Local eats in Puebla

Taking you back to my first full day in Mexico last Saturday, I had an absolutely brain splitting headache that I imagine resulted from both the altitude (7,000 plus feet above sea level) and a terrible night's sleep after a very long day of travel. None the less, I was not going to let that stop me from trying some of the local delights. I did have to wait until well into the afternoon though!

First stop, a local craft and flower market. I had been walking around looking for a taqueria but ended up going in a direction that took me past a whole street of handmade furniture and then into this market, where I might add a variety of unique orchids were available from some somewhat sketchy looking individuals. Who knows if they were legal or not but they sure were amazing. Anyway, one thing I learned quickly is that any place that people are gathered for anything, there'll be some stand set up selling tacos or whatever. Some are a bit more sketchy than others but at the one end of the flower and craft market was a whole series of tents serving food.
So I bravely took my chance and had a couple of tostadas - no beans - with various sauces and a giant pineapple drink. It was delicious and cheap and the people were very nice. We tried to have a conversation but man, my Spanish is bad, and well, their English non-existent. But it was fine. I was able to just sit quietly and eat and drink as fast movement was not on the agenda for the day.

I walked around the city of Puebla a bit, sat in the zocalo (main square), and did a lot of people watching. It being Saturday, there were just tons of people out and about shopping, eating, just hanging out. It was great. But all the walking around made me peckish, of course, so I decided to head into one of the taquerias that I finally found. Again, I'm guessing because it was Saturday, everywhere was just packed. But I wanted to get my hands on a taco al pastor and I would not be denied. And I figured if the places were full of people that the food had to be good. So I ended up at place called Las Renas.
They bring you a sheet and you mark on what you want, which of course I had no idea. So I just watched what other tables were getting and pointed to them when the waiter came. So I ended up with taco called a 'gringa" which is a taco al pastor with cheese, cream, and onions and cilantro in a flour tortilla. Now what makes a taco al pastor is that the meat is cooked in the same fashion as a schwarma - on an upright spit - with spices and unlike the arab version which has onion and tomato on top, this has pineapple that drips its flavour into the meat as it cooks. The pineapple flavour is not really pronounced but the hint of it is noticeable. Nothing to say but this was absolutely deliciously fantastic!! I could have eaten fifty, well I couldn't have, but I wanted to!