Standing on a sidewalk at 9:30 a.m. in Mexico City, waiting for food, one typically imagines pan dulce (sweet bread), tamales and piping hot atole, a drink made from corn. Yet there we stood waiting for Arroz Black Tiger – a steaming, heaping, fried rice dish with salmon, surimi, shrimp and white mushrooms, something you might find for dinner at a trendy Asian fusion restaurant in Roma or Polanco, but certainly not for 135 pesos (US$7.30) and not at that hour. Nevertheless, business was humming, and several clients rushed in and out to place orders for their office, buying early before ingredients start to run out. Why so early?

Each Mexico City market is a universe unto itself – a bustling hub of neighborhood activity and a feast for the senses that borders on the overwhelming. From food stalls serving up just about any dish from around the Republic to entire city blocks of plants and cut flowers to fresh produce and meat, the many local markets are a can’t-miss stop on every visit to the Mexican capital.

Paco de Santiago explains how migration transformed Tacubaya, Escandón and the everyday foods that now define Mexico City.