A visit to Abastos market, Oaxaca

[bixaorellana]

Today I confronted the fact that there was no fresh food in my house and that I needed cash for bill paying. Thus I decided a visit to the big Abastos market in Oaxaca was in order. This was also a good day for it, since Wednesday is not one of the special days at that market.

Thus I set off, realizing too late that the bus I was on was one that stopped at the back of the market, not the front. That meant a trip through the length of the market in order to get to the Periferico (ring road) where the bank is. No matter, I had my camera with me and the hike would give me a chance to snap some pictures.

See -- long walk:


Cruising the produce:




And, bowing to an Any Port tradition, here's a menu board:

"Comida Corrida" is sort of a Blue Plate Special. This one says you get a wet* soup, rice, choice of main dish, homemade fruit drink, and dessert, all for $2.30 USD. The main dishes are chicken similar to chicken cacciatore, stuffed squash, stuffed chile, or pork backbone in green herb sauce (one of my favorites).
Spaghetti or rice are also considered soups in Mexico. They're called dry soups, so a regular, non-cream soup is a wet soup.

Get your eggs! Get your eggs here! Abastos Market is a huge wholesale outlet -- the commercial heart of Oaxaca.


If I had to pick one word to sum this place up, it would be "bustling".

Leaving the outer edges of the market, I look down an flower-packed entrance to the interior.

Guess this hasn't been outlawed in Mexico! This photo has not been enhanced. These are bright chicks.























The road that's my goal is finally in sight. Aren't these coconuts pretty?

If I can only get through the lined up buses and the closely packed kiosks.





















The blue buildings - yes! The blue buildings are my landmarks to get to the bank.


Oh! This is the first time I've realized that today is August 12 -- Día del Taxista. Guess cab drivers need love and recognition, too. The parade must be over, but the cabs are still decked out.

This side of the road is packed with practicality. Get your plumbing, hardware, electronic, electrical, etc. supplies around here.

Okay. I've been to the bank, paid my phone bill, survived re-crossing the road, and am back in the market. Right away I spy this great photo-op. The guy in the natty gray outfit with the alarmingly green sleeves is holding a semi-automatic weapon. The two of them were yakking and laughing until they caught me snapping the picture. "No, no -- you can't take a picture of us!"

















I love this part of the market. It's like a benevolent hell. As you pass through it, the meat vendors keep up a steady patter of, "What will you have? Tender tasajo. Do you want it fresh to take home, or grilled here?"

You'll be able to see how the grills are set between the meat counters in the next picture, but isn't this close-up deliciously medieval?

I caught sight of this big beauty as I passed the fonda (small restaurant) section of the market.























There is a == time gap == here as I purchase lots of comestibles. Now I'm leaving the market, mildly disappointed that I didn't catch anything really stellar with the camera today.
But wait -- what's this?


And in a little fillip of good luck, when I got home I found the second, just-for-insurance picture of the piñatas came out great.


Ahhh ~~ it's good to be home, but maybe I bought far too much?

[imec]

This is just great! The colors are fantastic! The meat kinda scares me a bit - looks good, but it doesn't appear to refrigerated or even covered. Tell us what you bought, I don't recognize all of it. And what do they do with the "bright chicks"?

[bixaorellana]

Thanks, Imec.

People here will tell you that meat in the US is awful because *horrified, lowered voice* "it's chilled". ;D They do have fly whisks.

I don't remember seeing those dyed chicks before. My brother had a dyed chick one year for Easter and I got a dyed duck. (I named him "Donald". Such an imaginative child.) I guess people buy them for kids here too.

I just posted my massive food haul over in "Market Day ~ what did you buy?" in On the Menu. It's reply #66.

[Deleted]

I had completely forgotten about dyed chicks!

I thought that this photo essay was all that much better because there was nothing 'spectacular' about it. I really got the feel of what the market is like -- quite similar and yet quite different from other countries. It's all in the little details, the way things are displayed, the setups of the stalls, the mood of the people. I can look at pictures like that for hours.

Not enough people realize that an adventure for others is to just follow someone else as they do their daily errands. I hope you have inspired some more people to take pictures. It doesn't always have to be to a market -- a trip to a playground or the hardware store can be just as much an adventure in different countries.

[bixaorellana]

Thank you, Kerouac.

Although there are many beautiful and informative photographs posted on Any Port, I find myself scrutinizing them for the extraneous details included in them. There's always the element of "Oh, I didn't know that!" which makes other people's pictures interesting, and which adds depth to a thread as questions are asked. I think your Paris fashion threads really prove that -- insanely successful threads on a subject of everyday life.

[Deleted]

I like to see minor details like even the way telephone numbers are presented in a different country (seen on the side of the truck in the next to last photo).

[hwinpp]

I like being able to BBQ your meat right on the spot. Doesn't the beef get tough though if it's sliced too thinly?

