A guide to Latin markets in Barcelona for finding Mexican ingredients

Barcelona is, along with Madrid, the Spanish city where it is easiest to find authentic Mexican ingredients. Its cosmopolitan character, its significant Latin American community and its gastronomic tradition open to outside influences have created an ecosystem of shops, markets and stores where you can find everything from dried chillies to fresh corn masa, as well as salsas, tortillas, tortilla chips and tinned Mexican products.

This guide will take you through the best spots in Barcelona to stock up on everything you need to cook authentic Mexican food. If you already know our guide to Mexican ingredients at Mercadona, this is the next level: the shops where you find what no conventional supermarket offers.

El Raval: the epicentre of the Latin pantry

The Raval district is Barcelona's equivalent of Madrid's Lavapiés in terms of Latin-product availability. Concentrated between Las Ramblas and the Ronda de Sant Antoni, the Raval is home to dozens of Latin shops, many with sections dedicated specifically to Mexican products.

What you will find: Dried chillies (ancho, guajillo, chipotle, de árbol, pasilla, morita), Maseca flour for tortillas, tinned chipotles in adobo (La Costeña, San Marcos), Valentina and Cholula salsas, dried and tinned black and pinto beans, piloncillo (panela), corn husks for tamales, tinned nopales, and occasionally fresh products such as tomatillos, habanero chillies and Mexican Hass avocado.

Guide prices: Dried chillies usually cost between 3 and 6 euros for a 100g bag. Maseca flour is around 3-4 euros per kilo. Tins of chipotles in adobo cost 2-3 euros. Bottled Mexican salsas range from 3 to 5 euros depending on size and brand.

The best thing about the Raval is that you can walk through several shops in a single 20-minute stroll, comparing prices and the freshness of the products. Some shops receive weekly shipments directly from importers specialising in Mexican products.

Sant Antoni: quality products and a municipal market

The Sant Antoni district, adjacent to the Raval, has undergone a gastronomic transformation in recent years. Its renovated municipal market includes stalls with international products, and the surrounding streets are home to Latin shops with good-quality products.

The Mercat de Sant Antoni is a good starting point for finding fresh products that complement Mexican cooking: limes (easier to find than Mexican lemons), fresh coriander, avocados, quality tomatoes and white onions. Some spice stalls also offer chilli powder, Mexican cumin and Mexican oregano (which is different from the Mediterranean kind).

Sants and Hostafrancs: the established Latin American community

The Sants and Hostafrancs districts have had an established Latin American community for decades, and with it specialist shops have emerged that maintain a constant stock of products that are hard to find elsewhere. This is where you can find things like mole paste imported directly from Oaxaca, fresh corn tortillas (not the industrial kind), achiote paste for cochinita pibil and dried epazote.

Local tip: The shops in Sants are usually cheaper than those in the Raval because the district's rent is lower. If you buy in quantity (for example, a kilo of dried chillies instead of a small bag), the prices drop considerably. Do not hesitate to ask the shopkeeper about products you do not see on the shelf: many shops have extra stock in the back room.

Eixample: gourmet and specialist shops

The Eixample offers a different option: gourmet and specialist shops that sell high-end Mexican products. Here you will find artisan mezcals, single-origin Mexican chocolates, imported artisan salsas, and premium products that you will not find in neighbourhood shops.

These shops usually have an online presence and offer delivery across Spain, which makes them useful also for those who live outside Barcelona. The prices are higher, but the quality and selection are superior.

La Boquería market: the tourist resource that works

La Boquería, the most famous market in Barcelona (and perhaps in Spain), is not a Latin shop, but it offers useful ingredients for Mexican cooking. Its fruit stalls have mangoes, papayas, pineapples and good-quality avocados. The spice stalls offer chilli powder, smoked paprika (a partial substitute for chipotle powder), cumin and dried herbs.

Do not expect to find Mexican dried chillies or corn masa here, but La Boquería is an excellent complement for buying the fresh produce that will accompany your Mexican dishes.

Online shops based in Barcelona

If you cannot or do not want to walk around physical shops, Barcelona has several online shops specialising in Mexican products that ship across Spain. They offer everything: from basic ingredients to artisan products that are hard to find in person.

The advantages of buying online include convenience and the chance to find very specific products (such as avocado leaves, toasted grasshoppers or chiltepin chilli). The disadvantages: you cannot assess the freshness of the dried chillies (flexibility is an indicator of freshness) and shipping costs can make small purchases more expensive. The ideal is to make large orders every 2-3 months.

What to buy: the essential list for the Mexican pantry

If you are starting to cook Mexican and want to set up your basic pantry, this is what you should look for on your first visit to Barcelona's Latin shops:

• Dried chillies (essential): Ancho, guajillo and tinned chipotle in adobo. With these three you cover 70% of recipes.
• Corn flour: Maseca or similar for making homemade tortillas. A kilo gives you 30-40 tortillas.
• Beans: Black and pinto, dried (cheaper and better flavour) or tinned (faster).
• Salsas: A Valentina salsa (mild heat), a bottled green salsa and tinned chipotles in adobo.
• Spices: Ground cumin, Mexican oregano (it is different from the Mediterranean kind), dried epazote.
• Complements: Piloncillo (or panela) for sweets and drinks, corn tortilla chips, commercial corn tortillas for emergencies.

With this basic pantry - which will cost you between 25 and 40 euros - you can prepare dozens of authentic Mexican recipes. Visit our recipes for inspiration and start with the simplest: some good beans de la olla, a red rice and some tacos with homemade salsa.

General tips for buying Mexican ingredients in Barcelona

After years of shopping in these shops, these are the tips that have served us best:

• Go early: Fresh products (coriander, fresh chillies, tomatillos) sell out quickly. Saturday morning is the worst time - lots of people, little stock.
• Take cash: Many small shops do not accept card for purchases under 10 euros.
• Ask the shopkeeper: The owners of these shops tend to be passionate about their products and can recommend brands, give cooking tips and even let you know when a special product arrives.
• Check dates: Some imported products travel a long way and may be near their expiry. Always check the use-by dates, especially on salsas and preserves.
• Buy dried chillies in quantity: Well-stored dried chillies (airtight bag, dark, cool place) last 6-12 months without losing flavour. Buy 500g when you find good quality.

Barcelona has everything you need to cook authentic Mexican. You just need to know where to look. With this guide and our step-by-step recipes, your Mediterranean kitchen will become a fully fledged Mexican kitchen. And if, after cooking, you want to compare with the professionals, do not miss the best Mexican restaurants in the city.