Sunday’s Flavour
Spanish for “stream”, the arroyo in the rainy season is wet and muddy, with dedicated wheel ruts you do not want to have the misfortune to steer out of. Picture occasional gushing as heavy rains push their way west toward the bay.
If you wander up the arroyo during the winter months, however, you’ll find a quiet neighborhood peppered with homes along the dry riverbed. A few motor vehicles share the length of ribbon with pedestrians, tail wagging dogs, darting chickens and crowing roosters, while Mexican families gathered in side yards share a smile and a shy wave as you walk by.
Contrarily, on Sundays the area is completely transformed into something you wouldn’t recognize.
As if entering the Twilight Zone, that same walk up the arroyo now leads to a bustling, noisy and crowded market where you can buy just about anything, including a kitchen sink. Side-by-side stalls go on and on, spilling up side streets that reach farther into the community. This is not your knick-knack souvenir market, but a mercantile bliss where you’ll find anything from textiles to auto parts, attracting locals, expats and visitors.
Dennis asks, “Kelly, why is this article in the ‘Bucerias Eats’ section”?
A magnet for gastronomists, there’s an abundance of edible riches among the vendors. If you’re seeking ingredients for your gourmet cooking at home, this is the spot to find the freshest produce; sweet smelling fruits, and vegetables with a little soil still attached. Find a myriad of dry spices. Buy some local honey. Bring home a piece of delicious flan. After being dissatisfied by grocery store cheeses, a staple I require in order to reach ultimate happiness, this is also where we buy our queso.
Are you in need of kitchen equipment and gadgets? Citrus juicers, melon ballers, measuring spoons, cheese graters, paella pans, tortilla presses, spatulas, wooden spoons, mixing bowls, clay dishes, pestle and mortars, BBQ utensils…you’ll find it right here.
Take a break from gathering groceries or kitchen contraptions and indulge in tastings from the various food shops. The potent aromas will entice you, whether it be a sit down restaurant where you’ll enjoy live music, or a taco truck so you can quickly continue your shopping mission.
Sundays only. Sights, scents and sounds. A unique and exhilarating experience. When you next look on Monday, they’ll have vanished.