[Jazz]

I feel a sense of well being, as though I've just spent the morning at your market. Great! Your photos are very 'of the moment' as you make your rounds and reflect the varying moods of the shopkeepers and your fellow marketers. The colours and shapes are gorgeous! 'Bustling' is the perfect word.

It all flows together so vibrantly that its difficult to choose my favorite shots. The one of the Mexican lady at the meat stand (whose lovely face is framed by the two lightbulbs!) makes me wonder what she is thinking. But, the 'medieval' photo is like a beautiful painting. I've looked at this thread several times, there is so much detail and it simply makes me feel good.

[lagatta]

At least the meat is indoors.

Bixa, hope you'll be able to use all that produce. Since I live so close to the largest public market here, I rarely buy so much at once. The produce looks great.

Imagine the market must be too crowded at the weekend or when a feast day is coming up.

Interesting about sopa caldosa, since a soup is usually a caldo in the varieties of Spanish I'm familiar with. Minestra in Italian can be "asciutta" too: pasta, risotto etc. Usually involving some kind of broth over a starchy staple: bread of course, rice, pasta etc. It was of course the main food eaten by the majority of the population.

Funny looking at other people's markets: I go to our own so often that while seeing fresh vegetables always makes me happy, I don't see anything much that would be of interest to other people. It had been kind of sad this year as the weather had been cool and rainy, but now it is hot and dry so we are finally getting lovely field tomatoes, aubergines/eggplants etc.

And yes, hardware stores would be a great subject.

[bixaorellana]

HW, the meat is not as tender as a good steak, and you have to know how to choose it. It can be really tough -- I've had some that made think my jaws would look like Arnold Schwarzenegger's before I finally managed to get it chewed and swallowed.
The meat is cut and hustled to market the second the animal is slaughtered. There is no hanging of beef, nor keeping it in giant coolers for distribution. I imagine the thin cut may have been devised to make the meat manageably tender. So, tender it is not, but oh so very meaty tasting.
Most meat here is meant to be stewed or grilled, but except in the supermarkets or in some restaurants meant for the well-to-do, you won't find steak as we know it.

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Jazz, I can't tell you what your thoughtful feedback means to me! It is so gratifying to know that someone is sharing what I meant to impart. Really, that is a true focus of this forum -- to give us all a way to say, "See -- look -- this is what caught my attention, what I found beautiful or funny or poignant."

Look at how your lady's head is cocked and how that angle is mirrored by her customer. I think they're discussing what he wants to buy.

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Ha, LaGatta ~~ at the floating markets, those that visit different localities once a week, the meat is frequently in the open air. One thing about the enclosed markets is that the air never stinks. Yes, there is a strong meaty odor, but it's of fresh meat, not of something going off.

You're right about the crowding. I chose Wednesday to go for that very reason. That particular market is so central and important that it has three main days -- Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. It's a mob scene then, and can be difficult to catch a bus or shared taxi home. Ten years ago, I lived in a neighborhood that was a straight shot to Abastos and I shopped there every Saturday. Back then I could always find parking and it was a pleasure to go.

You are also right about "caldo", as caldo is broth. However for the purposes of a caption, it was easier to go with wet and dry. I think I've figured out the reason for spaghetti or rice being "dry soups" -- it's because they're cooked with lots of water. I imagine when some of the Spanish foods and techniques were introduced, they seemed odd to the Mexicans, who then described them in a way they found logical.

You are wrong, however, about your produce not being of interest to other people. I could happily pore over photographs of eggplant, one of the loveliest of vegetables and not part of the food canon here. As Jazz so eloquently points out, produce is intrinsically photogenic for its shapes and colors.

Yes, I did get a great deal of produce, but the apples, pears, and grapefruit can be eaten over a period of days. Here is the fruit as of right now from my shopping trip, plus one lone cactus fruit I already had. Out of the original shopping pictures, one mango, one grapefruit, one apple, two pears, a cucumber, an onion, half the cilantro and nopales, and all of the squash flowers are already gone.

[Don Cuevas]

Excellent photo essay; gracias!

[lagatta]

Lovely!

I haven't seen my favourite eggplants yet: the so-called "Sicilian" variety, though there are no doubt many, many varieties eaten in Sicily. I wonder if any cultures in Mexico have adopted the eggplant, which was of course taken to Sicily and Spain by the Arabs.

Sicilian eggplants are both aesthetically lovely and have a wonderful flavour. They are more globular than the long dark-purple ones and their skin is a dappled mixture of violet and creamy white. They are not bitter, though I find they have a more definite flavour than some of the Asian varieties we find here. I like them best simply brushed with a bit of olive oil, perhaps some balsamic vinegar or tamari as well, and grilled until they are soft.

