almita’s for pecans, my favorite poultry stall for chicken thighs, and my fruit and vegetable stand for avocados and carrots. Though the market was less crowded than usual, the aisles are narrow making it nearly impossible to maintain “sana distancia” and so I cut my trip short.
Looking west on Calle Valerio Trujano
Avoiding the zócalo, I headed for home. I think I’m going to skip Mercado Benito Juárez (except for Mario, my coffee bean guy) for the duration and limit my shopping to the smaller Mercado Sánchez Pascuas up the hill and perhaps begin patronizing the people who sell produce from their truck on Monday and Thursday mornings just a block away. We are living in the days of making adjustments…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, artisan markets, farmers' market, markets, murals, Oaxaca, organic market, photos, Pochote Organic and Artisan Market, Pochote Xochimilco Mercado Orgánico y Artesanal, popular travel destinations, wall art on December 28, 2019| 3 Comments »
Hidden behind community tables and surrounded by food stalls, produce, textiles, and artesania, is a wall of murals at the newest location of the Pochote Xochimilco Mercado Orgánico y Artesanal.
This incarnation of the Pochote Organic and Artisan Market is located in Colonia Reforma at Calle Almendros #417 (between Manuel Ruiz and Heroico Colegio Militar) and is open Friday through Sunday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Posted in Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged grocery shopping, healthy eating, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, salads, shopping baskets, vegetables on December 4, 2019| 6 Comments »
Shopping baskets ready and waiting to be filled…
Bounty from Abastos ready and waiting to be prepared…
Salad ready and waiting to be eaten…
There was more, but I was too busy eating to stop and take photos!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged 20 de noviembre mercado, César Villegas González “VIYEGAX”, food, grocery shopping, markets, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, wall art on October 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Located in the main entrance to the 20 de noviembre market, the mural by César Villegas González raises THE issue we should keep in the forefront of our minds when we set out to go grocery shopping.
Alimentación mortal — Food that can be deadly?
Or, Comida de los Dioses — Food of the Gods?
I choose to take a ride on the magical metate!
The mural was inaugurated in March 2019 as part of the “Vive tu Mercado 2019” program which seeks to promote the cultural and gastronomic riches found in the city’s mercados.
Posted in Churches, Culture, Flora, Food, Markets, tagged barbacoa, Cristo de la Paciencia, market day, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, Tlacolula de Matamoros on June 18, 2019| 13 Comments »
I returned to Casita Colibrí early Friday morning, weary from Aeromexico’s red eye from San Francisco. After emptying the suitcases, bed beckoned! No need to drag myself to the market, as neighbor and gal pal, K, welcomed me home with a delicious dinner. Saturday, was spent putting things away, tending to the garden, and raiding the freezer for a tamal to go along with leftover salad from the night before. However by Sunday I was recovered enough to accompany K on her weekly pilgrimage to market day in Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Doña Aurelia, cocinera at her Puesto de Barbacoa. A yummy way to begin the day!
A stop in the Capilla del Señor de Tlacolula of the Parroquia de la Virgen de la Asunción for a reminder from Señor de la Paciencia (Lord of Patience).
The bell tower of the Parroquia de la Virgen de la Asuncón, Tlacolula de Matamoros. It always pays to look up.
“The sense of responsibility is latent in the human being, with sensitivity we should look for it from childhood, channel it in adolescence, perfect it in the youth to understand and better serve society.”
Far from the madding crowd in search of a baño.
Aprons on and baskets in hand: Marketing on market day in Tlacolula de Matamoros.
What better way to get back into the swing of things in Oaxaca. Chicken soup for this soul! Gracias a mi amiga.
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mercado Sánchez Pascuas, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, Oaxaca 487th anniversary, Oaxaca 487th birthday, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, symbolic images, Taller de Artes Plásticas Rufino Tamayo, wall art on April 29, 2019| 3 Comments »
Since I went to the market today and we are on the topic of murals in Oaxaca…
The Calle Porfirio Díaz entrance to my “go to” Mercado Sánchez Pascuas has undergone a make-over to commemorate the 487th anniversary of the elevation of Oaxaca de Juárez to the status of city.
