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lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Hiyas,

Not that I'm committing to anything, but I might be returning to Mexico in a few months' time...

Before coming to Latin America, I had been a vegetarian for about 14 years, and maintain a vegetarian kitchen at home, to offset having to sometimes eat meat when I'm eating out.

When I lived in Mexico before, I got this really really awful tofu from China town in DF that came in one of those boxes, like the ones UHT milk comes in. It was vile, and I'm not mincing words when I say that.. However, I'm aware that that was about 4 years ago, and was wondering if anyone knew of a place in DF where you could get fresh-ish tofu?

Don't need an address just yet, but does it exist? Any other tips from DF veggies?

Thanks,
Lozwich.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Some of the grocery stores such as Sumesa and Superama in upscale areas, such as Roma, Condesa, and Polanco will serve all your needs. Starting to get more common to see vegetarian restaurants in those places as well.

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

I�m not a big tofu eater, so don�t really know where else to get it besides at the grocery store. However, for other veggie products, you can find burgers, ground "meat", and chorizo. I find the burgers the hardest thing to constantly find (and of course they would be what I usually want to buy!).

I find eating out can be difficult, as sometimes there are places that don�t have non-meat dishes, but in those cases, I just walk out and find someplace else, or ask about altering the plate slightly.

There was another thread not too long ago about this topic. If you search for it, there might be some other suggestions that you�ll find helpful.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Thanks for the speedy replies! I can now tick those things off on my list of cities I'll be choosing from.

Dixie, I'm a vegetarian because of a hereditary digestive condition, so I can't eat those burgers (give me heartburn), but I'd forgotten about the "chorizo"! Goes great in a quesadilla with queso oaxaqueno! Hmmm maybe I should put "access to excellent food" on my list of criteria to help with this decision... Laughing

notamiss · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:21 am Post subject:

I buy tofu at Costco. It comes in a strip of three 14-oz packs, and it's made by House Foods America Corporation in California. I like it fine, but I also like that UHT packed stuff so I guess I'm not a good judge.

You can buy imitation meat made from soy and/or tempeh at many little "naturista" stores, but much of it is pretty bland and doughy. I've found a few good ones, so if you like that kind of stuff, it's worth trying them out to see if you find one you like and can tolerate.

You can buy soy flour and powdered soy milk at the Nutrisa chain, and also some dried soy granules in different imitation meat and chicken flavours that are pretty good (in my opinion).

Gigante has started to carry some soy burgers, "meat"balls and chorizo that are tastier than the naturista store ones.

Flavoured soy drinks (juice-type and milk-type) have cracked the mainstream market in the last couple of years and can be bought at any large grocery store.

Can you eat eggs? (If so, it really expands your repertoire, because you can have all the different vegetable tortas (I mean tortas as patties, not the sandwich kind of tortas).)

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

The only tofu I have seen in tetrapacks is silken tofu. Is it that you just don't like silken tofu at all, or is the silken tofu in Mexico especially bad? OR... is there non-silken tofu in tetra packs in Mexico?

In my homestay last week the mom made awesome tosadas topped with the aforementioned soy "granules". She said they were plain flavoured, but I haven't seen plain in any stores, just beef or chicken. She rehydrated the flakes then mixed them with diced tomatoes, onion, avocado and cilantro.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Wow! Such a response! Thanks!

Notamiss, thanks for all the soy info. I generally stay away from the "meat" because I try not to eat flavourings and so forth, but sometimes I have it for a treat, especially if I haven't had a stomach "episode" for a while and feel like tolerating one. The soy granules are called "carve" here, but I remember getting them in Mexico without any labelling. I used to rehydrate them with a bit of Valentina for flavour. My biggest problem is that I tend not to eat enough protein, because I prefer vegetables, but I've had two surgeries in the past 2 years, and my body needs more protein just now to repair itself.

I can eat eggs, but not very often, and definitely not if the yolk is runny. Ew. Makes me feel sick just thinking about runny eggs. To me, the UHT tofu tasted like chemicals, run away!! But maybe there's a new brand of that too? Things sound like they've definitely changed vegetarianism wise in ole DF.

Jetgirly, I can't remember if it was silken or not, but I'm thinking maybe it was. It tasted so chemically and bad, I actually threw out my dinner, which was sad after not having had a nice tofu stir fry for a long time. Crying or Very sad

Thanks so much for your replies, I've gotten used to a certain way of life here in Bog, and it would be nice to think I could continue it if I'm lucky enough to be able to return to Mexico.

Oh yeah, since you're all so well informed, how about yoga classes? Not beginner ones, but the real deal sweat your head off advanced classes?

Have a great day,
Lozwich.

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

I recently found hummous in Mega. I don't know if it's commonly available or not, but it made my day!

MELEE · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject:

They seem to have it at The Green Corner in non-tetra pak varieties.

And, one of my current co-workers has a Japanese wife. She has a Japanese Guide book to Mexico. It has the location of a super-duper Japanese Supermarket in Mexico City that they went to and said "it has everything!". I will get the address and share it with you.

notamiss · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject:

Hummus... yes, it's always stocked at the Mega Comercial where we shop; also pita, falafel, and tahini sauce in a squeeze bottle.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Lebanese food has become very common in DF over the last few years. Costoc, Walmart, and several grocery store chains stock hummus from 2 or 3 different suppliers, as well as fresh pita bread, and sometimes tabouleh. I go to a Lebanese place called Biblos across from the school in colonia Narvarte that sells fresh-made tahini, hummus, tabouleh, among dozens of other items. Scrumptious.