Thursday, March 27, 2014

A Trip to the Mercado

So, for the non-Spanish speakers out there, "Mercado" is the Spanish word for market. In my neighborhood there's a store by that name which caters to the Mexican immigrant population.

Shopping there is an interesting experience. I certainly feel like a minority as I'm generally the only gringo in the place, and most of the workers and shoppers speak no English.


Aside from the cultural experience of it all, I have mixed feelings about this particular store.

They tend to have great loss leaders on produce (items that are priced at or below cost in order to entice shoppers into the store) but other than that, their price tend to be a bit more expensive than the other chain grocery stores in the area.


The store also has a history of shady business practices. A few years ago they were sued for advertising low prices, but then charging a 10% surcharge at the register. They have since discontinued this practice (and changed their name) but still...

Anyhow, for those reasons and more, I don't shop at this store often, but occasionally, they have so many sale items that it's pretty irresistible.


So today, I took a trip to the Mercado, and here's what I got for under $20 - $19.45 to be exact:


The trick is to stick strictly to the sale items:

  • 15 oranges (5 for a dollar)
  • 10 grapefruits (5 for a dollar)
  • 3 giant red peppers ($.88/each)
  • 2 big green peppers ($.59 each)
  • 2 cucumbers ($.59 each)
  • 4 enormous sweet potatoes ($.99/lb)
  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce ($.99)
  • 2 pounds of frozen veggies ($.89/pound)
  • 3 avocados (3 for a dollar)


None of it is organic, but with the exception of the peppers, lettuce and frozen veggies, all of it will be peeled. And regardless of the source, I still can't bring myself to pay $5 for a single bell pepper even if I know they are on the dirty dozen list.

Usually, I feel a twinge of guilt if I go to a store and buy nothing but loss leaders, but given the history of this establishment, well... I'm actually just fine with it!


Of course, there is one other tiny detail that I would be remiss if I didn't mention. The store doesn't allow you to bring your own bags because of concerns over shoplifting. So in addition to my produce, I also came home with a big pile of plastic.



Oh... the moral dilemmas of daily life! Well, I was getting short on bags for cleaning the litter boxes, and the ones that aren't suitable for that use will be recycled. But still...

Anyhow, that's my morally questionable deal of the day.


So tell me, how do those prices compare to the prices in your area? And do you ever feel like you're making moral compromises when you go shopping? I'd love to hear how other people deal with these issues.


38 comments :

  1. Those are cheap prices compared to my area. Especially the oranges! I feel like I'm compromising almost every time I shop - either something is local but not organic, or it's zero waste but double the price, etc. So I try to make the best choice without stressing too much :) And I remind myself that gardening season is coming and then I'll hopefully be buying less produce in general!

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    1. Well, they are small oranges, but still, it's a pretty good price. I don't think it would be possible to be completely "ethical" when it comes to food choices. Even at the farmers markets here, much of the produce is greehnouse grown, which actually has a higher carbon footprint than stuff grown in Mexico and shipped up here. I guess, I figure that all else being equal, I choose me.

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  2. We had a Bodega in our old neighborhood and have then throughout the West side of Buffalo. It was a ot like your mercado. The Shop Rite I go to (which is the low-end version of the Shop Rite) chain it part bodega and part super market. The produce is cheap and I like the latino food I can get for cheap. It is a regular part of our weekly rotation! But stores like your mercado are often the only place for low income urban dwellers to shop. There's good and bad in that...

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    1. It's soooo true. This store sits right in the poorest section of "the barrio" and lots of folks walk there not to be eco-friendly, but because their feet are the only transportation devices that they own! So even if they aren't perfect, at least they exist, and are providing fresh produce to people who might not otherwise have access to it.

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  3. I get my veg from an organic veg box company, so it's definitely more expensive than your bargains! 3 mixed peppers works out as $5; 4 avocados is $8.55! I am sure I could find stuff a lot cheaper at supermarkets, but then it comes wrapped in plastic and air freighted. Hopefully I will have an allotment soon so I van grow my own :)

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    1. Ooooo... organic veg box company, that sounds interesting. Is that sorta like a CSA farm? Do you get to choose what stuff you get or is it a pre-selected thing? In the past I belonged to several different organizations where you paid a given amount and then got a box each week or month - but alas, food allergies sorta made that system problematic for me.

