These are the things I bought here and there in Mexico during my recent trip.
The colorful bowls represent the real Mexico for me. Aren’t they pretty? I bought these bowls from the same market stall that I went to two years ago. The same family was still running the stall. The seller said these bowls are from the state of Guerrero. No matter who did the beautiful paintings on the bowls, I can’t help falling in love with him or her.
To the left of the bowls is an traditional apron (the blue cloth with flowers, folded up) that I bought in the market in Tepoztlán. This is the kind of apron that the local indigenous women wear when cooking, which is much more interesting to me than an expensive apron you might buy at a department store or museum. It’s a little big for me, but you’ll see me wearing it in an upcoming video.
Above the apron are some traditional tablecloths and patterns that I also bought in Tepoztlán, which I will use in some of my food photos as nice backgrounds to put dishes on.
Above that are sturdy baskets that I bought at the market, and inside one of them is some spicy chili chocolate and a knife I bought from a knife seller in Mexico City. The knife is actually from Brazil, but the knife seller said it was the best he sold. You’ll see the knife in action in some videos that I shot in Mexico, which I’ll release in the future.
To the right of the knife is some leftover habanero sauce I bought. Mexican habanero sauce was something I used often when eating out. It’s really spicy and I loved using it with fresh lime juice – super hot and refreshing. Mexicans seem to use fresh limes on everything that Koreans use vinegar for. The limes are widely and cheaply available. What’s the most common shared element between Korean and Mexican cuisine? Chili peppers! Wherever I went to eat, I didn’t miss kimchi much because salsa made from fresh chopped chili peppers, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, pineanapple, pickled or sauteed cactus was so fresh and spicy, it was a good substitute for kimchi.
Below the habanero sauce is something that looks like dough. It’s Oaxaca cheese. I discovered Oaxaca cheese the last time I was in Mexico. I saw them using it in the markets and street food stalls by ripping off pieces of it with your hands, like you would chicken breast.
In the top right corner of the photo are 4 small bowls, and below them is a little cutting board I bought in the market. The cutting boards I use in my videos are all large and heavy, but this one is small and light and meant for everyday home use. It’s made of a really pretty wood, and you will probably see it used in an upcoming video some day.
Everything I bought in Mexico has a little story for it, and everything seems to be related to food in some way!
hi there,
I haven’t seen your post about your trip, but, did you visit any Koreans or Korean-Mexican communitites? My Mother was born in Yucatan, to Korean parents. We still have relatives there and now throughout the country.
I find it funny to read about mixing Korean and Mexican food, because to me it’s a natural thing, as my siblings and I say, we grew up eating “frijoles de la olla con arroz blanco y kimchi”, total comfort food for us, taking us back into my Halmoeni’s arms.
Wow! You bought some pretty awesome stuff during your trip. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Maangchi. I love the flavors of Mexican cuisine, especially the spiciness. The spiciness of chilli and the acidity of vinegar or lime are both flavors that fancy my palate. That is why I enjoy both Korean and Mexican food so much. I enjoy Korean and Mexican food by itself, or even fusioning them together. Fusioning Korean and Mexican cuisine shows off the unique flavor profiles of both countries. If made proper, the flavors seem to blend and compliment each other without one overpowering the other. After the success of the Kogi taco truck, I saw an epidemic of Korean-Mexican fusioned food. I hope to see fusioned dishes on your site soon too.