Comments on: Confronted with modernity, a central market shrugs and moves on http://peterbrice.com/confronted-with-modernity-a-central-market-shrugs-and-moves-on.html updated every Monday in the wee hours Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:37:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: 1st Mate http://peterbrice.com/confronted-with-modernity-a-central-market-shrugs-and-moves-on.html#comment-94 1st Mate Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:06:13 +0000 http://peterbrice.com/confronted-with-modernity-a-central-market-shrugs-and-moves-on.html#comment-94 My favorite mercado is in Mazatlan, in a historic building in Old Town. I tend to avoid the meat and fish areas, as I'm still not thrilled about buying meat that's been sitting out for hours, but their produce is wonderful, and it's a great place to buy nuts, grains, etc. in bulk. We have a clean, well-managed mercado here in Guaymas too, smaller but also in a historic building. Unfortunately Ley and Sorina have almost eclipsed it. My favorite mercado is in Mazatlan, in a historic building in Old Town. I tend to avoid the meat and fish areas, as I’m still not thrilled about buying meat that’s been sitting out for hours, but their produce is wonderful, and it’s a great place to buy nuts, grains, etc. in bulk. We have a clean, well-managed mercado here in Guaymas too, smaller but also in a historic building. Unfortunately Ley and Sorina have almost eclipsed it.

]]> By: Kelly Hart http://peterbrice.com/confronted-with-modernity-a-central-market-shrugs-and-moves-on.html#comment-72 Kelly Hart Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:36:25 +0000 http://peterbrice.com/confronted-with-modernity-a-central-market-shrugs-and-moves-on.html#comment-72 Pedro, Great post! You really made the whole mad, crowded cacophony of Mexican markets come alive with your writing. There is really nothing quite like them in the U.S.; maybe some of the bigger markets like the Reading market in Philadelphia or Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco could compare, but these would be tame and sanitized versions, without the grittiness and enormous variety found in Mexico. I don't expect the tradition of the old-fashion Mexican mercado to die out any time soon. Too many Mexicans (and gringos) love them; and as you point out, most everything can be found more economically there, and this is really the bottom line for most Mexicans. Besides, most Mexicans don't own a car, so parking is not an issue, and in fact, it is often inconvenient it even get to the bigger sanitized stores without personal transportation. With gas prices going upward, even less Mexicans will own cars... Viva el mercado! It is a fine tradition. Pedro,

Great post! You really made the whole mad, crowded cacophony of Mexican markets come alive with your writing. There is really nothing quite like them in the U.S.; maybe some of the bigger markets like the Reading market in Philadelphia or Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco could compare, but these would be tame and sanitized versions, without the grittiness and enormous variety found in Mexico.

I don’t expect the tradition of the old-fashion Mexican mercado to die out any time soon. Too many Mexicans (and gringos) love them; and as you point out, most everything can be found more economically there, and this is really the bottom line for most Mexicans.

Besides, most Mexicans don’t own a car, so parking is not an issue, and in fact, it is often inconvenient it even get to the bigger sanitized stores without personal transportation. With gas prices going upward, even less Mexicans will own cars…

Viva el mercado! It is a fine tradition.

]]> By: Tess http://peterbrice.com/confronted-with-modernity-a-central-market-shrugs-and-moves-on.html#comment-68 Tess Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:45:54 +0000 http://peterbrice.com/confronted-with-modernity-a-central-market-shrugs-and-moves-on.html#comment-68 And if anyone's concerned about the efficiency of such an operation, consider the following example: A Guatemalan immigrant to Mexico (and then the US, where I met him) was telling me of the standards for sorting fruit such as papayas, mangos, bananas, and melons at his back-breaking job in a warehouse in Mexico a few years ago. There was a size chart to determine which fruits were a certain size and could be shipped to the US, and those outside of the range were allowed to stay. Sometimes mangoes in this range, he said, were not the best ones at all, but for shipping purposes, had to be left out. Good to know it wasn't a total quality drain. But then the stores like Comercial get the goods that were more than likely picked within miles of their store, then shipped to the US to be packaged by our figurative Uncle Sam Walton, and then shipped BACK. Makes one wonder what ..ahem subsidies, trade tariffs, etc...are making this feasible. And why produce with that life experience would be more desirable. Peter- tell them that farmer's markets are making a "comeback" here already, and that the knowledge of how to grow food is precious and rare. If they hold on to that, they will not only be shrugging at the pace of the economic market, they will be laughing at the rest of us who outpaced and outsourced our own skills. And if anyone’s concerned about the efficiency of such an operation, consider the following example: A Guatemalan immigrant to Mexico (and then the US, where I met him) was telling me of the standards for sorting fruit such as papayas, mangos, bananas, and melons at his back-breaking job in a warehouse in Mexico a few years ago. There was a size chart to determine which fruits were a certain size and could be shipped to the US, and those outside of the range were allowed to stay. Sometimes mangoes in this range, he said, were not the best ones at all, but for shipping purposes, had to be left out. Good to know it wasn’t a total quality drain.
But then the stores like Comercial get the goods that were more than likely picked within miles of their store, then shipped to the US to be packaged by our figurative Uncle Sam Walton, and then shipped BACK. Makes one wonder what ..ahem subsidies, trade tariffs, etc…are making this feasible. And why produce with that life experience would be more desirable.
Peter- tell them that farmer’s markets are making a “comeback” here already, and that the knowledge of how to grow food is precious and rare. If they hold on to that, they will not only be shrugging at the pace of the economic market, they will be laughing at the rest of us who outpaced and outsourced our own skills.

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