by Lisa Singer
Antigua’s vibrant central market located just adjacent to its historical centre is a feast for your all your senses. Whether it’s the rich and diverse colours of local produce and flowers, the tantalizing smells of spices and slow cooked stews bubbling away in open kitchens, the sounds of the bustling atmosphere of people calling out their wares or the textures of the intricately woven handicrafts, you almost don’t know where to look first to take it all in. The riot of colours is what you see and experience first.
My absolute favorite things to buy are the avocados, or agucate as there are known in the Spanish spoken in Guatemala. These are not the avocados that we are used to in North American grocery stores. These are avocados that are allowed to ripen on the tree and delivered to the market that day. They have an unparalleled creaminess that I had never experienced before or elsewhere. They are so fresh, that the merchants ask you if you want them for that day, tomorrow or the next day but never more than that. Avocados are a foundational ingredient of Guatemalan cooking and served at almost every meal. My next favourite group of items to purchase at the market are the fruit, which have also been picked at the height of freshness. Watermelon, pineapple, mangos, strawberries, bananas and papayas and granadillas are all readily available in abundance. Also fun to try are the less well-known fruits specific to Guatemala and Latin America such as sapote, jacote and paternas.
Another thing I love about the central market and something that contributes to its colourful atmosphere is the merchants, most of whom are women, in their traditional dress. It is not a costume, or how they dress for the market, but something they wear everyday as a way of preserve their culture and traditions. You will not only see older women dressing this way, but everyone from teenagers to toddlers. The women are mostly from local Mayan communities in the area, and their hand-woven clothing holds deep cultural importance. The type of clothing they wear and the patterns they contain are aligned with each woman’s community, ethnic identity and sometimes feature traditional Mayan symbols and patterns. Interestingly, you almost never see men dressed in traditional clothing. The reason that was explained to me was that the men more often have to leave their villages to find work in larger centers where it is not as common to wear traditional clothing.
After you’ve had your fill of shopping and are weighted down with bags of fresh ingredients, you can also grab lunch at the central market. One place that I frequent is Comedor Las Canches. This small restaurant is made up of common tables and an open kitchen and I have always found it to be very busy, which in my mind is a good sign. They serve traditional Guatemalan soups, stews and roasted meats.
Directly behind the central market is the central bus station with the ever-present ‘chicken buses’ of Guatemala. It is here where buses depart for destinations throughout Antigua, surrounding communities and Guatemala City. Chicken buses are old American school buses that have been vibrantly painted and decorated. They can be found carrying all matter of wares including, chickens, thus the name. One thing I found peculiar about the chicken buses is that they all seemed to have been given women’s names, such as Esmerelda, Conchita and Princesita. I knew ships were often given women’s names but never knew the practise extended to buses. These hard-working buses are a fun, it not bumpy way to get around and good way to observe traditional Guatemalan life.
Ready to taste, see, and feel it all yourself? Check out our Antigua, Guatemala Ultimate Farm To Table Experience for more information on our upcoming tour.