A few blocks from the jetties (embarcaderos) in Xochimilco is huge daily market that takes up two expansive buildings. Aisle after aisle, I found the vendors very warm and welcoming.
Xochimilco is a place where tortilla makers hand out freshly made tortilla samples to passersby, where butchers gladly dispense a piece of chicharrón (pork crackling) and where specialty vendors might let you try a few morsels of the filling for tacos de chapulines (fried crickets).
The fruits and vegetables are also quite fresh and cheap, but I found those in the tianguis (open air market) outside of the market to be a little touchy about their carefully piled up displays. You can’t just pick out fruit like you might in some other places because the vendors get worried all their fruit will tumble to the ground.
In the market, I enjoyed spending a little time with a guy who grinds his own mole, a woman selling piñatas and a tortilla vendor (or tortillería).
Here’s a short video of the tortillería’s machinery. A kilo of tortillas will set you back 8.5 pesos (or roughly 70 cents for half a pound).
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