Jamaica Market, Mexico City

Mar 29

Mercado Jamaica is a vibrant and eclectic market located in the eastern neighborhood of Jamaica. The market is a hub of hustle and bustle, with vendors selling everything from fresh produce and flowers to clothing and electronics.

The market is a feast for the senses. As soon as you step in you’re in for a treat. From the colours of fruits, flowers and shop signs, to the smells dancing through the air, and then the sounds eminating from every corner of the market, whether it be a music system or a shopkeeper touting or just general atmosphere is incredible.

One of the highlights of the Jamaica Market is the flower section. This is what the market is mostly know for, and the area is filled with vibrant bouquets as far as the eye can see.

Have you ever seen so many vibrant fruit and veg in one place? The amount of fresh produce is incredible.

A few blocks from the fruit and veg market is the food market. You can just imagine the sounds and smells of all the grills and friers going on, not to mention the fresh chillis, onions, and herbs being chopped up.

I was on the search for a dish called “Huaraches”, and got sent to an area of the market. When I asked the vendor of a restaurant if they served them, they not only told me where I could find them, but also gave me a free taco. The lovely couple below invited me to come and sit with them, saving me from struggling to eat it standing up. They showed me how to build a taco. Onion, coriander, and a little bit of lime (Not too much as it get’s too soggy and breaks apart…as I found out) and red or green salsa.

The place above is where I landed on my Huarache hunt. Again, I got given a free taco when sitting down. This should be a thing everywhere.

So what is a Huarache? Not the Nike shoe, though the food shares its name with a Mexican sandal. Huaraches are a type of street food that originated in Mexico City.

They’re a fried corn dough that’s topped with a variety of toppings, not too dissimilar to a taco. Things like refried beans, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, onion, coriander, and a choice of meats, such as grilled beef, chorizo, or chicken al pastor. Some places offer vegetarian options like grilled cactus or mushrooms.

I went for carne asada (Grilled beef) and the works. It also came with fries, like you needed them. All washed down with a horchata. Muy bien.