Tianguis Farmers' Markets Mexican Style

Every week my wife, Maria, and myself “travel” less than one-half of a block from our humble, mostly adobe abode to enter into a bazaar-like Mexican tradition that takes place, in one fashion or another, throughout all of Mexico’s nine regions and all of Central America. This tradition predates the Spanish incursion of Mesoamerica. It is called tianguis or market day.

Derived from the Nahuatl word “tianquiztl”/harvest or market place, these open air mercados typically are covered by colorful tarpaulins. There are three major types of tianguis; specialty tianguis that take place seasonally, such as the Uruapan, Michoacan two week long Easter crafts fair; there are also specialty tianguis that function all year on fixed day(s) of the week, like the sprawling artisan market in Tonala, Jalisco that is open every Thursday and Sunday; and then there are tianguis, both rural and urban, that typically function one day a week that sell a wide variety of merchandise, including raw and prepared foods, and, oftentimes, crafts-perhaps, the most famous and colorful of these being those market days conducted throughout the highly indigenous populated state of Oaxaca. Part mercantile and part social gathering in nature, all three types of tianguis can provide the astute tourist/expatriate with a glimpse at significant aspects of regional Mexican society.

Thus, every Monday, Churintzio’s market day, I look forward to attending my town’s weekly ritual. This tianguis starts at the zocalo/plaza and then spreads out into adjoining streets for five blocks. Residents of Churintzio and its outlying sixteen villages come to this market to shop, to socialize, to chisme/gossip with neighbors, friends, god parents, and relatives, and to, of course, people watch. The market’s hours are, mas o menos, 10AM-3PM.

For most of the ambulantes/merchants who sell their goods at Churintzio’s market day, Churintzio is just one of the weekly markets where they conduct business at, as this type of mixed merchandise tianguis could be referred to as a “traveling” one. For example, many of these merchants on Wednesdays may participate in the tianguis in the city of Purepero or on Fridays in the nearby town of Zinaparo. Wherever they set-up shop, they must pay the local government a rental fee based on how many square meters their displays are.

I appreciatively refer to my town’s market day as a farmers market Mexican style. Most vendors come every week, whereas others may only come when certain produce is in season; other vendors, inexplicably, to me at least, appear randomly like the one who makes sweet flour gorditas on a large, round griddle. For the most-part covered by bright blue tarpaulins, this tianguis offers a wide selection of merchandise very loosely organized in sections: produce/plants and flowers/dried herbs; dry goods; and food stalls.

The produce vendors, sell, in addition to a large selection of local fruit and vegetables, dried beans of many varieties, fresh and dried chillies, and specialty items like dried shrimp. Most of the produce is of good to excellent quality but those looking for a bargain can always buy from the “cheapie guy” whose merchandise has decidedly seen better days (como se dice “almost rotten” en Espanol?) We buy most all of our produce from Ramon, who sells from the bed of his pick-up truck and is kind enough to provide for us on request items that he normally does not carry like chard, ginger, and bean sprouts. Near the plaza, there are a few Purepechan/Tarascan women in traditional dress from villages located near Purepero selling not only seasonal items like nopales/cactus, chirimoyas, verdolagas, and avocados but also tamales and home-made pan/bread (in fact, when we are in the mood for a more “exotic” tianguis, my wife and myself travel to the Wednesday one in Purepero as that municipality has a large indigenous population whose merchandise is well-represented at the day market there and many items such as crafts, sweet corn gorditas, and certain produce are available there but not in Churintzio). Also, one vendor, who lays out his wares on large mats, specializes in about 40 types of dried herbs/plants for both medicinal and culinary purposes.

Virtually all of the dried goods are inexpensive. There is a wide variety to choose from: apparel for children, men, and women; shoes, including the traditional huaraches/woven leather sandals; costume and silver jewelry; plastic and rubber houseware of all sorts; colorful melamine plates, bowls, and dishes; pillows and blankets; health and beauty care products; arrays of bright (gaudy?) plastic flowers; cds, dvds, and posters; and assorted nicknacks.

The food stalls are very typical for the region. There are normally two soft taco vendors, a tacos a vapor in the style of Zamora vendor, and one torta vendor. Side by side are sold fresh churros and excellent tostadas that are deep fried to order. In the plaza there are multiple vendors selling cubed fruit in cups and a variety of locally popular soft drinks, juices, and salty snacks. My favorite stall sells local quesos/cheeses made by the vendor's family: panela; cotija; asadero; crema/sour cream; and requeson/cottage cheese.

Consequently, in this and other Mexican style farmers’ markets, historically known as tianguis, you will definitely not find any kettle corn, filled French crepes, gourmet sausages, smoked Nova Scotia salmon, $5 brownies, or anything closely resembling organic-nor is it likely that you will see any golden retrievers. What you will experience, though, is an enlightening slice of regional Mexican life in terms of its food, its products, its traditions, and its people-even in not so “exotic” Churintzio. As an outsider, people watching the people watchers that in all probability are watching you can be an experience unto itself. Bienvenidos a the centuries-old tradition of tianguis.