The Mercado San Juan, our 'gourmand's paradise' is my favorite market in the world. I go at least once a week, always with a chef’s open mind, never knowing what to expect. Maybe it will be a fresh plump duck from Michoacán, head and all. Or a nice rack of lamb from Hidalgo. Perhaps Pescadería Alicia will have gotten in some glistening scallops on the half shell or shiny metallic looking fresh sardines. I’ve walked in thinking 'dinner in Provence' and left with fresh pea shoots, long beans and tofu from the Asian stands in back – “Ladies and Gentlemen; there will be a change of program tonight: Szechuan.” The vendors are my friends. I stop to chat with the López family and sample their latest artisanal cheeses accompanied by a plastic cup of nice Rioja. I may have a couple of oysters opened to devour on the spot. Or, if it’s lunch hour, I’ll sit down at Doña Juana’s, one of the best fondas in the city and slurp pozole. (See The Washington Post for the article in which I do just that).
The San Juan market (whose proper name is Mercado San Juan Ernesto Pugibet) embodies the history of Mexico itself. It is located near the site of a pre-Hispanic trading area called Moyotlán.
With the arrival of the conquistadores the humble barrio was renamed San Juan. The market continued to serve the settlers – imported products such as wine and olive oil were sold there, as were slaves. This tradition – minus the human trafficking - continues today as just about everything edible is offered and many clients are foreign-born or descendents thereof. The overriding theme is Spanish – embutidos (cold meats), cheeses and seafood tend towards the Iberian, though stands cater to the city’s growing population of Asians. And all kinds of Mexican grown exotic meats, fruits and vegetables can be found.
San Juan Market
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Invitation: Come Along to Taste the "Once in a Century Bordeaux Vintage 2022"! Where? In Bordeaux During a Fabulous ombiasy Wine Tourfrom May 20 - May 29, 2025
ANNOUNCEMENT: Wine Tours in Europe by ombiasy with Annette Schiller 2025
Overview: Germany Rhein-Mosel-Nahe 2024 by Ombiasy Public Relations and Wine Tours led by Annette Schiller - Facebook Day-by-day Postings
Summary: Loire 2024 - Châteaux and Wine - by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller
Summary: Germany "From Berlin to Frankfurt" 2023 (Saale Unstrut, Sachsen, Franken, Württemberg) by ombiasy WineTours
Summary: From Lyon to Paris - Total Immersion in Burgundy and Champagne 2023 by ombiasy WineTours (July 02 - 13, 2023)
Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023
Guided Visit of Château Chenonceau, Residence of Diana de Poitier and of Katharina de Medici, Mistress (the Former) and Wife (the Latter) of King Henry II - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Christian Schiller`s SCHILLER-WINE Blog on Corking Wines` Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 List
The 2024 American Wine Society National Conference in Winston-Salem, North Carolina/ USA with Annette and Christian Schiller: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens
2022 Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in McLean, Virginia, USA
Massive Tasting of Bordeaux 1982 - the Vintage that made Robert Parker a Star, USA/ France
Kékfrankos - Blaufränkisch - Lemberger: A Grape’s Immigration Story From Central Europe To The US West Coast - Seminar at the 2023 American Wine Society National Conference in St. Louis/ Missouri/ USA led by Annette Schiller
Christian Schiller: Re-elected to the Board of the "Weinfeder", the Association of German Wine Journalists
schiller-wine Blog of Christian Schiller Top Washington DC Alcohol Blog (December, 2024)
2024 Annual Meeting of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, a 45 Years Old Wine Brotherhood in the Famous Wine Village Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany, with Annette Schiller, Founding Member, and Christian Schiller
German Wine Society (Capital Chapter) Membership Meeting 2024: Carl Willner Re-elected President and Christian Schiller Re-elected Vice-president, USA/ Germany
Masterclass - The Wines of Germany: Presentation by Annette Schiller at the German Embassy in Washington DC/ Consular Conference March 2024
The New German Wine Law of 2021 - Shifting from the Sugar Level at Harvest to the Wine's Geographic Origin
Dinner at JAN in Munich, Germany, with Jan Hartwig, one of the ten German 3-star Michelin Chefs (September 2024)