This article is more for our Americano or “gringo” friends or for any future expats who have not been to a Mexican grocery store yet.
Now after being here for over 9 months, we are very much used to Mexican grocery stores and how things work, but in the beginning, it was a bit different. These photos are not from one grocery store, in particular. I believe they are from Soriana, Chedraui and Superama.
One of the best sellers in the Mexican Grocery Store is PEPPERS!!
Green, Red, Yellow, Dried and much, much more……
Agua de Jamaica which translates as “hibiscus water” is a typical agua fresca to accompany the mid-day meal in Mexico. … You prepare it by steeping hibiscus flowers, called flor de jamaica to produce a concentrate which you dilute with water and sweeten with sugar.
The next few photos are from the Panadería section of the store…..Otherwise known as the bakery.
Almost all of the baked items are on open shelves. You take a big round pizza pan and tongs and go around taking whatever goodies you want and then take the pan to the back of the bakery where they wrap it all up for you and put a price sticker on it.
They also have donuts, breads, cakes and some gelatin desserts.
Eggs are sold non-refrigerated, which was strange to us in the beginning, but we got 36 for $2.64!!
Another big seller is Tuna Fish….
Some grocery stores have large buffets where they sell pre-made foods.
We have never had this before, so to tell you the truth, I probably do not know what half of those items are!
This is a great produce department. Lots of fresh herbs, nopal cacti and vegetables!!
and lots more peppers!!!!
Another Mexican “tradition” we have found: At the end of our shopping trip we go to the cashier and every grocery store has retired gentlemen who bag up the groceries and it is known that they need to be tipped. So we tip.
In many shopping centers, malls, restaurants and even sometimes on the street, there are men there who will guide you in and out of your parking space and take your cart back into the store. It is “tradition” that they get tipped too. So we tip. It’s great at Costco because we buy big cases of water and they just load everything up and it helps to save Rich’s back!!
It’s always a necessity to carry lots of coins for all the tipping going on!!