[bixaorellana]

LaGatta, I believe you are describing the rosa bianca eggplant. They're my favorites, too. I grew them last year with seeds I brought from the US.

[lagatta]

Could be. There were many Sicilian settlers in New Orleans. I'll research this.

Hmm, not only (recent) Spanish immigrants but Lebanese-Mexicans like the family of Selma Hayek would eat eggplants.

[lola]

Love concept of Dia del taxista. I wouldn't have had anywhere near the nerve to photograph the cops. No doubt you poured on the charm and distracted them afterwards.

Great essay, bixa. Really takes us there. Thanks.

[Deleted]

I remember the market there being just as you presented it B. Bustling is the perfect word.
I know that after experiencing the market there no other market has come even close to satisfying me in that way.There was so much to take in and one could spend days there and not see everything. The colors and the smells, a sensory overload of the most pleasant variety. I don't remember being put off at all by anything seeming unsanitary or any of the vendors being too aggressive. I do remember laughing at some of the "rigging' of the canopies and such. One had to be very careful lest you fall into a heap of fresh produce tripping on a rope or awning!
Thanks for the fond recall.

[hwinpp]

Aug 14, 2009 15:25:01 GMT bixaorellana said:

HW, the meat is not as tender as a good steak, and you have to know how to choose it. It can be really tough -- I've had some that made think my jaws would look like Arnold Schwarzenegger's before I finally managed to get it chewed and swallowed.
The meat is cut and hustled to market the second the animal is slaughtered. There is no hanging of beef, nor keeping it in giant coolers for distribution.

...

Same as here.

[bixaorellana]

Anyone ready for a trip back to the Abastos market?

The last pictures in this thread are from August '09. It's now April '11 and even though I've gone to the big produce markets on Tuesdays and Fridays many times, I don't always take you all with me.

Yesterday I had to go because the lady from whom I'd gotten the fabulous Romano-style green beans said she'd bring me seeds for them. That was certainly too good to miss.

Easter is this coming Sunday, plus it's near the middle of the month (pay day) so people were out in force.

Let's throw ourselves into the fray ~~

Crowded, really crowded. We're at the back, in the thick of the Tues/Fri produce section. This section is dedicated to different things on different days. On Saturdays, for instance, around where we're standing would be clothes, both used and new, with live animals further back.


The view above is into a huge double-aisle section with a similar set of double aisles behind us.

But let's start walking toward the front part of the market. The way is completely lined with vendors. We'll peer into entrances to sections of the permanent market as we pass ~~




One thing that's remarkable is how calm things remain in all this jammed space, with vendors who've been here since before dawn, hot over-burdened shoppers who have to be vigilant for pick-pockets, noise, huge carts and hand-trucks passing through -- all a recipe for short tempers and snarling which do not materialize.

Look at the set of three pictures above and you'll notice different styles of women's dress. In the second picture, starting at the far left, you can just barely see two women, one in black, & the other with a purple blouse & green ribbons in her braids. They're from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and are a common sight in the city of Oaxaca and in this market. In fact, there are several sections of Tehuana vendors, selling their regional smoked fish, salty or herbed cheeses, special crisp tortillas, both sweet and plain, plus produce from the isthmus. In the 3rd picture, the woman in the orange skirt is from the isthmus.

There are also different uses of the rebozo shown. Past the two Isthmeñas in that 2nd picture, you can make out a seated woman with her rebozo elaborately wrapped on her head. Another woman in that photo has hers draped over her head, either because it's the way it's worn in her region, or to keep off the heat. A woman in the 3rd picture is using hers to hold a baby, a classic use for it. And the old lady with the hand cart has her rebozo simply because she wouldn't feel dressed without it.

Pinafores, especially on older women, are extremely common, even for dressy occasions. So are the ribbons braided through long hair, something that's dying out with younger or city women.

You'll notice more of that variety in dress as we pass through the market. There's a great deal more to see. Don't get over-heated!

[bixaorellana]

The animals back at the rancho are waiting for their food ~~


Uh-oh -- a bottleneck. There was a wide flatbed cart blocking most of the aisle. I followed the meek-looking but feisty man with the colorful bag when he crossed over to my side and nimbly elbowed his way through.


We've covered a lot of ground and here's my goal. The lovely plant lady remembered to bring my bean seeds!

Now, this is interesting -- this section, usually a big mix of items, has been given over to fish vendors on Fridays during Lent. But even though it's Tuesday, here they are ~~


Look at all the scales! ;D

[bixaorellana]

The reason I could bring the camera today is because I did my produce shopping on Friday. What's frustrating is that it was the Friday before Palm Sunday, and the most amazing things were being made from palms. And me with no camera that day! Let's see if there are any Easterish photo-ops today.

The many, many booths selling chia pets are still out ~~


Hard to make up your mind, isn't it? There are also pots and flats of wheat grass and young corn being sold, I suppose as symbolic of Spring and rebirth.


