La Ofrenda: the altar of offering

A centerpiece of the traditions that surround the occasion is the creation and open placement of an ofrenda —an altar of offering— that usually manifests as an altar in family homes, although some ofrendas are also arranged at local cemeteries, and in public spaces including parks and plazas.

These altars are an art form and personal expression of love towards one’s family members now passed; they are not intended for worshiping but instead for the purpose of remembrance and celebration of life.

The three tiers of an ofrenda

Traditionally, altars featuring ofrendas will be composed of three layers:

• the top tier contains photographs of the remembered deceased as well as religious statues or symbols, especially that of La Virgen Guadalupe;
• the second tier will contain the ofrendas: toys are usually offered for deceased children, and bottles of tequila, mezcal, or atole for deceased adults.  Personal ornaments, and/or the deceased’s favorite food or confection will also be present here, as will Pan de Muerto;
• the third tier will feature lit candles, and some people add a washbasin and a towel so that the spirits of the deceased may refresh themselves upon arrival at the altar.

The second tier of the altar is the most personal, furnished with a thoughtful selection of ofrendas for the remembered deceased.  Special care is given to the composition of this layer by those creating the ofrendas, giving due consideration to the important things their loved ones most enjoyed during the course of their lifetime.

In remembrance of deceased children, toy and game sets, cuddly toys, as well as candy and snacks they enjoyed may be placed here.  For adults, it’s traditional to leave samples of the food and drink they especially enjoyed (or the ingredients which make them).

Small clay pots containing samples of foods like corn, spices, chiles, and confectionery are common; as are clay cups or mugs containing the deceased’s favorite beverages—which could include sodas, chocolate, coffee, tea, atole; as well as tequila, pulque, or mezcal, etc.

Every altar will include Mexican orange marigold flowers called cempaxochitl —colloquially referred to as flor de muerto— as well as Pan de Muerto, bread of the dead.

Making arrangements for the ofrenda

In the two weeks or so leading-up to Day of the Dead, local markets across Mexico begin to fill-up with colorful stalls selling all the items traditionally needed to fully dress a family ofrenda.

Local markets are indispensable

If you’re visiting Mexico in the days leading up the event, be sure to visit at least one local market to experience the atmosphere and witness the traditions which accompany the creation of family altars, and where you’ll see local people busily seeking out the indispensable pieces they need to compose their own unique and very personal ofrenda: a symbol of remembrance and a celebration of lives lived.

Drapes and adornments

The altar tables are usually draped and adorned with colorful paper or cloth, some with cut-outs known as papel picado and formed into a variety of patterns which echo the traditions —Catrinas, skulls, crosses, and flowers are most common— and some even depict pumpkins.

Something sweet

Most altars will include some form of confectionery, typically caramelized pumpkin and an assortment of sugar skulls which are creatively decorated and painted and sold in a range of different sizes.

The importance of candlelight

Candlelight is an important atmospheric aspect of each ofrenda, and the markets are replete with options, often presented in colorful pots and jars, or with edges of the wax candle painted and decorated in harmony with Day of the Dead themes. Incense burners may also be found on some ofrendas, alongside the candles.

Where to find ofrendas in Mexico

The ofrendas can be seen at local cemeteries, and in public parks and plazas. In some provincial towns and villages, local families traditionally open their homes’ altars on the 1st and 2nd of November—so a visit to a local cemetery and a wander around local neighborhoods may provide you with an opportunity to share and experience Day of the Dead traditions at a very local and personal level.

You can learn more about the traditions of Day of the Dead, including the altars and Catrinas on our article about Celebrating Life on Day of the Dead in Mexico

Learn more about Day of the Dead in Mexico

We publish guides and articles to help you discover more about Day of the Dead in Mexico, as well as Pátzcuro and Oaxaca City.

• Articles to discover Day of the Dead in Mexico
• How to plan ahead for Day of the Dead
• Celebrating life on Day of the Dead
• Meet the elegant Catrinas
• Delicious bread and hot chocolate traditions
• The iconic flower synonymous with Day of the Dead
• Children’s Calaverita traditions
• Guides to Pátzcuaro and Oaxaca City

A delicious seasonal pleasure

Like Easter eggs or turkey dinner at Thanksgiving, Bread of the Dead is a treat that people look forward to when it arrives and miss when its season passes.  In years past, Pan de Muerto was only available in Mexico between late September and early November; however, in a constant drive to ‘de-seasonalize’ product lines and extend sales opportunities, Mexican supermarkets now sell Pan de Muerto as early as August and as late as December in some places.

