Another Market

In Mexico City, nearly every neighborhood has a public market, and I have written about some of them over the years on this blog.  One which I have visited a number of times but one about which I don't think that I have written is the Medellín Market in the "colonia" of Roma Sur (the less gentrified sister to neighboring Roma Norte, a hot spot with "gringo" visitors).  

It is a typical public market building filled with stalls selling produce, meat, groceries, household goods, flowers, as well as a variety of small, inexpensive restaurants.  

However, Medellín Market stands out from other markets in Mexico City.  Roma Sur has a sizeable population of immigrants from other Latin America countries, especially from Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba.  As a result, the market reflects the neighborhood's diverse population.  Many of the stalls are owned by immigrants and feature imported products from those nations.

You will see the flags of Colombia and Venezuela, and those of other countries, hanging in the market.

Here we see bags of "Sello Rojo", the number one brand of coffee in Colombia.  (It's interesting that most of the writing on the package is in English.  I guess that the exported product is geared more toward the U.S. market.)

Guaraná Antárctica is a popular brand of soft drink in Brazil.  It is flavored with "guaraná", a tropical fruit.

I had not seen Inca Kola, a brand of soft drink in Peru, since my trip to that country in the 1980s.  Its yellow-green color is rather disgusting, but, as I remember, it doesn't taste bad.

This stall sells Cuban ice cream.  The sign says, "If you try them, you won't leave them."

This market restaurant sells Cuban food.

There are some stalls specializing in products from the southeastern states of Mexico.  This one sells products from the state of Tabasco.  No, not Tabasco Sauce (that comes from Louisiana, USA), but rather chocolate, one of the state's major products.

This stall sells products from the state of Yucatán.  "Extensive selection of condiments and fresh products from Yucatán." 

Among their offerings are "longaniza de Valladolid", a kind of sausage, and "pepitas", the seeds from a variety of pumpkins.  The seeds are used to make a sauce for a delicious Yucatecan dish called "papadzules".

The market has been "discovered" by tourists.  On previous visits I have seen tour groups there, and even the occasional family of "gringos" who have ventured there on their own.  This stall sells handicrafts and even offers workshops on painting "alebrijes".

There is an upper floor to the market building which has a number of restaurants.  The sign for this one advertised typical food of Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru.  

However, I had a different restaurant in mind for my afternoon dinner that day.