Margret Hefner, is a Culinary Backstreets expert collaborator that brings us the stories of local heroes, visiting them onsite, and even fundraising them when they are in need.
Hefner recently posted an article on San Miguel’s street markets as part of a series of articles called “Culinary Backstreet on the Road”.
“San Miguel de Allende’s Mercados and Marchantes”, describes the amazing life of the local SMA markets:
To call San Miguel de Allende mind-blowingly picturesque is no hyperbole. Cobblestone streets and colonial facades enchant and inspire romantic notions from even the greatest cynic.
Merchants in San Miguel de Allende’s Market (Photo: culinarybackstreets.com)
Called by some “Mexico’s Disneyland for adults,” it’s a coveted destination for lavish fairytale weddings and romantic getaways and for expats and snowbirds to pass the time under azure skies in its dry, temperate climate.
The historic center is peppered with fine-dining restaurants, stylish eateries, hipster pop-ups and cafés with picture-perfect open-air terraces. Its weekly farmers’ market rivals those of the “foodiest” towns in the US.
Huarache, a traditional Mexican dish (Photo: culinarybackstreets.com)
So what about the “real” San Miguel?
Just two blocks from the Jardín, across from the Church of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri, and at the end of Insurgentes Street, the city buses begin and end their routes to Centro.
From early morning to late afternoon each day on this bustling corner plaza, entrepreneurial commerce is in action in its purest form. It’s carried out by women, mostly, some of an age you can’t guess, their wrinkles indicating a great many years, while others tote a baby on the hip, shy toddler in tow.
They are the so called “marchantes” – vendors without a permanent market “puesto” (stall).
From bucket and basket they offer fresh produce, gleaned and harvested from nearby areas, picked fresh yesterday by the men and children of the family. Sometimes, this reveals regional rarities – fruits from a lone tree on an undisclosed route between this village and that.
Source: http://culinarybackstreets.com
