One of the first things I do when I arrive in a new city is find the local shops and markets where I can stock my kitchen. It’s part of how I settle into a temporary home and begin to make it feel lke my own. When I’m in Oaxaca City, I cook daily and rarely eat out, so stocking up on good ingredients is one of the first things I do when I return. As a vegetarian, access to fresh fruits and vegetables is especially important to me—and Oaxaca has plenty.
Since I live on the north side of the city in Xochimilco, the places I’ve listed are convenient for me to access on foot.
Sánchez Pascuas Market
This is my local mercado, and I’m proud to say I’m recognized as a regular. I usually go twice a week for fresh fruits and vegetables—but there is so much more available, and much of it is local and natural. I do the majority of my shopping here, and I’m still amazed by everything I can find.
What I buy:
- Seasonal fruits and vegetables
- Quesillo, queso fresco, and goat cheese
- Eggs
- Black beans and wheat berries
- Spices and shredded coconut
- Homemade salsa
- Plant-based milks
One of my favorite parts of the market is the two small stands selling produce just outside the rear entrance. Depending on the season, I can usually find berries, mushrooms, herbs, and homemade jams.
Local favorites: The homemade salsa sold by the ladies near the rear of the market, by the food stalls, is a staple in my kitchen.
And I can’t not mention the famous juice stand, Super Jugos Angelita. I’m always offered my “usual,” a shot of turmeric with ginger, lemon, and a pinch of black pepper.
If someone asked me my favorite place in Oaxaca, this would be it. It’s one of the places that has become part of my everyday life here. I love markets in general, but this one is special because it’s smaller than the main market near the Zócalo and has a neighborhood feel. Many of the food tours stop here for a reason.
Rito Chocolatería and Tienda
Directly across from Sánchez Pascuas Market, this little tienda sells everything chocolate.
What I buy:
- Cacao nibs and cacao powder
- Wedges of flavored chocolate de mesa (used to make hot chocolate)
- Chocolate bars
In the summer, I sometimes stop by for a freshly made chocolate drink (made with your choice of milk or water).
Don’t miss: Their chocolate ice cream! It’s dense and rich and not overly sweet. I usually leave with a liter, but you can get it by the scoop and eat there.
This is not a place I need to go to often, but it’s important for the few things I buy here regularly. It’s also a great place to buy gifts to take home to people in the US and elsewhere.
La Cosecha
Everyone loves La Cosecha! Tourists and locals alike flock here for the relaxed food court atmosphere, and they often have live music to help set the mood. It’s a lovely place to eat breakfast and shop.
What I buy:
- Fresh yogurt
- Bags of mixed lettuce and greens like arugula and kale
- Rice cakes
If it’s crowded and I don’t feel like being around people, I buy fresh mushroom and black bean tamales to go. Next to the tamale stand is a place where you can get fresh tepache, a lightly fermented pineapple drink, or pulque, a traditional fermented alcoholic agave drink, if you want something with a kick.
La Pitaya
This little shop is on my way home from Sánchez Pascuas, so it’s an easy stop when I’m missing something from my weekly shopping. I don’t buy a lot here, but it’s where I go for a few things I can’t easily find elsewhere. It’s tucked into a building that also houses a popular vegetarian restaurant and a Spanish-language bookshop, so it’s easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it.
What I buy:
- Rummo pasta
- Loose-leaf teas
- Brown rice
They usually have some really good incense at the counter and have an excellent selection of natural body, laundry, and hair-care products that I love to browse.
Café Pluma: El Grano de Oro
Among other things, Oaxaca is also famous for its coffee. Every time I return, I find that several new trendy coffee shops have popped up in tiny little spaces that had been vacant for years.
Located in the main mercado known as Mercado Benito Juárez, you won’t see foreigners coming here for coffee since it’s not a café. It’s the type of place that’s famous with domestic tourists who want to take home top-quality Oaxacan coffee as a gift or to enjoy themselves.
I usually drink my coffee at home, so when I first moved to the city, I began my search for the best beans. After trying a couple of the popular local brands sold in various shops and cafés around town, I finally found my favorite here. Ever since then, it’s the only place I buy coffee beans in the city.
What I buy:
The high-quality exportacion oscuro (export-quality dark roast) by the kilo.
Absolutely don’t miss: Their amazing chocolate-covered pistachios, cranberries, and nuts.
Any coffee lover can find whatever they might need here in terms of coffee paraphernalia.
When I return to Oaxaca, this place is at the top of my to-do list… and I never leave here without buying at least one small bag of chocolate covered pistacios!
Xiguela
The most complete selection of foreign foods, as well as natural and organic products from Oaxaca. It’s located in the trendy yet traditional neighborhood of Jalatlaco. I always go here with the intention of buying a few specific items, like couscous and yellow lentils, and end up spending more money than I intended and with more than is comfortable to carry home.
What I buy:
- Local cheeses
- Crackers
- Tempeh and/or seitan
- Frozen pita
- Tahini
- Freshly ground pure peanut butter
- Cans of Italian tomatoes
- Couscous
- Black olives
Xiguela has been a part of the community for many years, and it’s the type of shop foreigners always seek out for some of the comforts of home (with an emphasis on natural and organic). You can find a lot of the foreign products sold here at bigger stores like Chedraui, but I like to support locally owned shops.
From the Market
Nopales: A Simple Way to Prepare a Mexican Staple
When I first moved to Oaxaca, nopales were one of those ingredients I saw everywhere but didn’t really know what to do with. Eventually, I learned how to prepare them and now they’re a regular part of my kitchen. They’re inexpensive, healthy, and one of those simple ingredients that makes me feel like I’m actually cooking with the place where I live.
Bags of trimmed and cut nopales are always available at the local markets. All you need to do is throw them in a pot of salted, boiling water for about 10 minutes. The color will change to a muted olive green.
After they are boiled, you can rinse them with some cold water which helps get rid of the sliminess. I skip that step because it doesn’t bother me and you can hardly notice if you made a salad like this.
My signature nopales dish uses cut up squares of quesillo, tomatoes, red onion, a little salt and pepper and a drizzle of oilve oil. That’s it! It’s the kind of dish that impresses foreigners and Mexicans alike.