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    2. I get mine from Riverford Organics- they are a profit making company, rather than local collective, etc. I like them because the food comes in very little packaging, they don't air freight, and it comes from the UK where possible. I'm sure it's not perfect, but they seem fairly ethical, so I leave the fretting about 'the most eco/ethical choice' to them"
      You can get fruit/veg/salad boxes with set things in them (different each week, but they tell you what is coming and you can swap boxes). Alternatively, you can just buy individual fruit and veg (although there is a minimum order).
      It's definitely not the cheapest, but I'm happy with it.

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    3. That sounds like a nice solution - leaving the ethical decision making to others is always nice! :-) Do they actually deliver the box to your door or do you have to go pick it up?

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    4. They deliver, running the gauntlet of getting pecked by Mr Chicken, (the cockerel) and leave the box in the shed if I am out. I think the delivery guys are franchisees, although there is a centrally run site to order from.

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    5. Well, that makes it even better! All of the CSA's and box programs I belonged to required you to go pick it up every time - which usually required a long drive and made the whole thing significantly less convenient and worthwhile.

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  4. I make moral compromises every time I go shopping. Sometime I buy my veggies from the lovely hippy shop, and let them make the ethical decisions for me, but I always wince when it comes to paying, so I don't go there very often. In the supermarket, I tend to prioritize food mile - e.g. choose apples from France over apples from South Africa - and largely ignore expensive organic produce. I'm not sure why, because I'm very strict about organic practices in my own garden - I won't even use slug pellets (or nematodes, which are the organic alternative, but cruel) - but for bought food I don't bother that much. Hey - I never claimed to be logical!

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    1. Ha! Well, I refuse to eat conventionally grown grapes, but still buy the peppers - so there's not much logic to my decisions either. I have switched to buying organic meat though. I dunno. Sometimes I think it makes sense, other times I think the entire modern world is a toxic soup so what's the point? And as I mentioned in a comment above, I used to try to buy local all the time, but then I found out that much of the local produce (especially tomatoes, cucumbers & peppers) is greenhouse grown, and actually had a bigger carbon footprint that stuff shipped up from Mexico. What's a guilt ridden liberal to do?

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  5. I also feel like I'm making moral compromises every time I shop. That was great bargain-buying with the food haul. Peppers here are a couple of dollars each...up to $5 off-season. Lettuces are currently $2.50 in the main supermarkets. But like you, we have our cheap markets. I can buy for much lower prices there but I worry about things like where the food has come from, pesticide use etc.

    Off-topic, but I see your comment about 'the barrio' above. It took me ages to figure out what that term meant (after first hearing it in Nick Cave's 'Red Right Hand'!)

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    1. OK, I've never heard of Nick Cave - yes, I do live under a cabbage leaf, why do you ask? :-)

      Anyhow, "barrio" is just the Spanish word for neighborhood. But it's generally used to refer to a poor neighborhood with mostly Hispanic residents - like mine.

      And in terms of sourcing of the food... I think it's hard to know. The vast majority of our produce this time of year comes from Mexico, even at Whole Foods, so I think you'd have to do significant research (like on specific companies or farms) to find out any meaningful information. Sigh.

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  6. I think you got great deals! I don't know the pricing for peppers or cucumbers in our area because I never buy them, but the avocados, oranges, frozen veggies ... those are nice deals. Truthfully, I don't understand why people feel guilty buying only loss-leaders. If you went to buy new shoes and only bought the pair on 80% clearance, would you feel guilty for not buying an additional expensive pair? The store is hoping you will pick up other items but it's a sales technique, nothing more.

