Mercado de Dulces y Artesanías

The Mercado de Dulces y Artesanías is the sweets and artisan market in San Cristóbal.  But don't expect Mars bars or even Every Flavor Beans. The market is chiefly dedicated to traditional sweets from prior to the 20th century: stuffed horns, traditional milk sweets, and pressed peaches are just the beginning. Breaded peanuts, nuts, and honey candies, are all handmade and natural ingredients go into everything.

Vendors also handle cured meats, and just about every variety of snack food though most are better than what you'll get at the corner store. Nearly all are the result of ancestral recipes passed down from generation to generation, and preserve flavors that are part of the Chiapas identity. Families elaborating these sweets do it with dedication and respect for the traditions, carrying on a tradition of history and culture. Like most specialty markets of this kind in Mexico, this one also operates as an important distribution hub for artisans producing finished sweets in their home kitchens and workshops. 

The market is also a major hub of artisan works. Colorful textiles, handmade on back-strap looms, reflect the cultural identity of the Tzotzil and Tzeltal communities among some others. Amber is among the other local treasures. Carved by local experts, the resinous fossil gets turned into jewelry and ornamental figures often of striking beauty. Saddlery and leather work can include locally made belts, bags, and sandals.

The Mercado de Dulces y Artesanías dates from the mid-1990s. Like most markets, this one resulted from an effort to get street vendors out of the streets. But in fact, these vendors were shuttled from the premises of many different markets, and had been since an early effort to start a sweets market took place in 1912. Most of the recipes for the goods sold inside are in fact even older. Here, they occupy an older structure, originally called the Mercado de San Francisco.

The market is exactly between the San Francisco Temple to the north and the Bartolomé de las Casas park to the south. And while you are likely to find sticky kids in every park in the city, here they may be particularly so. The south side of the market opens right onto the park making it the natural place to go with whatever prize you may have selected. The market is directly south of the back of the main cathedral in the city on Insurgentes. Central to everything, the market is a must-stop and one that will remain sweetly unforgettable.