¡Vámonos! Let's Explore Mexico's Markets

Join Mexican author Judy Goldman on a dazzling journey through the colors, aromas, and flavors found in the vibrant markets of Mexico. Discover traditional foods, folk art, and the rich history of places like Central de Abasto and Tlatelolco.

Grab a bag and let's go!Mexico's heart beats in its markets. When you enter a market, you are surrounded by bright colors, wonderful smells, and delicious flavors.

Vendors call out to you. Come closer to see what goods they offer!You can buy a bouquet of beautiful flowers.

You can see all kinds of chilies used to make yummy salsas. Are you hot?

Get a cone with a scoop of nieve, an icy treat made with fresh fruit. Want a snack?

How about some toasted grasshoppers sprinkled with lime juice and chilies? Vendors will fix your shoes, give you a haircut, and even make a key for your door.

While you wait, you can share the latest news with friends and family you bump into at the market.Mexican markets can range in size from small to huge. Over 500 years ago, the biggest one was in Tlatelolco, in what is now the center of Mexico City.

It drew crowds of people who bought, sold, and traded food, rare feathers, and valuable stones. Precious cacao beans were used as money and, of course, to make hot and cold chocolate drinks.Today, the Central de Abasto, in Mexico City, is one of the largest food markets on the planet.

It has more than 2,000 businesses. It's so enormous that you can have fun getting lost in its maze of sellers!

In smaller markets, vendors show their goods-including folk art-spread out on a blanket on the ground in or near the zócalo, the main town square. There are also traveling markets on wheels.

Each day, they set up on a particular street, moving from place to place during the week.Reycraft Schoolhouse is a new, carefully curated series of fiction and nonfiction books in paperback created for emerging readers from Pre-K to 5th grade.

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