    I have a rather jaded view when people talk about the "moral and ethical high ground" in terms of where animals or food are farmed, etc. You posted about this awhile ago--the more affluent the community, the more you can afford to be "ethical" about your food sources. Yes, this is a concern--I guess it's not as big of a priority for me--I'd rather purchase non-organic, etc., food, and be able to afford to contribute to a food pantry to help people who can't afford to put a decent meal on the table. Or fund my kid's college fund. That doesn't mean that we can't put pressure on to improve the safety and humanity of farming practices, but I don't think there's a real right or wrong answer here. And change doesn't typically happen overnight.

    There's nothing that substitutes for those little plastic bags for cat litter, is there? Yes, it's true, I use them too. :)

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    1. It's such a complicated question when it comes to "ethical shopping." On some level I understand the concept of voting with your dollars, but I also think that it's a poor excuse for what's really needed, which is better regulation of safety & ethics in farming and production practices. I guess at this point in my life I figure I'll try to be conscious and aware, but I think my main responsibility is to myself. So I tend to buy organic where I can and focus on areas that have the biggest health impact - but it's still healthier to eat more veggies even if they're conventionally grown.

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  7. I see someone likes grapefruits. :) And It may not work, but we often double or triple thin plastic bags for litter box duty. As far as food shopping goes, I try to do the best I can, and then move on. There are rarely perfect solutions to anything and wasting extra emotional energy doesn't make them any better. However, in full disclosure, the moving on part doesn't always come easily to me.

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    1. I generally inspect the bags for holes and use only the hole-free ones for litter duty... usually that means the produce bags pass and the grocery bags fail. The local Whole Foods store recycles plastic bags through a local company called Trex which makes composite decking and fencing products. I actually used their product when I re-did my deck and couldn't be happier - I NEVER EVER have to stain the sucker again, and after 10 years it still looks beautiful! So I don't feel too terrible about the plastic because I know it will be put to good use.

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  8. I'm pretty sure those are cheaper than what's near me, but I don't pay attention to produce prices much because I don't buy much and because they keep changing all the time. (My strategy is to buy whatever's on sale--assuming it's probably in season and low-priced.)

    There are loads of stores for the Hispanic market where I live. I don't like the big grocery store down the street because my favorite food groups are dairy (which I like to get GMO-free at the very least) and grain (which I like to still be whole) and they don't have any of that. They do have good prices on dried peppers.

    There's another big one down the road that has really good prices on in-season produce and really bad prices on out-of-season produce.

    And there's a small market walking distance from my house with good prices on some produce and on bulk tortillas (kept warm in a big cooler). Basically I only go there after I just bought two pounds of hamburger at Whole Foods and I want to cook it all up with onions, but I didn't want to pay Whole-Foods onion prices!

    These probably also have good prices on things like chili powder, masa flour, dried beans, and other Mexican food classics.

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    1. Ha! Your neighborhood sounds a lot like mine. If you like Mexican food, and products from Mexico in general, you are in luck! But what's with that spicy candy stuff? Have you ever tried it? Yuck!!!

      Anyhow, I had to smile at the idea of a store that has really good prices on in season produce, and really bad prices on out of season stuff - I sorta think that's the way it ought to be! :-)

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    2. Well, I'm not a big fan of most Mexican stuff (and I haven't even tasted any spicy candy stuff!). I do like Tex-Mex food, so the chili peppers and masa flour are handy. I get better cumin prices as the Asian market, though!

      I agree on the produce prices. That was one of my favorite things about that store. Also they play good dance music. Also they have every kind of customer--one that made me laugh inside was a guy with a tweed blazer with patches on the elbows who was buying a long loaf of bread and a bottle of wine.

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    3. Well, my general advice is that if you see something masquerading as hard candy that obviously comes from Mexico - RUN! :-)

      I like the dance music too... which is fortunate since the guy 2 houses down is in a mariachi band and they practice in his backyard all summer long!

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  9. Unfortunately most of the hispanic groceries around here are more expensive than our general grocery store. The exception is the Asian stores, which are pretty cheap but unfortunately are quite a drive away and the quality is pretty poor. Costco has become our mainstay. I like that it's easy to know how much we're spending before we hit the register at costco because everything is sold in batch-packs. Unfortunately that does mean a ton of waste. But at least we do well financially at costco because we eat so much fish and their fish is very cheap.

