A Typical Coastal Yucatan Village Market

Where I’m living, the daily market borders the central plaza. With only 3 vendors selling food, the market offers a wonderful introduction to local, seasonal cooking in this part of the world. It is spacious & unhurried. There’s plenty of time to ask questions, and share recipes.

My haul this morning includes aromatic sour oranges, tiny plum tomatoes, fresh chaya greens, 2 kinds of chiles, juicy mangos, fresh cilantro, mint & chives, and a fat papaya. Today I didn’t wake up early enough for fresh pork.

After my shopping, I went across the street to the best loncheria of the 6 on the plaza for an empanada and a salbute, both garnished with cabbage salad, fried tomato sauce, & a pureed habanero chile salsa

typical fruit stand
Tropical fruits abound in the small villages of the Yucatan coast.
Butcher sells out of pork by 9:30 A.M. on most days. Mondays, when the entire peninsula cooks Frijol con Puerco, they sell out by 8:30 A.M. Two freshly harvested pigs are brought to market daily.