It’s bread—with some seasonal twists

Bread of the Dead is baked like any other bread—except that it has a few treats added to enrich the mixture and which serve to make it special.  The generous quantity of butter mixed into the bake accompanied by a citrus glaze and topped with a liberal dusting of sugar make this loaf a high-calorie sweet feast that, when fresh, melts deliciously on the tongue.

Pan de Muerto is baked in the shape of a bun, with sizes ranging from individual ‘mini’ breads —an ideal companion to a mug of hot chocolate or coffee— to loaves that resemble a large cake which can be sliced and served on plates in similar fashion.  A remarkable feature of the bread is the presence of “bones,” formed from the same sweet mixture and laid over the dome-shaped dough.  These give the bread a somewhat macabre look but rest well with the theme.

The recipe for Bread of the Dead is quite simple and you can find a selection of recipes online, examples here.  The succulent citrus undertones are bestowed by the addition of zest from the juice of a fresh orange or orange-blossom water.

A warming delight on cool autumnal evenings

The bread is best when taken on the same day it was baked, accompanied with a mug of hot chocolate made the Mexican way. (Add ground cinnamon to the chocolate and whisk.)

One of the long-standing traditions observed by people who attend the graves of their loved ones now deceased is to take freshly-baked Pan de Muerto and drink Mexican hot chocolate; usually after dark when the cool November temperatures begin to make their presence felt in the night air.

Pan de Muerto is one of those Mexican foods which many foreigners have yet to try. If you live in Mexico, or visit between late October and early November, then you’ll know (or come to know) about Day of the Dead and taste the delicious bread that attends this important occasion.

Learn more about Day of the Dead in Mexico

We publish guides and articles to help you discover more about Day of the Dead in Mexico, as well as Pátzcuro and Oaxaca City.

• Articles to discover Day of the Dead in Mexico
• How to plan ahead for Day of the Dead
• Celebrating life on Day of the Dead
• Meet the elegant Catrinas
• Altars and offerings for Day of the Dead
• The iconic flower synonymous with Day of the Dead
• Children’s Calaverita traditions
• Guides to Pátzcuaro and Oaxaca City

But because it’s so impossibly huge and challenging to navigate, it’s intimidating for many visitors. David Lida —whose book First Stop in the New World is considered by many the definitive text on Mexico City— can take you inside in ways it would be impossible to find on your own.

David Lida knows the capital intimately and offers small group walking tours that will give you exceptional insights and glimpses into this magnificent and historical capital city.  His knowledge and personal approach to creating tours for between one and six people offer unique perspectives and value that commonly offered public tours cannot touch.

Delve into Mexico City’s charms on a tour formed around your interests

Mexico City has many attractions to offer, and visitors are often faced with a bewildering choice of options.  To get the most of your limited time, it’s helpful to have someone who understands your interests and offers you a tour that’s formed around them.

David’s tours focus on one or two neighborhoods or areas of interest per day, and give you and your party an intimate glimpse into the capital’s history and contemporary character.

David will meet you at your accommodations (or other agreed starting point) and you will travel together using Uber or Didi cabs to arrive at the start of your walking tour. Unless you want to end the tour elsewhere, he will also accompany you back to where you’re staying. Tours typically last between five to six hours.

Mexico City Tours by area

David offers unique insights into several areas of Mexico City.  The tours described below can be arranged on their own, or can be combined.  If you want something fully-customized, David that can help with that—use the request form below to indicate your choices and share further information about your interests.

Trendy neighborhoods of La Condesa and La Roma

These are Mexico City’s hippest neighborhoods, and have been gentrifying quickly. Sometimes you hear more English (or French) spoken on the streets than Spanish. Yet there are still echoes of the traditional atmosphere if you know where to look. David can help you explore the contrasts between the trendy and the traditional on a tour that reveals how the capital’s neighborhoods move through cycles influenced by time and fashion.

Discover new surprises in the Centro Histórico

David’s walking tour of the capital’s historic downtown will introduce you to the most famous sights in Mexico City’s most energetic neighborhood including the Zócalo, Bellas Artes, and the Plaza Santo Domingo.  The tour will also take you to fascinating places often overlooked by most visitors, such as a sexually ambiguous monument to bullfighters, a stained-glass ceiling you’d swear was Parisian, and the biggest bag of cheese doodles you will ever see in your life.

Quaint colonial enclaves of Coyoacán and San Angel

Once an enchanting village on the outskirts of the capital, today San Ángel is one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the city, known for its colonial architecture, outdoor art markets, and dining within the walls of 17th-century mansions converted into fine restaurants.

