When in Oaxaca City, you need to have lunch or dinner at the Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Here are some ideas on how to do it.
Imagine eating in a place like this: thick smoke covers the entire room, tons of people are walking by offering you different goods, there are no plates, you have to eat with your hands, insects are part of what you are eating. All these and more can be experienced at the Mercado 20 de Noviembre in Oaxaca.
Oaxaca markets are famous worldwide. They are the places to savor the best dishes and ingredients of the state in their purest form.
The Mercado 20 de Noviembre is located two blocks south of the capital’s zocalo. It is not my intention to sound cliché but visit at least once to get a minimal taste of how things work in Oaxaca (minimal taste since the cultural and gastronomic offerings in Oaxaca are plenty).
One Sunday afternoon, we visited with local friends. Therefore, I observed them moving into their city. I just went with the flow and agreed with their decisions.
Based on what I experienced, here is some guidance on how to have the best possible lunch experience.
Step 1: Buy a Bag or Two of Chapulines
Chapulines are grasshoppers cooked in a comal with different seasonings. They can be eaten as a botana (snack) or as tortilla fillers (in tacos, quesadillas, etc.).
Chapulines
At the Mercado 20 de Noviembre, you are going to see mounds of chapulines flanking some of the entrances. To be sincere, I am not inclined to eat insects but I ended up trying them since my husband and friends were pushing me. I was worried about crunchy pieces sticking in my throat.
I am a texture person (do not necessarily oppose the flavor). But thanks to the experienced cookers, the chapulines had a beef jerky texture and a great flavor. We ended up buying two bags of medium-sized chapulines: one with garlic flavor, the other one with lime and chili flavor.
Chapulines Vendor
Buying Chapulines
Step 2: Select the Meat
Enter the market and find the meat hall (mercado de las carnes). Almost all vendors offer three things: chorizo, cecina (pork pounded thin, covered in chili sometimes), and tasajo (beef pounded thin). Closely, inspect the meat color when trying to select a vendor. When in doubt, go to where the line is longer. We ordered a kilo of tasajo (13 pieces) and half a kilo of chorizo. The meat vendor is in charge of grilling your meat.
Meat Hall
Meat Vendor
Cecina, tasajo and chorizo
Grilling meat
Step 3: Select a Legume Stand
While your meat is cooking, walk a few steps where the legume stands are located. If you buy from one of them, drinks, vegetables or other sides, they give you a table to eat. This is the place to order tortillas, grilled green onions, and chilies.
Legume Stand
Dispensing vegetables and sides
Step 4: Order Sides and Mexican Coke
Once at your table, a guy working for the legume stand will start to take your drinks order. He will also show up with a tray full of sides. You can choose from guacamole, avocado, tomatoes, radish, cucumbers, nopales, pickled vegetables, lemons, and more. Put on the table what you want and the guy will take the rest.
Start with an appetizer of chapulines or nibble on some of the sides.
Taking the orders
Meat and sides
Step 5: Prepare your Taco
The meat arrives very quickly (check if it is totally cooked, especially the chorizo). Put a napkin over the corner where you are going to eat (there are no plates in here) and start assembling your taco over it. With your hands, break the tasajo into pieces; add chapulines and any of the sides. Repeat as long as you have meat.
Tasajo, chapulines and nopales taco
Step 6: Enjoy your Meal
Appreciate what you are eating since you are trying the freshest ingredients in Oaxaca. You can always end your meal by buying fruit or sweet bread. Or, there is the option to cross the street to the Juarez market to have traditional ice cream and agua fresca made with natural ingredients.
My husband with one of his tacos
Would you have lunch in a place like this? Let me know in the comments section below.
Rich Polanco (UnwireMe.com) says
That’s a nice looking market! Food looks great too, though I don’t know about the chapulines…
It’s always fun and a learning experience to visit local markets, specially well-known ones. That market is different from the one I visited in Toronto, and the one here in Antigua. Some are definitely more geared and better set up for tourists (like Toronto’s) and some cater exclusively to the locals (like Antigua’s). Oaxaca’s looks like a nice, happy medium.
-Rich
Ruth says
For what I heard from locals, you have to go outside Oaxaca city to experience a local market. Since the Mercado 20 de Noviembre is in the city, it is easy to visit. But I still want to go to one of the small towns during market day.
Annette | Bucket List Journey says
Is it just me or are those grasshoppers huge! This looks like a market I would love to explore.
Ruth says
Annette,
There are different sizes. The ones we got were meduim size. I saw some really huge ones. Then, there are smalls. It is difficult to tell what they are. But yes, this is a great market to visit.
Rachel says
I never fancy eating exotic food but yeah, when you’re with people who are so into it, you will end up doing what you’re not ready to go through. I guess you just have to be prepared at all times. The tacos look so delish.. wait a sec, I hope that kid sneaking in your husband’s taco is just a picture.
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