Micheladas in the Afternoon

In Mexico, it is popular to serve beer in a glass with lime juice a salted rim, often called a michelada.  It’s similar to a margarita back in the U.S., though, that I have yet to find a margarita in Mexico at a non-tourist establishment suggests to me that the origin for this American tradition might be [...]

Send in the Clowns

Last week, on my way about town, I saw an inordinate number of clowns.  There were several on the metro, a couple on the street, one hailing a cab, one going shopping at Parque Delta, and then three more at Mercado Merced….  I’m not sure what was going on; perhaps it was just a series [...]

Late Night Tacos at La Copacabana

It’s been a while since I gave an update on the great taco challenge.  In a moment of foolishness some time last September, I had suggested a fanciful (and mildly disgusting) goal of eating 1000 tacos during the roughly 8.5 months I’m spending in México.  Well, less than half-way through that time, I’ve hit the [...]

What to do with Huitlacoche

Huitlacoche is a mushroom that grows in corn kernels, distorting their shape and turning the flesh black .  In the U.S., where some call it ”corn truffle” or “corn smut,” huitlacoche is most often treated as a blight and corn cobs affected by the fungus are often discarded (“tragically ugly”).  However, in México, it is an expensive [...]

Fairytale Mexico City

Despite the 6 months that I have spent in Mexico City, there are still times at which I find myself utterly surprised by the city, shocked into a loss for words.
Yesterday, I visited the Centro Mario Molina, an NGO founded by its Nobel-Laureate namesake and president with extensive expertise on air quality and climate change [...]

In Pictures: Mercado Merced

The Mercado Merced complex, which actually includes several different markets, is one of the largest marketplaces in Mexico City, with vendors selling nearly everything that one can imagine.  The main building, alone, spans several square blocks, and passages at street level, above, and below, lead to a wider complex that is beyond my ability to [...]

The Rules of Thumb for Mexican Salsa

“¿Son picosas?” I asked, pointing to three bowls of salsa at a street-side taquería near Torre Mural. One was a big bowl of proper guacamole, with large chucks of avocado and a green, velvety texture; the second, also green and full of onions and cilantro and other herbs; and the third, a standard smoked [...]

Getting a Refund on Mexico’s Tourist Tax

Although it’s often hidden down in the fine print, and almost never publicized, tickets to fly into Mexico City’s International Airport, or el Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México (AICM, or “MEX”), include a tourist tax of around $22. The tourist tax is intended for all foreign nationals who enter Mexico on a [...]

Things to Eat at a Bullfight

This is the third of three posts on a trip I took to see the bullfights at the Plaza de Toros last December.  I posted pictures of the fight and the costumes, and this final post will share a few pictures of the food.  Like a baseball game, the food at the Plaza de Toros [...]

Che Guevara in the Metro

The Barranca del Muerto metro station has a rotating art exhibit which I pass on my way to and from ITAM.  This month’s exhibit is a series of pictures and poems about Che Guevara, as part of a small series of events around Mexico City commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution.  The exhibit isn’t [...]