Travel Bite: Street Snacks, Mexico City

When I visited Mexico City a few years ago, I stayed in the historic city center within walking distance of the main square or zócalo, called Plaza de la Constitución. This photo of the Catedral Metropolitan de la Asunción de María (Metropolitan Cathedral) was taken from a good distance away, so you can't really fathom how huge it is. It's the largest (and oldest) in all of the Americas. Trust me, it can hold a lot of prayers.

Across the street from the cathedral is the National Palace or Palacio Nacional (the building in the background) with government offices of the president, the Federal Treasury and the National Archives. It's been a palace for the ruling class of Mexico since the Aztec empire. I think the jugo de naranja (orange juice) vendor may have been a more recent arrival.

On the zócalo and the surrounding streets are vendors of all stripes. And yes, hot sauce does belong on the potato chip, in case you were wondering. Why buy nacho-flavored when you can make your own?

Chicharrón, or pork rhinds to us, are a popular snack. Made from pig skin that's rendered, dried, and then fried, I can proudly say that for once, I was not tempted to pig out. I wrote that day down in my journal for posterity.

As you can see, these chips are a big nod to American capitalistic ingenuity—fried, salty, thirst-inducing snacks with bright orange food coloring. How do you say Cheetos en Español?

Fresh ears of corn are grilled, de-cobbed, and griddled before your very eyes. Along with squash and beans, corn was one of the three earliest plants domesticated in the Western hemisphere. I think the coca-cola plant was the fourth.

Different varieties of peanuts and pumpkin seeds or pepitas are a ubiquitous offering. Peanuts are said to have originated in Peru, and the Spanish conquistadors brought them to Mexico. Pepitas have been here since the time of the Aztecs or earlier. They're not only a popular snack, they are the main ingredient in mole pipián—a nutty, herby, green sauce.

These makeshift juice stands are clearly for the locals and not gringas like me. I ordered all my drinks sin huelo (without ice). How do you say Kaopectate en Español?

This is the only agua I would be drinking. And just in time with all those salty snacks. (I didn't really eat any, but it made for a good ending.)