On April 25 (Oaxaca’s official birthday) city officials, market Board of Directors, and the artists gathered for the mural’s inauguration and ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Javier Santos, professor of sculpture at the Taller de Artes Plásticas Rufino Tamayo, explained that the mural represents a collection of symbolic images, contextualizing life in the city and market. How many of these symbols (many Prehispanic) do you recognize?
Javier Santos continued, “It is important that there is availability and openness on the part of the Municipal Government to bring people the great talent of Oaxacan artists through the exhibition of works in public spaces, because in them people have the opportunity to visualize the graphic quality of our state.” (Google translation)
Here is to the artists! May the magic of their creativity continue to illuminate the past, find truth in the present, and inspire the future.
And, let us hope the city of Oaxaca will see more mural construction and less mural destruction.
Posted in Culture, Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged food, market day, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, produce, tianguis, Tlacolula de Matamoros, vendors on April 7, 2019| 4 Comments »
Today found me (courtesy of blogger buddy Chris) savoring market day in Tlacolula de Matamoros. The Sunday market is one of the oldest continuous tianguis in Mesoamerica, a commercial center for the neighboring communities, and a beehive of energy and activity.
There is food…
Chiles and more
Chickens roasting on an open fire
A bounty of fruit
Necessary cooking equipment, Oaxaca style…
Gourds for measuring and serving, palm fans for fanning the cooking flames, and brushes for moving ingredients about the comal
Metate for grinding corn, chocolate, dyes, etc.
Molcajetes necessary for crushing and grinding herbs, spices, and making the best salsas and guacamole
And, most of all, people…
Poultry shopper and hammock seller
Tortilla vendors
Garlic vendor
Market day in Tlacolula is chicken soup for my soul.
Posted in Flora, Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged bananas, Central de Abastos, markets, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, Plátano morado, plátanos on November 14, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Up until my first visit to Oaxaca, I had no idea that bananas came in any other color than yellow. However, I soon discovered a Banana bonanza of sizes, shapes, and colors — and red bananas became my favorite. I haven’t seen them for a while, but on a visit to Central de Abastos, I pulled up short in front of these babies!
This variety of banana is smaller and the peel is thicker than the common yellow Cavendish, but it hides a creamy sweet flesh that is perfect for slicing over a bowl of cereal or served with a sprinkling of lime juice and a dash of Tajín Clásico seasoning. We asked what this variety is called and the vendor just shrugged and said, “Plátano morado.” He says purple, I say red. Whatever they are called, they are delicious!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Gardens, Markets, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged artisan markets, chickens, grilled onions, market day, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, rebozos, seeds, shawls, Tlacolula de Matamoros on May 26, 2018| 4 Comments »
Last Sunday at the weekly market in Tlacolula de Matamoros…
Chickens
Rebozos
Seeds
Lunch
It’s not just about produce, bootleg DVDs, tools, and underwear.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged aprons, cooking, embroidery, mandiles, Mexico, Oaxaca, People, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle, textiles, Tlacolula de Matamoros, women, Zapotec fashion on May 15, 2018| 16 Comments »
The lowly utilitarian apron has been elevated to an art form by the Zapotec women of the Tlacolula valley in Oaxaca. Worn every day, mandiles (aprons) are an essential and practical part of their traditional dress. Most women own several and take great pains to color coordinate them with the day’s attire.
Fiesta honoring the Virgen de Guadalupe at the home of Fidel Cruz and Maria Luisa Mendoza, Teotitlán del Valle.
Plainer aprons are worn around the home. However, they don one of their “Sunday best” aprons for special occasions. These are heavily embroidered and often have necklines and hems that are scalloped and, as a fashion statement, are frequently worn to the weekly market.
