When it comes to eating in Mexico City, you can't go wrong. There are fantastic cafes, markets, taquerias and street stalls selling delicious and very inexpensive food throughout the city. Mexico City is a foodie paradise where indigenous and colonial influences mix seamlessly in just about every dish. Huge, sprawling, and vivacious, the Mexico City metropolitan area is home nearly 22 million people, making it ones of the largest metropolitan areas in the western hemisphere and one of the largest Spanish-speaking cities in the world. Connected to international traffic from both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Mexico City's cuisine is an amalgamation of many cultures captured in its many signature dishes.

  

Breakfast

Mexico's coffee is some of the best in the world, so definitely start your day out with a cafe con leche, or coffee with milk, often accompanied by little sweet rolls available at most panaderias or little bakeries.  If craving a heartier desayuno with your coffee, plenty of Mexico City's cafes offer that, too. Most Americans are familiar with huevos rancheros, a fried egg served on a tortilla with salsa or there's huevos a la Mexicana, scrambled eggs with chile, tomato and onion. No matter what, you won't go hungry.

 

Lunch

Lamb, sausage, mushrooms, fruit, vegetables, freshly-made corn tortillas, cheese, shrimp, chiles, even dried Oaxaca grasshoppers…the list goes on and on at the famous Mercado San Juan, known as the chef's market because of the quality and diversity of foods sold from rows and rows of vendor stalls.  Carry small amounts of cash and meander from stall to stall trying the samples or purchase a few items to sit outside and enjoy an impromptu street picnic. There are also small eateries within the market selling shrimp soup and various small bites. The market is near the Salto del Agua stop on Mexico City's metro.  Nearby Lopez Street also features some great taquerias if you're still hungry.

  

Dinner

Pozole, translated roughly into "foamy" or "bubbly" is a pre-Columbian stew that after all these years continues to be Mexico's favorite comfort food. It's a hearty meat broth, although vegetarian and vegan versions have emerged as of late, and there are red or green variations depending on which restaurant you go to. Pozole is typically filled with chiles and dried corn with sides of avocado, onion, radishes, lime wedges, and herbs and spices sprinkled by the diner.  Pozolería La Casa de Toño near the plaza of Santa Maria La Ribera serves a thick red pozole until 11 pm most nights. The restaurant is set in a 19th-century mansion filled with murals and mosaics. For about 34 pesos or about $2.67 US dollars, the pozole meal is a bargain.

  

Dessert

If you've saved room for dessert, there's no better treat than churros y chocolate or long fried doughnuts dipped in chocolate. El Moro has been serving Mexico City churros since about 1935 and over the years has become a popular late-night spot for locals and visitors. El Moro has a casual cafeteria ambiance and is often crowded. Guests can try different types of churros, including ones made with cinnamon or vanilla or order the super-thick churros.  Forget about calorie counting that night.

 

For more information about Mexico City, visit http://www.visitmexico.com/en/mexico-city.

 

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Photo credit: monicamüller