Mercado Anexo Merced 106

_

The Mercado Anexo Merced 106 is to the southwest of the Nave Mayor, the main market building. It presents itself as pure business-to-business. Much of the annex is dedicated to restaurant and food-service suppliers. So, it seems fair to ask “why list it on visitors’ guide at all?”

The fact is, this Merced Market Annex, (and there are more than one), is almost impossible to avoid. Visitors end up in the annex without even trying. And it’s not just for businesses.

Of course, lots of visitors to Mexico City get terribly interested in Mexican food: the cooking, the restaurant scene, the street food scene, too. A lot of that gets started here. It’s a very good place to find the unique kitchen items that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

• Comal cooking surfaces
• Tortilla smashers & tortilleros (i.e.; cozies)
• Cazuelas (i.e.; clay cooking pots)
• Molcajetes (i.e.; stone mortar/pestles)
• Manual juicing machines (so much more efficient than electric models)

There’s a lot more you might not want to take home with you. But just taking it in is worth the trip (for real foody people, anyway).

As you’ll see upon visiting, the annex runs pretty seamlessly into the  area around the (west) Metro entrance. (The exit is from the Observatorio-bound platforms.)  The photo at right shows the Market closer to the Metro, and directing pedestrians, again, to this Annex building.

If it’s useful, we can say that the Anex 106 building  lies between the Metro to the north, and Adolfo Gurrión street to the south. It’s probably not useful because most visitors can’t necessarily see the street signs in the relative chaos of the market. It’s a lot going on. And it’s everyday.

But the second photo also shows that there are consumer goods, and interesting ones, in just about all parts of the market. Including in the Mercado Anexo Merced 106.