Vendor at the Sunday market in Tlacolula del Valle.
Mandiles are made of store-bought poly-cotton fabric, usually in a small plaid design. While “100% cotton” sounds more desirable to many of us, the blend is undeniably more practical. After all, who wants to iron when there is work to do and the temperatures are summery all year ’round?
Andrea weaving in Teotitlán del Valle.
Even though the embroidery is done by sewing machine, the more elaborate designs can take from three to four days days to make. Aprons range in price from approximately 150 to 700 pesos.
Leonor Lazo feeding a baby goat in Teotitlán del Valle.
Given that, in addition to being practical, these are also a fashion accessory, it should come as no surprise that styles can vary from village to village.
Young women from San Miguel del Valle attending a festival in Teotitlán del Valle.
I grew up with aprons. My grandmother lived next door and could always be found wearing a “house-dress” and a pinafore style apron with front patch pockets. Some were plain, but many she decorated with embroidery. Thus the mandiles of Oaxaca spoke to me and I listened.
Reyna Mendoza speaking to her El Sabor Zapoteco cooking class.
My first “Oaxaca” apron was a maroon plaid cobbler style with only a moderate amount of embroidery. After a year or two, it became so much a part of my home attire that I bought another in brown plaid. These are my workhorses and I wear them every day while cooking, cleaning, and even gardening. And, I proudly bring my own apron to cooking classes and make sure to pack one when I’ve been invited to a fiesta in Teotitlán del Valle — putting it on to help clear tables. I always get smiles from the women (and some of the men, too).
Me, mi mandil, a metate, and maiz at El Sabor Zapoteco cooking class in Teotitlán del Valle.
However, after countless Sunday market day trips to Tlacolula de Matamoros, not to mention, spending a lot time over the past several years in Teotitlán del Valle, I couldn’t help but be inspired by the fashion statements women, both young and old, were making, so I bought a slightly more elaborately embroidered pinafore style and then another and another.
Three of my mandiles; the red is the newest.
I even dared to wear one recently in New York at my granddaughter’s first birthday party. With children ranging in age from six weeks to six years, I thought it was a very practical fashion statement on my part. And, guess who got one for her birthday?
Birthday present to my granddaughter — a toddler-size mandil.
A good place to check out who is wearing what style of mandil is at Tlacolula’s Sunday market. And, should you want to buy one for yourself and/or give one as a gift, there are at least eight apron stalls at the back of the market on Sundays.
Apron stall at the back of the Tlacolula de Matamoros market.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged aprons, art, barbacoa, mandiles, markets, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, tianguis, Tlacolula de Matamoros, traje, vendors, women on February 5, 2018| 2 Comments »
After three weeks in el norte, all my bags are packed and I’m ready to return to Oaxaca. While malls and supermarkets abound here in the San Francisco Bay Area, shopping doesn’t hold a candle to experiencing the Sunday market in Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Sidewalk murals greet shoppers on their way to the mercado.
Wearing traditional skirts, blouses, rebozos, and aprons, vendors compete for customers.
Stopping inside the mercado for barbacoa de chivo is a delicious way to take a break.
The apron selection, like everything else, is mind boggling!
Lastly, another sidewalk mural to send shoppers on their way home.
There is nothing like the life and color of shopping in Oaxaca. ¡Hasta pronto!
Posted in Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged chocolate, chocolate beans, chocolate skulls, Conchita, food, mercado 20 de noviembre, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations on August 23, 2017| 3 Comments »
As I’ve previously mentioned, my grandson loves skeletons and skulls AND he also loves Oaxacan chocolate. Recipe for the perfect gift to take to him: Go to my favorite chocolateria, Conchita (local # 210) inside Mercado 20 de Noviembre.
Take 1 kilogram of chocolate beans, add 1 kilogram of sugar and 25 grams of cinnamon sticks, and mill in the Mexicano embalado.
