From where I live, in the San Felipe del Agua barrio, it's a fairly short walk to barrios Volcanes, which has many more shopping opportunities. Once a week or so I wander over that way, to shop, and explore.
Depending on which of several approach roads I take to get to Volcanes, the first place of real interest that I can come across is La Miscelanea, which caters to folks like me who sometimes go for the more exotic, and organic, items, in foods, supplements, and soaps.
There is not a huge selection of items, but if you are looking for something as rare as Moringa, the is the place! I was first introduced to Moringa while in India, where I believe it originates. It's a desert tree, so easy to cultivate, and grinding it's freshly shooting branches to powers makes a "superfood" that some believe can cure the world's hunger and malnutrition problems.
I love barbequed chicken. I haven't had the nerve yet to try the "A La Diabla" variety, but the other two choices were delicious and have had me going back for more.
The chicken comes with fried rice, tortillas, and salsa. Unlike much of Mexico, the service is very fast. The workers cuts the chicken into typical chicken pieces with oversized scissors, packages it with the rice, tortillas and salsa in no time at all. Of course if you get there at the wrong time, there might be nothing available, or a crowd waiting to be served. But the last time I was there, all this took maybe one minute from placing my order to being handed my order.
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For the picky shopper, perhaps the real treasure of Volcanes is tienda Sazon.
I shop here for Almonds, pecans, chia seeds, quinoa .... and likely things that I had no idea I was going to be bringing home until I saw it on the shelves or in one of the many bins.
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Chiles, of course, are well stocked
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There's a lot of stuff I just can't identify
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The inevitable sugar department.
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In square footage, the store is actually fairly small (seen to be larger than it is here, because of wide angle photography) but it sure is NOT lacking in variety!
In other Oaxaca neighborhoods as well, I've been surprised by how many things there are from Asia. Delightfully so, Oaxaca has at least three Indian restaurants, including one just down the street from my apartment. I've seen a number of Chinese doctors advertised on storefronts, and at least one Chinese buffet. It's not Berkeley California, but still, Oaxaca has a cosmopolitan variety in many areas.
Valcanes is one neighborhood that tourists are unlikely to see, but us residents, especially those of us living in nearby San Felipe, can greatly enjoy.
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| And the dance of discovering Oaxaca goes on. |