Ahh, here we go. These people are making flowers from the shiny base of agave leaves.

[bixaorellana]

Incidentally, I'm now the proud owner of the last one. The guy let me take pictures, then said, "Why don't you buy it?" What could I do?

[bixaorellana]

Moving right along, we're heading toward the back of the market again.



So many different styles of shopping. Some people rush through it ~~


               Others leisurely select ~

Some things are worth lingering over ~

Oh, I love this lady's reactions. She's one of the many elderly women who walk through the market selling shopping bags. She was drawn like a magnet to the pool toys ~

Buy us! Please buy us!

[bixaorellana]

          

Did I mention that it was crowded?

[bixaorellana]

First I was drawn to this stand because of the bright balls of yarn in the sunlight ~~


Then I recoiled at what has to be the ugliest depiction of Jesus I've ever seen!


Make way! Make way! Here comes the pastry cart.


You can see the guy in front straining to move it. I couldn't get far enough back to capture the whole wagon, or the guy in back pushing.

Another Istmeña ~

Another instance of three distinct styles of women's dress ~


And here is my market Mecca, my beloved taco stand ~~


The family who run it are lovely. I like the way they keep the salsas and relishes covered.


I always get the same thing -- two tacos of mixed pork meat. You can see I rudely started, then remembered to photograph the food.


And with that nice ending, we're off home. Thanks for coming with me!

[Deleted]

So incredibly colorful! It looks as wonderful as ever. One thing I noticed was that in most (but not all) of the photos, you could replace the Mexicans with Southeast Asians, and the market would look the same as in Vietnam or Indonesia.

I was wondering how long the agave 'flowers' last before you throw them away, but now as the proud owner of one, you're going to be able to tell us.

A lot of the fish at the market look dried and salted. Did I see that correctly?

I love the sequence of the old lady and the pool toys. Whenever I see someone interested in some incongruous, I always try to imagine what is going through their mind, from 'I wish I had a swimming pool like the people in the telenovelas' to 'since my son said he was taking the kids to the seaside this summer, maybe I should buy one' or 'oh, I still remember that perfect day in the river 60 years ago but we just had an old innertube.'

And then one returns to real life...

[onlymark]

I love local markets and you've captured that one well.

[bjd]

I'd kill for those mangoes. All kinds, all ripe! Here they occasionally import some from Peru or somewhere and they are picked unripe and never ripen.

When I go anywhere, markets are among my favourite sightseeing places. Better than castles.

[bixaorellana]

Thanks to all of you for the gratifying feedback.

Kerouac, as you thought, you're seeing a great deal of dried and salted fish. The state of Oaxaca has a long coastline, but the capitol city is quite inland. I suppose a taste for preserved fish and meats was fostered in the years before refrigeration. One thing in the supermarkets here that I hate is the habit of selling defrosted fish on nice beds of crushed ice as though it were fresh. Those filets you can see in the foreground of the first two fish market pictures are in plastic sleeves, the same way the defrosted ones are sold in the supermarket. *suspicion*

A sound truck went through my neighborhood this morning selling shrimp, crabs, & fish, but I didn't go look.

Funny you say that about SE Asian markets, as I always think the same thing in reverse when I look at photos of those markets.

Those agave flowers hold up well. One of their major uses is to decorate the entire fronts of churches, & they seem to last for ages.

Thanks, Mark. Is this market at all like those in Cairo?

Bjd, you'd be in heaven right now, and would turn into a complete mango cconnoisseuse, trying all the different varieties. I've sort of ODed on them for the time being. Friday I bought lovely local peaches, & they're a nice change from the rich, meaty, juicy ataulfo mangoes I prefer.

As far as sightseeing -- I go to this market about once a week, since it's where I buy my food. Even so, I still get off on it each and every time. It's a nice reminder of why I like living where I do.

[tod2]

Just fantastic Bixa!! I would lap up the experience of strolling a market like that - it has everything and anything a person could want! I noted in reply #22 there is a entire stand selling just mangoes of at least 4 varieties. The most popular mango here ( and grown in large orchards) is the Zill mango.
In the photo they are the large almost round ones either really red or a mixture of green and purple when not quite ripe. They have no fibres in the pulp of the fruit like the oblong yellow ones on display. Those particular ones bring back memories of my childhood when after sucking the mango for all its worth we would wash it several times in water and then leave it in the sun to dry. The white fibres were then combed and fluffed up, eyes penned in the pointed end and in hours we had a new pet hedgehog!!

I will be going over the photos in more detail and may find something else amazing!

[mickthecactus]

Absolutely fascinating.

We have no markets at home like that. Only supermarkets with their poor quality fruit and veg.

If I want a good market I have to go into central London - Borough market right by London Bridge. Next time I must take my camera...