Mercado Emiliano Zapata, Santa Anita

The Mercado Emiliano Zapata in Santa Anita appears tiny on its face. But just behind the church of Santa Anita Zacatlamanco, it’s still something of the nerve center of the neighborhood. One of the two original settlements in Iztacalco, it’s arguably the best known of the ancient towns surrounding Tenochtitlan.

The market is named for the street outside, and thus for the Revolutionary Hero. It’s sometimes called the Mercado Nuevo Santa Anita too, but don’t confuse it with the other market in the Colonia Nueva Santa Anita. That one’s roughly a 15-minute walk to the west.

Santa Anita is historically associated with tamales. Canal boats shipped them from here to the north on the canals that were responsible for the town’s growth straight through the colonial period. Today known as the Calzada La Viga, the canal no longer runs tamales up to the city center. But you can get them in the market.

The tiny Santa Anita Market is good for tamales, and for more complete meals too. A 2017 UAM study lists some 118 vendors within the market-place proper. That number will swell, and there are usually at least some vendors outside of the market. Among all of them, there are often some very good places to eat, including sit-down lunches.

Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.