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Grocery Shopping in and around Chapala

Short-term visitors don't usually need to do much grocery shopping, there are so many restaurants to try out! But if you will be staying a month or more, and have rented a place with a kitchen (or come down in your Winnebago, kitchen and all) you might want to get groceries.

A new mega-store at the north edge of Chapala has brought Guadalajara prices to Lakeside. Opened in December 2004, Sorianas, a Mexican version of Walmart and competitor with that invader from the North, has a full supermarket style grocery inside, as well as clothing, automotive, etc., etc. This is where price-conscious shoppers go. They have excellent meat, and the produce is fresh.

Next in popularity are the two American-style supermarkets, El Torito in Ajijic, and Superlake in San Antonio Tlayacapan. Each of these specialize in providing the foreign community with foodstuffs imported from the U.S. If it is something you miss from 'back home' these are the places to look, if they don't have it, it probably isn't available Lakeside.

There are dozens of little 'mom and pop' convenience stores, and a couple of flashy 'Oxxo' stores (the Mexican version of 7/11). Good for a quick refresco (soda pop) or a few veggies at two or three times the tianguis (public market) price.

The tianguis are public markets held once per week (Monday in Chapala, Wednesday in Ajijic) where locals buy most of their fruits and veggies. Some also buy meat or fresh fish. It is worth a visit just for the atmosphere. Besides groceries there are all sorts of other items offered for sale, from CDs to school supplies. The general quality of goods (and food) is not always as high as that found in established stores or markets, but the prices tend to be lower too.

Tianguis is also the term applied to the semi-permanent shops open every day near the pier in Chapala, though these don't sell groceries, just tourist goods or restaurant-style food for immediate consumption. We will have more on those elsewhere.

Another popular option is the mercado municipal -- a public building where people rent stalls for the display and sale of goods. The one in Chapala is just off the Plaza. There are several fruit and vegetable stalls, one for meat, a couple for chicken, as well as several restaurant style booths selling food for immediate consumption. There is also a florist there. Jocotopec also has a mercado municipal, but there is none in Ajijic or the smaller towns along the North Shore of Lake Chapala.

For specialty needs, like beer, wine, tequila, tortillas, pastries, meat, poultry, and much more, there are specialty shops. These generally provide quality items at reasonable prices. You have not tasted tortillas until you buy them fresh from a tortillaria, unless you know how to make them yourself!

A few shopping tips. There is often no quantity discount. A bottle of beer costs the same (per beer) as a sixpack or a case. You will be expected to pay a deposit for returnable bottles (beer or pop) which is only redeemable at the store where you bought them, and if they don't know you a receipt may be required.

The price of meat will seem very low if you are buying lamb or steaks, but high if you get hamburger meat or stew meat. That is because there is much less 'spread' between the top quality cuts and lowest priced meats than you are used to from the States or Canada. I recommend flank steak, called arrachera here, it is usually very tender and flavorful.

For the stores selling U.S. imports, there may be a Mexican equivalant that is as good (or better -- at least fresher) at half the price. My favorite example is Hormel Chili. Fritos con Carne is the same thing, actually made by Hormel as well -- the ingredients match and the taste is identical -- but the Spanish label will cost half as much. (I sometimes eat that when Isabel is in Guadalajara visiting family -- she always cooks from 'scratch' using only fresh ingredients.)

Stores also sell Albiosan and similar (often Chlorox-based) purifiers. Follow directions: add a few drops to water and soak your vegetables and fruits to kill bacteria before using. There are various soft cheeses that taste great, but unless you plan to use them in a dish where they are well-cooked (like chile rellenos) they place you at risk of catching several diseases that are unpleasant and difficult to cure. The basic rule is peal, cook or purify -- pealed fruits are generally safe, otherwise cook well or use a purifying soak to kill bacteria.

The larger stores have people working for tips who pack your bags (plastic unfortunately, you will not find paper shopping bags) and/or who help carry the groceries to your car. Tip them a few pesos, that is their only wage -- but even a few pesos for 5 minutes work adds up to a good earnings for that type of work.