Nearby Coyoacán is the de facto bohemian quarter of the capital, underpinned by Frida & Diego’s former home and Trotsky’s residence in exile.  These colonial enclaves offer visitors a distinctive shift away from the capital’s sprawl and a glimpse back to an era of quiet cobblestoned streets, unspoiled colonial architecture, vibrant traditional markets (and an ample selection of places to enjoy a delicious meal).

Mexico City markets and street food

Since ancient times, Mexico City has been a hotbed of trade and commerce and this is reflected in its diverse and atmospheric markets which continue to thrive and surprise. The profusion of stalls selling food along the streetscape are among the most alluring and varied you’ll find anywhere.

When Anthony Bourdain visited Mexico City, his team hired David to find the best street food stalls, holes-in-the-wall, and cantinas for his television show (and even put him on camera). David will introduce you to the glorious and lively markets, and the most reliable and delicious street food in the capital.

Discover the floating gardens of Xochimilco

About 500 years ago, most of the Valley of Mexico City was a vast system of lakes, canals, and islands. This bygone era can still be experienced in Xochimilco. David will take you to this southern enclave of the capital to spend an afternoon floating along these ancient canals in a barge, amidst a tranquil and pastoral setting that will make you wonder if you’re still within the limits of one of the world’s largest cities.

Tribute tour to Luis Barragán

Considered to be Mexico’s most important architect of the 20th century, and the country’s only Pritzker prizewinner, Luis Barragán’s spaces dramatically utilize light, shadow, and color to evoke an uncanny tranquility. This tour can include a visit to his former residence, a chapel he designed for Capuchin nuns, and various houses he conceived in the capital.

Explore Mexican Muralism in Mexico City

One of Mexico’s most important contributions to twentieth-century art was the muralist movement, led by its three most famous practitioners: Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros (as well as some lesser-known artists). This tour will reveal to you their stories, their rivalries, their contradictions, and their distinct techniques as you tour some of their most important murals, many of which are now timeless and iconic art statements.

Discover the unique personalities of Mexican cantinas

Mexico City’s cantinas have as much personality as London pubs, Paris cafés, or New York bars. At lunchtime most of them serve botanas—delicious food at no extra charge, for those who keep ordering drinks. David will take you on a tour of two, three (or more) hand-picked cantinas, depending on how much you and your party would like to drink around lunchtime.

Mexico City off the beaten path

Mexico City has so much to offer visitors with world-renowned sites, neighborhoods, and historical landmarks.  But if you want to discover some lovely neighborhoods where tourists seldom set foot, David will take you to three of them, all hand-picked near the center of the capital, all of which are gentrifying (although slowly and imperfectly).

Custom-designed tour

If you’re unsure of which places to visit first, or last, or together on the same tour day, David offers custom-designed tours that will be crafted around your party size, interests, and available time. The tours ensure you get the most from your visit to the capital without cramming so that you can truly experience and absorb what each place has to offer.  You can use the form below to request a custom-designed tour.

Custom-designed tour prices

Every tour is hand-crafted based on your interests, party size, and time available.  Tours typically last five to six hours.

• Custom tour prices typically range between US$165 and US$375 per person, based on a party of two to six people touring together.
• Single traveler tours can be arranged by request; however, party size cannot exceed six people in these purposely small, highly customized tours.
• Typical expenses for food, drinks and sundries are about US$30 per person, and will vary depending on the type of food establishment you choose to eat at, and how much you drink.

Your day tour price includes

The tour price includes:

• A personal consultation with David to create a carefully crafted walking tour of the capital, designed and formed around your party’s interests, party size, and available time;
• You will be met personally by David at your accommodations, or some other mutually-agreed meeting point;
• David will take you on the fully escorted and highly customized tour that is designed around your party’s interests and will accompany you back to where you are staying five to six hours later.

Your day tour price excludes

The following things are not included in your tour price

• Local transport and transfers (Uber/Didi)
• Entry fees to sites, museums, archaeology centers, etc.
• Food purchased at street stalls, markets, fondas, restaurants, etc.
• Drinks, including any alcoholic drinks, you may consume on the tour
• Tips for the waiting staff, drivers, and guide.

Make a request for your walking tour of Mexico City

Complete the tour info request form below and David will contact you to talk about the custom requirements for your party and create a custom quote based on your interests, party size and time available.

Breakfast in Mexico

Breakfasts are famously hearty in Mexico, especially at weekend gatherings, whereas the weight and timing of other meals depend more on people’s schedules and eating habits.

Desayuno derives from the Spanish word ayunar —to fast— and thus describes the first meal of the day.

