05/14/2026
Is food really free in Mexico? The word free in English can mean there is no charge, but it can also mean that a thing is liberated.
Food is everywhere in Mexico, out in the open, unconfined. Free.
Meat has mystique. A certain charm. Think about how powerful the smell of roasting meat is. It activates a primitive part of your brain.
Street food is everywhere (and meat is alive and well) Mexico’s street food culture challenges many of the assumptions Americans have about food safety, meat, markets, and public life. In Mexico: Food Is Free and the Mystique of Meat, this travel and food essay explores Mexican street food, carnic...