Mercado de La Merced (Nave Mayor)

La Merced is Mexico City's largest traditional public market, located in the east of the historic centre. Its present Nave Mayor building dates from 1957 and, since the 16th century, the site has been the city's main food distribution point. It remained Mexico City's wholesale food market until the 1960s, when the Central de Abasto took over bulk produce wholesaling; today La Merced still concentrates wholesale and retail grocery trade — dried chillies, spices, sweets, preserved goods, meat and fish — with the Merced metro station inside the building.

The market's strong suit is grocery wholesaling of dried chillies, spices, candies, preserved goods, cold cuts and fresh meat, serving restaurants and small retailers in the east of the capital. Chinese exporters of food ingredients, spice-processing products, packaging and packaged dry foods can use it to understand how Mexican specialty-food wholesale works. The building has suffered several fires over the years and was rebuilt after them, so visitors should check current opening notices.