Traditionally, this will include coffee, pan dulce, and the choice of a hearty main course to get the day started: most popular are molletes, chilaquiles and the different Mexican styles of cooking eggs —huevos rancheros, a la mexicana, huevos divorciados— and at family weekend breakfast gatherings this might include a corn-dough huarache topped with beans and chicken or cecina (salted beef), and cream.

While these dishes are traditionally taken at breakfast time, there are no hard and fast rules on what dishes apply to what meals of the day.

Lunch or dinner

Comida is the main meal of the day; in English it translates to lunch or dinner, depending where you’re from.  Traditionally this meal is taken at around 2 p.m. and will include soup, a substantial main course, aguas frescas, a soda or beer, dessert and coffee.

Dinner or supper

Cena —dinner or supper— is taken later in the evening, anytime from 6 p.m. onward.  This tends to be a lighter meal before bedtime, although it may also be more substantial, especially if one’s comida was on the light side.

Other meals throughout the day

There are also meals between meals, or combination meals like brunch.

Almuerzo tends to refer to brunch, i.e. a late heavy breakfast —usually taken on leisurely weekends— that can be substantial enough to tide the diners over until the evening meal.  It can also refer to lunch in the U.S. sense: a light midday meal to be followed by a more complete cena (not comida which is always in the afternoon).

Merienda usually refers to a light afternoon meal between comida and cena. It could be coffee or milk with cookies, or buñuelos, which are sugar coated fritters, or any of Mexico’s selection of sweet bread, pan dulce.  The British would call this “afternoon tea.”  Americans probably just refer to it as an afternoon snack.  Merienda can also be instead of the cena, if the comida was more of a dinner than a lunch.

Corresponding verbs

Each of the meals has its corresponding verb: desayunar, almorzar, comer (which means “dine” and is also the generic “eat”), merendar, and cenar. The verbs are descriptive and don’t come across as pompous, as can be the case with English if you say you “breakfasted” at such and such a time, or “lunched” at one.

Affordable flavor is cooking at your local fonda or comedor

When you fancy something to eat that’s authentically Mexican, seek out a local comedor. They are sometimes also referred to as fondas or cocinas económicas.

In Spanish, comedor means dining room or dining table, and in Mexico the word is also lent to describe places where you can sit down in an informal atmosphere and order from a set menu of the day’s dishes which feature delicious home-cooked meals prepared using fresh local produce.

Simple settings that are long on flavor

Comedores and fondas don’t feature shiny doors, air-conditioned dining rooms, or gimmicks like soulless toys dispatched alongside the food. More often the traditional ‘open kitchen’ comedores are situated in private patios, converted garages or other rooms in private houses—or at local markets.

Most comedores are family-run efforts and serve at least two or three ‘specials’ each day, plus a range of home-cooked ‘staple’ options, each one offered with a bowl of the day’s soup, and Mexican-style rice and beans on the side.

Also included in the price is the agua fresca —juice of the day— freshly prepared using seasonal fruit; or you can choose from a selection of sodas from the ice box. (Some places also offer a small selection of Mexican beers.)

Some places offer sopes and tacos with various topping and fillings; and some even offer a vegetarian option; and salads in lieu of rice or potatoes on the side.

Affordable and authentic cooking on your doorstep

A home-cooked authentic Mexican meal at a comedor, including soup and a drink, trades for between $80-$100 Mexican pesos: US$4-$5.  Beers and desserts (where offered) are extra.  Always remember to leave a tip!

Every town and city features local comedores and fondas; in larger towns and cities you’ll probably walk past a few without even trying too hard.  The best places to look are at the local markets (and vicinity); or better, ask someone locally for a recommendation.

Learn more about Mexican food and flavors

Mexico a treat for the senses when it comes to food and beverages. The fresh local produce and enormous variety of fruits, vegetables, pulses, and spices that are sourced from here create a colorful and fragrant festival for your taste buds.

• Articles and insights about dining out in Mexico
• Learn more about Mexican food
• Mexican drinks and beverages
• Aromatic and delicious Mexican coffees

Supermarkets aren’t the only shop in town

In places like the US and the UK, supermarkets have steadily lured custom away from local stores by offering customers enormous ranges of goods including comestibles, homewares, hardware, and pharmaceuticals conveniently gathered in one place.  The result has been that many of the local ‘mom and pop’ stores have closed down and vanished from the trading landscape.

In Mexico, this has not come to pass.

It’s still possible and practicable to shop for your food locally in Mexico, often a short walk from your home, at convenience stores and open-air markets which provide an abundance of fresh foods delivered to the stores early each morning, or produced daily on the premises.  In recent years, there has also been a proliferation of local ‘organic markets,’ in certain towns and cities.

