page_title: La Merced Market
section_title: Inside the market
hierarchical_section_title: La Merced Market / Inside the market
caption_attribution_description: Nopal cacti in the Merced (a market of Mexico city)
context_page_description: The La Merced Market is a traditional public market located in the eastern edge of the historic center of Mexico City and is the largest retail traditional food market in the entire city. The area, also called La Merced, has been synonymous with commercial activity since the early colonial period when traders arrived here from other parts of New Spain. At one time, nearly the entire neighborhood was filled with market stalls and in the 1860s it was decided to build a permanent market on the grounds of the old La Merced monastery. In the first half of the 20th century, this market was the major wholesaler for the entire city. This ended when the Central de Abasto was opened in the 1980s, but La Merced remains the largest traditional retail market. The market area is also known for flagrant prostitution in which women can be seen soliciting at all hours of the day and night. It is estimated that about one third of these prostitutes are underage.
context_section_description: The largest building of the complex is dedicated mostly to the sale of fruits and vegetables. Other buildings sell household items such as juicers, tinware, spoons, cleaning supplies and much more. There is constant movement of people here, with many shouting out to potential customers. Work begins here in the very early morning hours and ends in the evening. The market is filled at all hours with truck drivers, sellers, buyers, butchers and cooks.
  Basic Mexican foodstuffs is the backbone of this markets selling Mexican spices such as epazote, chili peppers fresh and dried of just about every variety, nopals (cactus pads),  pig skins fried whole, corn, and uncommon items such as wild mushrooms including a variety that look like chantrelle but denser. One of the few places to find truly authentic Oaxaca cheese in the city.  Vendors can be seen tying stacks of banana leaves, cutting spines from nopals, and selling “secret” herbal remedies.
  La Merced, like most Mexican traditional markets, is a favored place to eat Mexican street food, called “antojitos” (lit. cravings). Two specialties here are quesadillas and tostadas. Quesadillas can be had with a variety of fillings along with the cheese (typically Oaxaca cheese) such as stewed pork stomach, pickled pork fat, huitlacoche (corn fungus) and squash flowers. The quesadillas sold here are typically long and cooked on a comal, often from blue corn dough. It is topped with red or green chili peppers that have been blended with onions and salt into a watery paste. Like the quesadillas, tostadas have a wide variety of toppings and the crunchy tortilla sometimes has unusual flavorings such as sesame seeds and chipotle.
caption: Nopals for sale at La Merced
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