Bring home a plastic bag full of warm chocolate, spread out on a cookie sheet, let cool, then cut and stamp.
A recipe for the perfect gift to bring to my Day of the Dead loving, chocoholic grandson.
Posted in Markets, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged Criollo restaurant, markets, Mercado de la Merced, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Week in Oaxaca on August 19, 2017| 6 Comments »
Sunday was the last day of B’s Week in Oaxaca and he had some last-minute shopping to do. Family back home had requested a stack of tlayudas (also spelled, clayudas), the 12″ diameter handmade and dried tortillas, and quesillo, Oaxacan string cheese. The closest mercado to B’s hotel was Mercado de la Merced. It’s one of the best in Oaxaca city — selling fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and dried chiles, healing herbs and incense, meats and poultry, breads and cheeses, baskets and oil cloth, housing juice bars and small restaurants (like the well-known Fonda Florecita), and more — almost everything one could ever need. These mercados make shopping social and fun — way more enjoyable than impersonal supermarkets and shopping malls.
After purchasing the requested items and wandering up and down the maze of aisles, we returned to B’s hotel to off-load the cheese (hotel’s refrigerator) and tlayudas (spread out on the bed to dry). Our appetites having been stimulated, we walked across the city to the off-the-beaten-path location of Criollo, the year-old creation of Chef Enrique Olvera (Pujol in Mexico City, Cosme in New York), Chef Luis Arellano (originally from the Cañana region of Oaxaca), and architect Javier Sánchez.
It was a good thing we were famished, as the 7-course tasting menu was more than enough. However, each plate brought such deliciousness, we happily continued on. And, the setting? While on an extremely busy street, once one steps inside this modern take on the traditional colonial courtyard, a sense of peace takes over. Sated, we wandered to their orchard at the back of the restaurant, where we were warmly greeted and offered a cup of poleo tea brewed in the outdoor kitchen set in the orchard. Our hostess explained this kitchen allows for the traditional preparation of some of the menu items. In addition, she pointed to another building that she explained was going to be a culinary bed and breakfast.
By the time we left Criollo, it was late afternoon. Before B returned to his hotel and I to my apartment, we marveled at what a full, delicious, and delightful six days it had been.
Just a note: A week isn’t nearly enough time to experience all that Oaxaca city and surrounding villages have to offer. We never made it to the Sunday market in Tlacolula de Matamoros, Hierve el Agua, Centro de las Artes de San Agustín (CASA), the alebrije pueblos of San Martín Tilcajete and San Antonio Arrazola, San Bartolo Coyotepec for their black pottery and Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (State Museum of Folk Art (MEAPO), Santa María Atzompa for green pottery and the archaeological site, the Pueblos Mancomunados of the Sierra Norte, and then there are the mezcal palenques in the valley of Oaxaca. I guess B will just have to come back!
Posted in Food, Markets, Travel & Tourism, tagged aguas, beverages, Casilda Aguas Regionales, fruit drinks, markets, Mercado Benito Juárez, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on May 10, 2017| 3 Comments »
Nothing like stopping in Mercado Benito Juárez at Casilda Aguas Regionales midway through a morning filled with errands. The posted list of fruit drinks is mind boggling: Horchata, horchata con tuna, guanabana, melón, limón, sandía, jamaica, limón on chía, tamarindo, piña guayaba, kiwi, coco, crema de coco, durazno, ciruela, lichie, mandarina, mango, and maracuya.
Translated: Rice-based drink, rice-based drink with prickly pear cactus fruit, soursop, cantaloupe, lime, watermelon, hibiscus, lime with chia, tamarind, pineapple, guava, kiwi, coconut, coconut cream, peach, plum, lychee, mandarin orange, mango, and passion fruit.
What to choose? While I love horchata con tuna, I chose the unlisted limón con hoja santa (2nd from left in top photo) reeled off by the waitress. It was a lime with “sacred leaf” kind of day. Ahhh… the pause that refreshes!
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