FLOWERS

Flowers are an important part of life in Mexico. You can buy them in the markets and sometimes from people who bring lovely bouquets in from the country. Flowers are inexpensive and make life just a little more beautiful.
Please Note: Be careful not to give white flowers as gifts; white flowers are usually reserved for funerals.

FOOD AND GROCERIES Please Also See or Click Here MARKETS

Please also take a look at the OAXACAN CUISINE page.

Food shopping in any one of Oaxaca’s neighborhood markets is an experience not to be missed. Eye openers, like whole hog heads and mountains of fresh mangos will greet you at every turn. There are women selling the wonderful large hand made Oaxacan tortillas called thlayudas which come in two versions. One is slightly dried (these are our favorites) and the others are soft and called called blandas. There are cremerias which specialize in selling cheeses, eggs, and crema along with hot dogs and ham. Fruit and vegetable stands, large and small, are at all sides and there are mountains of fresh chicken, including all parts–heads and feet are no exception.

It’s all very wonderful. One of the best parts of marketing is that you can usually enjoy a home cooked meal right there. In the smaller neighborhood markets, these eateries are a part of the whole market, but at the large Benito Juarez market, there is an entirely separate building devoted to these wonderful places to eat. Dive in! This is the place for comida casera, fresh home-cooked authentic Mexican food. After eating a delicious meal of mole negro, pozole or a simple caldo de pollo make your way home to your hotel for a little siesta.

Breads & Pastries

Pan & Co., European style breads, pastries & NOW a DELI & more!
Two Locations
1) Allende No. 113 Esquina Garcia Vigil, Centro, Oaxaca
2) Belisario Dominguez 612, Col. Reforma, Oaxaca
we now have a deli here at both locations; so we can make your favorite sandwitches with our lovely breads!
Tel/Fax: (951)501-1672 Allende Store &(951)513-7104 Reforma
Internet Access: we now have wireless at the Allende store.
Web site: coming soon!
Manager: Lic. González
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. and Sunday from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Languages: Spanish
Method of Payment: Normal daily transactions are in cash at the Allende store and credit card at the Reforma store. If you are catering a fiesta or placing a large order (over $ 10 USD), stop by the Reforma Store to place your order and pay; we will be happy to deliver the order to you.
Credit Cards: Visa and Master Card are accepted at our Col. Reforma location.
Foreign Clients: Yes, we serve bread lovers from around the world.
Specialties: Our pan de Roquefort y Nuez with roquefort cheese and pecans is our most popular, but do try one of our other breads. Pan de pure de papa, ajo y hierbas is a wonderful potato and garlic based bread with an interesting mixture of Mexican herbs -- epazote and cilantro. Pan de ciruela de pasa y avellana y pera, a bread with prunes, hazelnuts and pears is also a great favorite. For a light lunch or accompaniment to a hearty soup for dinner try one of our foccacias -- caramelized onion, black & green olives or our potato, rosemary, olive oil & italian herbs foccacia. For a picnic or a trip out of town, pick up one of our tortas; chicken with pesto and parmesan is the most popular. We also offer completely natural yogurt with fruit. And last but not least we sell the best butter in Oaxaca (Lurpak®), either salted or unsalted to go with our delicious breads.
Comment: Please visit one of our two locations. Once you've tried our breads, pastries or sandwiches you'll become a fan as have so many others. Our Reforma location is where we bake all of our breads and pastries and there you'll also find wines to enliven your experience of our breads or you may have a coffee or espresso and some of our many types of pastries. We make great bread here in Oaxaca and believe that quality, pure ingredients, and attention to detail will show in the first bite you take. Whichever choice you make, you won't be disappointed.
Web Authors Comment: We have had a wonderful time trying the breads; our personal favorite is the pan ciabatta natural. It makes great sandwiches and toast, but all by itself with butter is the best!