At these familiar centers of trade, you can get to know the local store or stall owners, talk with the butcher about which cuts are best for a meal you want to prepare, choose seasonable fruit and vegetables from ripe selections, wrap warm corn tortillas into a cloth cover almost straight from the oven or griddle that produces them, and buy delicious and tasty bolillo bread rolls which are baked continuously throughout the day.

Local independent stores you’ll still find in Mexico

The choice of local, specialized, food stores in Mexico’s cities, towns and villages is ample and inviting. Store names you’ll see regularly include:

• Frutas y Legumbres — the local greengrocer selling fresh fruits,  vegetables, herbs and spices;
• Polleria — offering fresh chicken, they also sell eggs and condiments to compliment chicken dishes;
• Rosticeria — roast chickens from a spit; they also sell sauces and other condiments to complement a roast chicken meal;
• Carniceria — butcher, selling a variety of meat, and offering advice on different cuts;
• Tortilleria — selling freshly pressed, warm tortillas, straight off the machine that makes them, and in some places they are hard-pressed and cooked on a hot plate;
• Salchichoneria — delicatessen; selling a range of hams, cold cuts, cheeses, hors d’oeuvres, and other cured meats;
• Panaderia — locally bakery, selling fresh sweet and savory breads;
• Pescaderia — fish mongers; these are more often seen at coastal locations.

Ambulant street vendors add choices

In addition to the established local stores and open-air markets, you will often see ambulant traders parked on the street selling fresh seasonal produce. These traders most often sell fruit or veg that is currently in abundance due to a glut harvest —examples include mandarins, oranges, pineapples, or mangoes— straight out of the back of a truck, or perhaps off a barrow or folding table which they set-up for the day.  It’s an ideal way to buy fresh seasonal produce at the lowest prices.

While millions of people will continue to shop at their local super and hypermarkets every week, there also continues to be a strong demand in Mexico for fresh foods and other essential everyday items purveyed by local stores and traders.

These local shops, open-air markets, and street traders continue to thrive in Mexico; in good part, because they are conveniently located close to local neighborhoods often in walking distance to your home, and they’re regularly  supported by local people who who value their presence in the local community.

More insights about shopping in Mexico

You can find more information about shops and shopping in Mexico including Buying Food in Mexico, Local Stores in Mexico and Local Markets in Mexico, here on Mexperience.

A bygone era of old-world coffee shops

In years past, the coffee shop/restaurants run by Chinese immigrants —of which there were several in and around the Chinese quarter of downtown Mexico City and more beyond that— were nearly always full.

The “café chino,” as these were only ever referred to, was typically a long thin hall moving back from the street front. Half of the façade would be taken up by a glass window filled with different kinds of sweet bread to eat in or take away (and the odd bluebottle).

Down one side of the entrance would be the coffee bar and the cash register, and the other side would be taken up by a row of tables or booths.  The specialty of the house would be café con leche: a small amount of concentrate would be poured from a metal coffee pot into the bottom of a glass mug, and hot milk from another poured on top, with the server lifting the spout farther and farther from the mug as it filled, creating, if done precisely, a frothy top.

Black coffee —café americano— was steam-pressed from the machine behind the bar, and each cup was charged at the same rate.  Hygiene was hardly of first importance to the café chino, and patrons did well not to be over-zealous inspecting the specks on the table or trying to steal a glance at the kitchen.

Perhaps the king of coffee shops was Café La Habana, on the corner of Bucareli and Morelos, a stone’s throw from the historical Chinese clock.  La Habana brewed the strongest coffee, served in thick white cups that were slightly wider at the base than at the brim (awkward for stirring).  It was popular among intellectuals and, being about a block from such erstwhile giants of the Mexican press as Excelsior and El Universal, a frequent meeting place for journalists of the old school: threadbare suits, beaten-up leather briefcases stuffed full with dog-eared press releases, political “tips” several times removed from reality.

The emergence of contemporary coffee houses

Against this, the chain restaurant/coffee shops such as VIPS, TOKS, and Sanborns provided free refills on drip-brewed coffee, competing in quality with “Golden Cup” plaques awarded by the Mexican Coffee Council, and in convenience with quick-service bars where the temporarily idle could while away several hours loading up on caffeine without having to keep paying.  This is still true today, although people are generally much more rushed.

In addition to these places, with the advent of the mall culture there sprung up a number of smart coffee shops —Coffee House, Coffee Station, and so on— which added snacks, coffee paraphernalia, and an assortment of home-grown and imported coffees, ground or whole, to the standard offerings while also increasing the number of derivative beverages to their range of refreshments on offer.