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    1. I stock up at Costco a couple times per year, but for produce it's not such a good deal for me because I just can't eat that much before it all goes bad. Of course... I did manage to down 4 pounds of fresh cherries last summer in one or two days. :-)

      I think what's cheap is highly dependent on what's in demand. When I lived in upstate NY in college, you couldn't find anything that even resembled Mexican food - I remember the school cafeteria serving "enchiladas" one time. I was sooo excited until I got to the front of the line and discovered that they were essentially crepes in tomato sauce! Oy! But, since I live in "little Mexico" here, in my neighborhood it's a LOT easier to find every Mexican specialty under the sun than it is to find, say, organic meat! :-)

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  10. I have my favorite produce place here in the valley, but it's way, way out of my way in East Mesa. The prices are so good that it's worth a trip on the scooter, but it's still a waste of gas and time.

    The things we do for cheap produce, right?

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    1. Ha! I totally understand. Trader Joe's just opened a few stores in Denver and it's been the talk of the town among the "foodie" crowd. But the thing is, they're both on the other side of town - which is a massive PITA (pain in the arse) for me because it would require about 30 minutes in the car each way. So I haven't been able to bring myself to make the trek yet. I figure I'll wait until I have to out there for some other reason, and then I'll check it out.

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  11. Wow, that's a great deal on the citrus! I do avoid the non-organic peppers, though. I always feel like I'm compromising when I buy conventional cheese, but the nice, organic stuff can be really pricey. We don't eat all that much cheese, but still.

    I wonder if you could bring your own bags if you left them at the checkout (this assumes you wouldn't be worried about them "disappearing"). You could even just try to bring back the ones that won't work for kitty litter.

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    1. I always feel like I should spring for the organic peppers, but they're just SOOOO expensive, and I love them sooooo much. But it's totally illogical - I won't eat conventionally grown grapes. On occasion I find them in the bargain bin at three for a dollar when they're several weeks old. And I'm totally impressed that you spring for organic cheese! Most of the cheese I eat is Parmesan and I don't think I've ever even found a place where I could get it organic!

      I've thought about trying to "push it" with the bag thing, but the truth is I only visit this store a few times per year... plus, it's the language thing. My Spanish is pretty good, but it's always such an awkward situation because people sometimes get offended when gringos try to speak to them in Spanish, like they take it as an insult... thinking I'm assuming that my Spanish is better than their English or something. I dunno... I probably shouldn't be such a chicken, but I always feel like such an odd duck in that store to begin with.

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  12. your prices are fairly comparable...except for the peppers. usually colored peppers are 2-3 (or higher) per pound so if i bought 3 it would probably run about 1.50 to 2 per pepper.
    I don't think you need to worry too much about the plastic waste. you have to figure that with everything else you do to reduce your carbon footprint, not being able to use EVERY plastic bag gets equalled out. actually, most grocery store chains have a bin near their front door where you can leave plastic bags for them to recycle. sometimes i bring mine there if i find i have more than i need. (since i use reusable bags, i dont end up with many and i use swheat scoop litter - which is flushable so i dont need many for litter) Before you wonder if i'm wasting water to flush litter....i usually scoop after i have used the toilet since i will be flushing anyway AND i have low flush toilets. :)

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    1. Ha! I use Swheat scoop too... Actually we've been slowly switching to a walnut shell based litter which seems to be less dusty. But with three cats there's just far too much of it to flush - at least I'd be concerned about clogging the toilets with the amount I generally toss each day. Plus I read somewhere that there are concerns about flushing it due to toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that many cats carry. Apparently it's deadly to some marine life --- of course I'm in Denver, so it would have to travel a LONG way to make it to the ocean. Good GAWD - there are no "right answers" are there?