Cheeses

La Oaxaqueña, Puestos 59 & 68, Interior del Mercado Benito Juárez
Owner: Isabel Hernández Santiago
Tel: (951)516-3129 or 516-6214
Hours: Monday through Saturday 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. and Sundays 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. (Check this?)
Languages: Spanish only, but we are experienced in working with visitors from other countries. We'll do our best to get you exactly what you want.
Specialty: Double cream quesillo or quesillo doble crema is our premier product. Oaxaca is well known for its quesillo and we are well known in Oaxaca. Our special cheese is made for us locally as are many of our other products. Visit us for coffee, chocolate ground with cinnamon or almonds, queso fresco, fresh butter, small wax covered cheese tear drops from nearby Chiapas, or for one of our moles -- negro, rojo, or coloradito.
Owners comment: We have been in business for forty-four years and have focused all our energies on our Benito Juárez Market location. Two of our children have now joined the business carrying the quality we stand for into the next generation.
Writer's Comment: When arriving in Oaxaca, this is the place we head for after checking into our hotel. Their cheese (quesillo doble crema) is that good!

Chocolate

Mayordomo, locations throughout the city of Oaxaca

La Soledad, Calle F. J. Mina No. 212, Centro, Oaxaca
Web Site: www.chocolatedeoaxaca.com.mx

Groceries

La Lonja de Oaxaca, Portal de Flores 7, on the East Side of the Zócalo, Centro, Oaxaca
Owners: La Familia Pérez Gijón(Place your arrow over the photo to see what La Lonja looked like 100 years ago!)
Tel: (951)516-2772
Fax: (951)516-8014
Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.
Saturday 9:00A.M. - 11:00 P.M. Sunday 9:30A.M.- 8:00P.M.
Languages: English (some)
Specialty: We specialize in providing the best selection foods, wines and liquors, and cigars that you will find in Oaxaca. Our products are both imported and selected from the best that Mexico has to offer. We carry Italian pasta and olive oil, a fine Parmesan from Uruguay, Serrano ham from Spain and an aged gouda from New Zealand. From Mexico we carry the Mennonita brand of queso chihuahua which is still made the old way in heavy wheels aged in wax covered cheese cloth. From Oaxaca we have organic fruit jams, coffees and chocolate.
Owners comment: La Lonja has been known in Oaxaca for its gourmet products for more than 100 years. Come and see for yourself and enjoy a complimentary taste from our extensive selection of mescals. We don't just have an extensive collection, we have the best of the best!
Writer's Comment: This is a great source for some of those special hard to find products. Try the queso Chihuahua which we use in place of cheddar. It is wonderful and is made in the Mennonite community well north of Mexico City.

Groceries

Salchichonería y Creamería Oaxaca, Humboldt 122 Esq. Quintana Roo (Three blocks up from the Santo Domingo Church, make a right at Humboldt and walk to the end of the block.).
Owner: Fidelia, Alcantera Santiago.
Tel: (951)225-2956
Cell: 044(951) 221-5295
Hours: Open Monday through Saturday 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. and Sunday 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Languages: Spanish with enough understanding of English to help you get exactly what you’re looking for.
Specialty: I have the best Deli meats and bacon along with imported cheeses such as parmesan, Roquefort, Gouda, Swiss and of course the finest Oaxacan quesillo and queso fresco. You will also find imported pastas and wines along with freshly made tasajo y cesina enchilada. And, for a great cup of coffee try our Café Tipo Organico.  
Owners comment: I have been in business for over 16 years at this location and I carry many of the special products visitors to Oaxaca are looking for. If you don't see what you want on the shelves, let me know and I will special order it for you. You will have it in just a few days. To make things even easier I will have your orders delivered to your hotel or other residence. So, if you are at one of the hotels like Parador Sto.Domingo de Guzmán or renting one of the apartments nearby and would like to have those special items which make you feel at home or for that special meal just drop by and give me your order. You can leave the shopping to us.

Meats

Carne Asada Irving, Mercado 20 de Noviembre Local 204, Pasillo de Carnes Asadas, Centro, Oaxaca
Owner: Raquel Cruz Santos
Tel: (951)514-0660
Hours: Every day from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Language: Spanish only, but by hand we do get the idea.
Specialty: We sell fresh cesina enchilada (spiced pork), chorizo (Mexican sausage), and tasajo (tender very thin sliced beef) all of which we then cook on our natural charcoal grill along with tiny white onions available from vendors right beside us. You can take home hot grilled delicious meats, grilled onions and hot fresh corn tortillas all for a fraction of the cost a full service restaurant might charge or you can settle down in one of the bench style tables just a few feet away. Eating here is not only a delicious event it is an experience as you are in the midst of a daily Oaxaca happening!