And then Starbucks came.  Agreeable to the modern business class, the tourist looking for something familiar, and the lover of things American, this comfortable hybrid of convenience and recreation proliferated and also became a favorite daytime hangout of the country’s middle-class youth.

Straddling this period from local shop to chain to franchise is Bisquets Obregon, which developed from La Perla de Oriente on Alvaro Obregón Avenue in the historical Colonia Roma.  Like the café chino, Los Bisquets is also a place to get café con leche, and the house specialty, scones.  Brighter and cleaner, with its characteristic green and yellow décor, the restaurant also sports a selection of freshly-baked sweet bread at the front counter.

Small independent coffee shops continue to thrive

Perhaps the most famous of the traditional Mexican cafés is El Jorocho, that serves quality coffee principally sourced from Veracruz; customers can also buy the beans and ground coffee in bags for home brew.  This family-run shop was set up in Mexico City during the early 1950s in the heart of the bohemian district of Coyoacán—a neighborhood that remains one of the capital’s most popular quarters for friends and families to meet and spend an afternoon or evening out together.

In towns and cities across Mexico, small independently-run coffee shops continue to trade, and thrive.  Like the local neighborhood tienditas, they have prevailed even in the presence and growth of franchise coffee shops.

The owners of these independent establishments often create comfortable nooks where patrons can meet, socialize, and take light refreshment amidst informal and often homely surroundings that are usually more intimate and feel less rushed than the cookie-cutter franchises.

Serendipitous discovery of independent coffee houses can happen by taking an exploratory walk down side streets of any towns you visit or asking locally.  Digital generations are likely to consult their map-app, or search on Instagram.

Changing tastes in coffee consumption

With the rising popularity of coffee-drinking for entertainment, the casual expert who knows that the good stuff is called arabica and grows on mountains is in ever-greater company, and the value of that knowledge as a conversation opener has dwindled somewhat.

The purveyors of the best coffees tend to print that kind of information all over the packages, and some even include rather sophisticated stories about how the coffee comes to be in the bag at all, almost rivaling the verbosity of the cereal companies who provide enough literature on the box to see you through a week of breakfasts without having to pick up a newspaper or speak to anyone else at the table, except to waffle something that sounds like “I’m reading” through soggy flakes.

There are many, if not infinite, combinations of roasts and grinds for the different coffees to make it impossible to say which are the best; besides, there is no accounting for taste.

Coffees grown in Mexico

Possibly the best known Mexican coffees come from Chiapas, which is the state that produces the most. But there is plenty to be said for Oaxaca state’s Pluma region, as well as coffees grown in Veracruz state’s Córdoba region.

For home consumption, a fair selection can be found at most Mexican supermarkets, although for a wider choice, the coffee shops that grind the beans on the premises are a good place to go: they also tend to have more sizes of bags, so you can try out different kinds quite frequently, ordering quarter-kilos (about a half-pound), “un cuarto,” or find one you always want, and buy a big bag of it. The handful of high-end food shops, some with branch networks across the country, also stocks ample ranges of high quality Mexican and imported coffees.

It’s probably fair to say, without being too nationalistic, that Mexico produces enough of its own good quality coffee as to make paying extra for imported grains a waste of money. Of course there is the Malinchista factor to consider, for which Colombian and Costa Rican coffees are readily available as well as the top Italian coffee brands, although generally speaking malinchismo doesn’t apply to hot drinks. That may be just as well as a majority of the coffee drunk in Mexico is still of the instant kind, and there you definitely want to stick with the Swiss company’s brand.

Instant coffee is still popular in Mexico

Not everywhere has good coffee, and some restaurants that specialize in other areas definitely fail in this. A number of taco restaurants have cottoned-on to the trend in customers’ demands for a decent coffee after a meal and now serve proper Café Americano, Cappuccino, or even Espresso, but there remain others whose only offering is “agua para Nescafé,” (they bring a cup of  hot water, a spoon and the instant coffee jar), or “café de olla,” which is coffee made in a cooking pot, la olla, and sweetened with treacle, piloncillo, and cinnamon. Tastes fine, but isn’t what you might expect.

September, the Mes de la Patria because of the Independence Day, brings chiles en nogada, hot green peppers filled with walnuts and raisins, covered with cream and sprinkled with pomegranate; and pozole, a broth with large grains of corn, red or green chili, chicken or pork, radish, and other trimmings.

October is when bakeries bring out the Pan de Muerto bread for the All Souls Day celebrations, although some stores, particularly supermarkets, start selling it during late August, presumably to maximize their sales opportunity.

