Three kilometers west of downtown Puerto Morelos, the area of "la Colonia" has the best fruit and vegetable markets with better prices than can be found in the beach area. There were three of these small markets within a few blocks of each other and even more smaller "tiendas" nearby as well - folks can only carry their goods so far. For comparison, in the United States, outside the main cities, the culture is so automobile-centered that the neighborhood market has mostly given way to large supermarkets centrally located for automotive convenience. It also seems that our fresh fruits and vegetables section has gotten smaller while the processed, prepared, and/or frozen foods sections have gotten larger - more convenience, longer shelf-life, and probably more profit. There were no freezer foods in this market - folks here live on fresh.
This is where the local people shop - fresh and plentiful products at an affordable price. Open air, kids laughing and playing, music blasting - not very many foreign tourists here and even fewer tall ones like me. Many shoppers have been coming in here most of their lives and know each other from their neighborhood.
A mountain of mouth-wateringly sweet mangos.
Crisp and ripe vegetables.
And always, lots of oranges.
This could be a market anywhere in the world except the presence of the large quantities of jalapeño and serrano peppers in the foreground suggests it is probably not in Massachusetts in New England.
It's different to live this way - seldom buying or opening jars or package wrappings - just fresh breads, tortillas, fruits, vegetables, and spices - but I still miss not having a nearby Trader Joe's! (For readers outside the USA, Trader Joe's is a quirky, small, and fun food market found in many of the states.)
I enjoyed this post. We are planning a family trip to PM next month (our first time in Mexico, really) and I was looking for a local produce vendor since we're staying in a place with a kitchen. Looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. Depending on where you stay in PM, a taxi ride to la Colonia should cost around 20 pesos each way. Taxis are plentiful queued up near the square. There are also at least two pickup truck vendors that pass through town yelling from a loudspeaker but I never quite figured out their schedule. PM also has a weekly farmers market just off the square, I think it was on Wed or Thurs. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI just got back from Puerto Morelos and this fruit/veggie stand was a daily stop for me. I was staying in the Colonia and loved everything about it. The massage by a Mayan woman at the Jungle Spa was a special delight. Love your blog.
ReplyDeletegamby, thanks for writing. I miss that market!!
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