      Anyhow, I do recycle the plastic bags that I don't use. Whole Foods has a program with a local company that uses them to make composite decking materials - and I actually think that decking is one place where plastic is a material that makes sense because you sorta want it to last forever! :-)

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  13. Hmmm, I think the poundage vs. number of items makes it difficult to compare. We can get 5lbs for $3 on oranges at my farmers market here (non-sprayed but not officially "organic" cuz certification is crazy expensive). And when in season, a bag of 3-5 mixed color bell peppers is around $2. And that's all I can remember now! I know the chain grocery stores can sometimes have better prices, but I tend just to stick with my farmers market. Overall, I've found it to be better quality for about the same price (cheaper on lots of things, more expensive on others, particularly berries). I wish I could say my support of the local FM is all about my values, but most weekends it's cuz I'm lazy. I pretty much get 2 massive meat deliveries direct from local farmers (no shopping on my part) per year, and hit the FM and Trader Joe's on the weekend. All next to each other, easy breezy. I no longer hunt down good deals at multiple stores, 'cuz I r lazy.

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    1. OK... so you got me curious... and that made me do math. Stop the presses, I'm actually doing math of my own volition! Anyhow, 5lbs for $3 works out to $.60/lb. I weighed my oranges and 5 of them came out to about a pound an a half so that's $.66/lb. Of course, mine aren't no-spray, and they certainly didn't come from a local source. They say USA on them but that could mean Florida? California? Texas? Certainly not Colorado as the only fruit produced in any meaningful quantity in these parts is peaches & melons.

      I have to say that I think it's delightfully wonderful that the lazy option for you is also the local and non-toxic one. Call me crazy, but it sorta seems like if the world made any sense that would be the rule rather than the exception. Then again, we can't all live in bountiful California. Speaking of which, have you noticed any changes in price or availability due to the drought?

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  14. Although there are many things I hate about living in this congested fuckhole, the weather and non-stop growing season are fabulous! And you are so right--wouldn't it be great if this was rule, rather than the exception? I'm so dependent upon my farmers market that I simply refuse to move anywhere that doesn't have one nearby.

    Anyhoo, yes, prices have gone up quite a bit over the past 2 years, actually. I'm assuming it's drought related, but who knows? It seems like pretty much everything has gone up by 50 cents, which doesn't seem like much until it's *every damned thing you need to buy.*

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    1. Well... at least it's a fuckhole with good weather! :-)

      I keep waiting for some dramatic increase in food prices, but to be honest I haven't really seen it. Of course, I don't pay strict attention either. Maybe it's moderated because Colorado gets its produce from all over? Who knows...

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  15. Those prices sure beat anything available in my area but like you said it comes with a trade off. I don't get a store that doesn't allow you to bring your own bag, unless you are bagging your own purchases I guess.

    Now that I live alone it's easier for me to only buy the foods I feel comfortable buying. Sure I pay more but offsetting the prices is my garden which produces more of certain foods (like strawberries) that I wouldn't be able to pay for in the quantities I pick.

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    1. I think you've just pointed out something about gardening that I need to consider - maybe I should focus on the foods that are really expensive to buy at the store, like asparagus and peppers - and just give up on the stuff that's dirt cheap anyhow like cabbage and iceberg lettuse. Hmmmm...

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  16. I am green with envy at your prices. But I still buy as much fruit and veg as ever (non-organic). It's funny, those thin plastic bags are still available for produce here, but people have pretty much stopped using them. They just put everything they want into their basket or cart, unload it at the checkout, and let the cashier sort and weigh it. Then wash everything really well at home. I do it myself.

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    1. Well... these are the super sale prices - and things are much more expensive in general if you shop in the more affluent neighborhoods.

      I think that's great that people don't use the plastic produce bags in your area! When I shop at the more modern stores that have a bag your own option, I generally don't use them either - well, if I can find a way to stack the naked stuff on top of other items. But people so often just toss leaky meat packages into their carts, and onto those checkout conveyor belts - seriously, those things are GROSS! There's often blood and other liquid on them from the meat, and it just make me nervous to have things that I'm gonna eat raw without being peeled come into contact with that stuff. Do you ever have that problem? Maybe I'm just food poisoning paranoid...

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