Christmas dishes include bacalao, specially prepared codfish; romeritos, dried shrimp and rosemary sprigs in mole; and the Rosca de Reyes cake is cut at Epiphany (Three Kings Day) on January 6th.

Tamales, a traditional (and ancient) food made using corn dough steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf, and flavored with savory or sweet fillings are eaten all year round, but traditionally at Candlemas, on February 2nd. Also by tradition, if your slice of Rosca de Reyes contains a baby doll figurine (baked into the mix of every cake), you are obliged to host a party on this date to serve the tamales to family and friends.

For newcomers to Mexico, some local dishes, particularly spicy ones, take a while to get used to, and some people at first turn their noses up at the different tastes and smells. Quite understandably, many Mexicans are astounded someone wouldn’t like pozole, or mole, or some other dish that people here get excited about, and they assume you haven’t tried it. If you say you have, then obviously “no has probado el que hace mi tía“—you haven’t tried the one my aunt makes.

Perhaps one of the most acquired tastes in Mexican food is mole. This sauce is made from dried and ground chile peppers mixed with other spices and ingredients—famously chocolate used in making mole poblano (from Puebla) or black mole of Oaxaca. There are many kinds of mole, which are usually mixed with meat, rice, chicken, or vegetables.  Mole recipes vary and local restaurants renowned for their mole often keep the precise recipe (moreover, the proportions of the ingredients) a closely-guarded secret.

Mexicans don’t eat that much ice cream

The proliferation of fancy brands —Häagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s, Santa Clara— might lead you to the wrong conclusion about just how much ice cream Mexicans consume.

According to some reports, Mexicans only eat on average 1.5 liters of ice cream a year, a small fraction of what Americans and New Zealanders —the world’s top consumers— guzzle down.

Also somewhat surprising, for a relatively low-wage country, is the amount of business done by ice cream brands of which a single serving cone or tub can cost around four or five US dollars.

Market studies here can be incomplete in a country where there is a large informal economy, and products such as ice cream and popsicles are often made by individuals whose sales are off the marketing-experts’ radar screens.  It’s ice-cream franchises, however, that are expected to generate the growth in product consumption in the country.

Buying ice-cream in Mexico

If you visit or live in a large city or tourist resort, the most likely place you’ll find ice cream is at one of these chains, many of which are located at malls.  Local grocery stores —las tienditas— convenience stores such as Oxxo and 7-Eleven, as well as a majority of pharmacies have fridges with prepackaged ice creams and popsicles, mostly in single servings.  Multi-packs and larger presentations are found in the freezers at supermarkets.

The best known brand of ice cream in Mexico, and apparently the one with the largest market share is Helados Holanda.  These tend to be cheaper than the boutique brands, whether bought in individual servings or in larger packages.  This makes a lot of sense when buying ice cream for a family, but for those particular about quality —all natural ingredients, for example— this apparently won’t do, and those who can afford it prefer to buy the expensive stuff.

Flavored popsicles are popular in Mexico

It’s almost impossible not to come across a popsicle shop —paleteria— called La Michoacana.  These shops sell a wide range of fruit-flavored paletas as well as cream ones, paletas de crema.  A word of advice, go for the water ones.  Although originally from the state of Michoacán, apparently just about anyone can call their paleteria La Michoacana, as this interesting report suggests.

In smaller towns, and still occasionally in large cities, you can find the traditional ambulant purveyors of helados, or nieves in the case of  lime sorbets, being served from a pushcart or from a container placed in ice on the front of an adapted bicycle.  These vendors are famous for crying out “de limón la nieveeeeee!!!”

Soft ice-cream for passing refreshment

Soft ice cream from a machine is also growing in popularity, not only because of the flavor but also because of the price. McDonald’s offers a range of these ice creams at its restaurants, but also has separate ice cream counters at many of its outlets (and kiosks at shopping centers) for those who just want to pick-up some passing refreshment.  If your budget is somewhat strained and it’s hot out, this can be quite a useful option.

Wide assortment of sweet and savory bread

It’s not unusual in the evenings to see people hanging around inside the shop, metal tray and tongs in hand, waiting for the next batch of hot rolls —oval-shaped bolillos or flat teleras— to be wheeled out from the ovens and tossed into the bins.

Then there are the shelves organized with a large variety of pan dulce —sweet bread— each piece with its own particular name.  Among the most popular are chocolate or vanilla coated conchas (shells), the sugar-covered bigotes (moustaches) or moños (bows), the plain mantecadas (cup cakes), ear-shaped pastries called orejas (ears), and the inevitable cuernos (croissants).

