San Cristóbal is one of the best places in Mexico to eat if you like variety and regional character. The highlands produce coffee, cheese, corn, beans and vegetables, the lowlands send fruit and spices, and a stream of travellers has encouraged cafés, bakeries and international kitchens. Here is a guide to eating well.
Start with coffee
Chiapas is one of Mexico's main coffee regions, with smallholders growing shade coffee at altitude. Cafés in town serve filter, espresso and pour-over made from regional beans, and many roast their own. A tasting session is a good way to learn the differences, and bags of beans make fine gifts. Hot chocolate is also excellent, usually made with local cacao, cinnamon and sometimes chile.
Market food
The municipal market is the place for cheap, fresh meals. Look for tamales wrapped in leaves, soups, grilled meats, tortillas and sweet bread. Fruit and juice stalls offer papaya, pineapple and bananas. Choose busy stalls, watch the food being cooked and drink purified water. A food walking tour is an easy way to try several dishes in one go, with a guide who knows the vendors.
Regional dishes to try
Look for pork cooked slowly with spices and herbs, tamales de chipilín, chicken in sauce, soups thickened with bread and cheeses from the highlands, including the Ocosingo style. Many dishes use ingredients that are rare elsewhere, such as hoja santa and chipilín. A cooking class is the best way to learn how they fit together.
Drinks
Pozol, a drink of fermented corn dough served cold, is a traditional refresher in hot regions of the state, and you will meet it in Chiapa de Corzo. Pox, pronounced posh, is a local spirit made from corn, sugar cane and wheat, with ritual importance in the villages around San Cristóbal, and tasting rooms in town serve it plain or flavoured. Mezcal, beer and wine are available at most restaurants. Sip slowly at altitude, as alcohol hits harder.
Where to eat
The Real de Guadalupe has the highest concentration of restaurants, with terraces and live music in the evening. The streets around the plaza offer cafés and bakeries. Away from the centre, small family kitchens serve set menus at lunchtime, a good deal for those watching their budget. Vegetarian and vegan options are widely available, thanks to the traveller crowd.
Sweet things
Chocolate shops sell tablets and drinks, and bakeries offer sweet breads and pastries. Street vendors sell candied fruit and nuts. Amber is not edible, but the workshops nearby are a pleasant companion to a coffee.
Food safety
Drink bottled or purified water, and choose busy places with high turnover. Wash your hands, and pace yourself on the first day, since altitude and new spices can upset the stomach. Carry rehydration salts and any medication you need. If you are sensitive to dairy or gluten, learn the Spanish words for the ingredients, because corn tortillas are common but not every sauce is simple.
Etiquette
Greet staff, say thank you and tip around ten percent when service is not included. Menus may list prices in pesos only, and cash is preferred in small places. Dining hours are later in the evening than in some countries, with lunch the main meal.
A food day
Start with a coffee and sweet bread, join a market tour at midday, enjoy an afternoon cooking class or chocolate tasting, and finish with dinner on the Real de Guadalupe. Add a pox tasting to round off the day. This combination covers the main flavours of the highlands in a single, satisfying day.
Bring something home
Buy coffee beans, cacao, spices and small jars of local preserves. Ask the seller about roast dates and packing so your purchases travel well.
Cooking at home
If your lodging has a kitchen, shop at the municipal market for vegetables, cheese, tortillas and eggs, and cook a simple meal. Vendors are happy to suggest how to prepare unfamiliar ingredients, and prices are low. A picnic of bread, cheese, fruit and a flask of coffee is also an excellent plan for a day trip. Choose small quantities and eat fresh produce quickly, since the sun at altitude and the warmth in the lowlands spoil food fast.