In Mexico City, there is a very big food market. It is called Central de Abasto. This market is the biggest in the world. It is as big as Central Park in New York. It is in a poor area of the city called Iztapalapa.
The market sells food to 80% of the city. Every day, 500,000 people come here. It opens early in the morning. Trucks, people, and workers move fast. There is noise, shouting, and many smells.
Farmers come from all parts of Mexico. They sell fruit, vegetables, herbs, and more. You can see watermelons, garlic, baby corn, tomatoes, and many other foods. Some people also eat tacos at small food stalls.
Restaurants Come Here
This market is not only for normal people. It also gives food to very expensive restaurants. These restaurants want special foods. They want foods that are local, fresh, and different.
Many chefs come early in the morning. Some walk for two hours in the market. They choose food with care. One chef says, “I follow my feelings. I look, smell, and think.”
Some chefs ask farmers to grow new things like sorrel, shungiku, or rare herbs. A farmer named Alfredo says, “Chefs teach me new crops. Now I grow special things for them.”
From Poor to Fancy Food
In restaurants, these simple foods become beautiful dishes. One example is baby corn with cheese and chili. Another dish is tamal with green leaves and shrimp soup. One restaurant even uses huitlacoche, a blue corn mushroom.
A chef named Paula says, “The market is different now. We see more small farmers, more organic food, and rare things.” She uses these ingredients to make amazing food and drinks in a famous cocktail bar.
Food for the Community
The market also helps poor people. In Iztapalapa, the government opened 15 community centers called Utopias. They give cheap food, health help, and music and sport classes.
In some places, people pay only 11 pesos (about 40 cents) for a full meal. This food comes from the market. It is extra food, but it is still good. A team of cooks and a nutritionist make the menu.
The market also uses solar power from more than 30,000 panels on the roof. It is the biggest solar system on any market.
Tourists do not often visit this market. But they eat food from it every time they go to a restaurant in the city.
One chef says, “We are two sides of one coin. The market gives us the heart of our food.”
Source: bbc.com
Vocabulary for the Article
Market – a place where people buy and sell things.
We go to the market every Saturday.
Food – things we eat.
I like Mexican food.
Vegetables – plants we eat like carrots or tomatoes.
She buys fresh vegetables.
Fruit – sweet food from trees like apples or bananas.
He eats fruit every day.
Crowded – full of people.
The market is very crowded.
Buy – to give money for something.
I want to buy some apples.
Sell – to give something and get money.
They sell fruit at the market.
Local – from the same place.
I like to eat local food.
Fresh – new, not old.
These bananas are fresh.
Colorful – full of colors.
The market is colorful and fun.
People – men, women, and children.
Many people walk in the market.
City – a big place where many people live.
Mexico City is a big city.
Shop – a small place to buy things.
I go to the shop for milk.
Cart – a small car you push and carry things.
He carries vegetables in a cart.
Noise – sounds from people or things.
The market has a lot of noise.
Smell – what you feel with your nose.
The smell of food is very good.
Cook – to make food hot and ready.
She cooks chicken for dinner.
Table – a flat thing to put things on.
The food is on the table.
Bags – things we use to carry food.
He puts oranges in bags.
Hungry – wanting to eat food.
I am hungry now.
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