Then there are the crumbly cookies called polvorones (in various colors), the long, glazed pastries known as banderillas, and chinos, largish splodges of cake baked in wads of thick grease-proof paper, usually sprinkled with small pieces of walnut.

Bread shop scenes of a bygone era

In an era gone-by, the local panadería would often be the focal point of a bustling street corner, and in more innocent times than these, an evening meeting place for young lovers, particularly among the working classes. This was so common that the expression “¿a qué horas vas al pan?” (What time are you going for bread?) became a joke as a chat-up line.

Seldom lacking outside would be the vendor of tamales —sweet or savory corn dough served in a natural leaf wrapper— from a steaming pot settled into the front of a large tricycle; and not far away the wheeled oven-cart loaded with camotes (yams) and baked bananas would come trundling by, announcing its imminent arrival with an ear-piercing screech from a steam whistle mounted on the mobile stove, accompanied by the reassuring smoky odor from the smoldering charcoal embers inside.

A common and natural next-door neighbor to the bread shop is the grocery store —tienda de abarrotes— selling cold cuts, canned foods, soft drinks and liquor, and some have installed a rosticería: a roast chicken stand mesmerizing customers as they wait and watch inordinate amounts of grease drip from anemic-looking fowl going round and round on a spit.

Contemporary bakery stores in Mexico

Some of these scenes have been replaced over the years by the proliferation of multi-purpose supermarkets with their own in-house bakeries, particularly in the cities. The fancier supermarkets like CityMarket purvey a wide variety of sweet and savory breads baked in-store throughout the day.

Many of the old traditional corner street bread shops have closed, or their quality has gone downhill. Some are unable to compete with the variety of fancy doughnuts, and the slick presentations, or the price advantages of buying in bulk enjoyed by the large chains and many, if not most of the them, have lost their charm.

In their place, supermarkets with their own bakeries, specialist local independent bakers (most often advertising on social media), and larger bread shop chains like Esperanza have emerged to fill the never-ending demand for sweet and savory bread.

It is, after all, easier for the purveyors of tamales from steaming urns on the front of tricycles to run the recording through a loudspeaker than to go hoarse after a morning of calling out their wares.

A food deeply rooted in Mexican culture

Tamales have a long history dating back to Aztec and Maya times. Made from a specially prepared corn dough, variously flavored with savory or sweet fillings and steamed in a corn husk or banana leaves, they’re a simple and nutritious food that is deeply engrained in Mexican food heritage. They’re  also versatile; while often a favorite breakfast food accompanied by atole, they are good for any mealtime.

Tamales oaxaqueños are different from the most common tamales in that they come wrapped in dark green banana leaves, or occasionally in avocado leaves, and they are oblong-shaped and flat, whereas the traditional tamales wrapped in corn husks are cylindrical, more or less.

The flavor combinations are quite varied and most commonly include chicken in green sauce, chicken in mole, pork in red sauce, and de dulce—which are typically bright pink in color and contain raisins. Each Mexican state has its own take on them, as this article (Spanish) describes.

Tamales and Candlemas on February 2nd

It’s a Mexican tradition that whoever gets a plastic baby Jesus doll in their slice of Rosca de Reyes on January 6th has to buy tamales and host a party on February 2nd, Día de la Candelaria —Candlemas— that marks the presentation of Jesus in the temple.

The choice of tamales at Candlemas goes back to times of Spanish colonial rule and the evangelization of the indigenous population. Tamales were presented as offerings to the gods of the Aztecs —particularly Tláloc, the god of rain— in the hope of securing a good corn harvest.

As with other indigenous traditions, the Spanish would introduce Catholic practices around the local religious customs—a practice known as syncretism. Other examples include the Virgin of Guadalupe, who is often connected to the Aztec mother goddess Tonantzín, and the Day of the Dead, tied to All Saints Day and All Souls day.

Día de la Candelaria on February 2nd isn’t a holiday in the sense of having the day off work, but it does come a few days before Mexico’s Constitution Day holiday, which is celebrated on the first Monday in February. That is also an official holiday, and for US sports fans it has the added advantage of usually being the day after Super Bowl Sunday.

So tamales and American football. It doesn’t get much more convenient, or neighborly, than that.

Learn more about food traditions in Mexico

Mexperience helps you to discover food traditions in Mexico:

• Kings’ Day gifts, delicious loaf, and the baby doll that determines who hosts the tamales party in February
• Foods at Christmas and other holidays in Mexico
• Learn about Pan de Muerto on Day of the Dead
• Learn more about Mexican Food and Drink.
• Mexican beers, liquors and cocktails