What foods can you bring into Mexico?

Joellen · 01-20-2004

I will be traveling to PDC during February school vacation week with my husband and 2 children (ages 4 and 8). It is our first trip to Mexico.

My children are not adventursome eaters....we are planing to pack a suticase full of food that they will actually eat (pasta, Kraft macaroni and cheese, peanut butter as well as spices and butter). Can I also pack a cooler with hot dogs and bologna? What is considered OK and what is not?

All advice and suggestions are welcome!

Joellen

MM · 01-20-2004

all the foods you mentioned except for the kraft mac cheese can be purchased at the grocery store here. you can lighten your bag if you would like and shop here and then you would not need to be concerned what customs will allow or not. if you choose to shop here your family might enjoy the experience of not only finding some products you are accustomed to, but also seeing what the foods are that the mexicans enjoy.

highball · 01-20-2004

Just wandering if they sell Motos Clamato down there my wife is a die hard lover of beer and clam.

Thaks

**denisea** · 01-20-2004

Prohibited items
Any uncanned food, pork or pork products, plants, fruits, vegetables and their products. Canned food is permitted, provided it is not pork or pork products.

cook4me · 01-20-2004

Clamato is sold in PdC

highball · 01-21-2004

Does it have the same tast as in the us or canada ? is it motos ?

Joellen · 01-21-2004

Can we buy bologna and hot dogs in PDC?

We will be staying at Xamen-Ha Condos....any suggestions for the best grocery store? Will they sell "American" food products and large quantities of pasturized milk?

I was told that we needed to bring butter as the local version is really oleo not butter, is this true?

Any idea why pork products are such a no-no?

thanks
Joellen

**Bumper** · 01-21-2004

Best grocery shopping we were able to find was at Chedraui (pronounced shed-raw-we), which is at Highway 307 just south of Juarez. We were staying in Playacar I, which is more-or-less in your part of town. We walked there and took a cab back with all our purchases. Fare was 40 pesos ($4 US) It's sort of like a mexican Wal-Mart. You can buy your booze, groceries, lawn furniture or snow tires there. Don't look for milk in the dairy case. It's all in tetra packs, but you'll be refrigerating it after opening anyway. They have a pretty decent deli with lots of selection and plenty of pre-packaged meats, so you shouldn't have any problem getting what you need. You'll recognize lots of product labels from home on just about everything, cereals, snack foods, canned goods etc. We bought butter with no problem, though we weren't able to identify what we would call "half & half" cream for our coffee and ended up having to go with Coffee Mate (Yuk!) They're down on untreated pork products because of a fear of importing diseases.

miaumma · 01-21-2004

Hey Joellen! We're going to be in Playacar during February school break too. And I'm bringing my 4 year old daughter too. We should get them together to play on the beach, my daughter is unable to play by herself so this trip should be exhausting for my husband and I. My kids are pretty good eaters but I'm planning on bringing some food with me: Mac n' cheese, nutrigrain bars, juice boxes, Kix cereals, pasta and there is this really neat product its basically cooked rice that you microwave. Also lots of Ramen noodles for the late nighter adults. Nothing like noodles after being hung over. Basically we're packing a suitcase filled with food and toys. I'm assuming it should be okay with customs since there is nothing perishable.

Miaumma

cook4me · 01-21-2004

I second Bumper's recommendations. We usually stay at the Xaman-Ha also, and do a fair amount of cooking - mostly lunch, and maybe a breakfast or two. Butter is not a problem, but you may want to bring your own if you are picky (as I am!!!). I've never bought milk, I usually bring a package of powdered milk if I think I might need some.

The clamato tastes better in Mexico, in my opinion!

A little off topic, but the first time we went to Playa, we brought a huge cooler filled with bottled water, Coors Light, and all kinds of food stuff. Now, you can buy almost anything there, and all I bring now is maybe a stick of butter and my Dewar's scotch (not available there).

It's fun grocery shopping there and seeking out new and different things to eat!! Have fun.

Joellen · 01-21-2004

I am not sure how to post a question to two different responses...

Bumper
So how is Xamen-Ha? I am particularly curious about the beach and pool.

It is hard to tell from the photos if the pool is really as large as it appears...and is the beach calm?

Miaumma
Are you also staying at Xamen-Ha?

**denisea** · 01-21-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by "Joellen"

Any idea why pork products are such a no-no?

Quote:

Originally posted by "Bumper"

They're down on untreated pork products because of a fear of importing diseases.

Actually, the pork import restrictions stemmed from the Mexican government's contention that the U.S. was dumping pork into their country.

**Bumper** · 01-21-2004

Joellen;

Haven't stayed at Xamen-Ha, but did take a walk through it. Looked pretty good from what we could see. I've heard pretty positive things about it, but you can likely get some more first hand opinions in this forum. The search feature provides a wealth of information.

Denise;

Thanks for straightening me out on the pork situation. Dumping pigs must be kinda messy, doncha think? I misunderstood the restrictions. I'm ignorant and I can prove it!! :oops: Must have been an attack of mad cow disease. (or demented duck, or whacko walrus, or thoroughly annoyed chicken, or something)

**james** · 01-21-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by "Joellen"

Can we buy bologna and hot dogs in PDC?

We will be staying at Xamen-Ha Condos....any suggestions for the best grocery store? Will they sell "American" food products and large quantities of pasturized milk?

I was told that we needed to bring butter as the local version is really oleo not butter, is this true?

Any idea why pork products are such a no-no?

thanks
Joellen

the closest bologna product is called mortadela. Hot Dogs? You'll find kilos and kilos of them.

American food products? You mean like Cheez Whiz? Yes, we have Cheez Whiz here. And Oreos. We even have a new Funyun-like snack, so my life is nearly complete. If Corona would only start brewing a nice, dark porter, but I digress.

Butter here (called Mantequilla) is actually butter. Real butter. Who told you to bring butter? that's actually pretty comical.

Mina · 01-22-2004

It is real butter down there? It sure doesn't taste like it

. Maybe our butter in the heart of dairy-land here in Minnesota is different then.

01-20-2004	#1 (permalink)
Joellen very sparkly Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 26	What foods can you bring into Mexico? I will be traveling to PDC during February school vacation week with my husband and 2 children (ages 4 and 8). It is our first trip to Mexico. My children are not adventursome eaters....we are planing to pack a suticase full of food that they will actually eat (pasta, Kraft macaroni and cheese, peanut butter as well as spices and butter). Can I also pack a cooler with hot dogs and bologna? What is considered OK and what is not? All advice and suggestions are welcome! Joellen

01-20-2004	#2 (permalink)
MM way into it Join Date: May 2001 Location: Playa del Carmen Posts: 132	groceries all the foods you mentioned except for the kraft mac cheese can be purchased at the grocery store here. you can lighten your bag if you would like and shop here and then you would not need to be concerned what customs will allow or not. if you choose to shop here your family might enjoy the experience of not only finding some products you are accustomed to, but also seeing what the foods are that the mexicans enjoy.

01-20-2004	#3 (permalink)
highball lost on fifth Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Timmins Ontario Canada Posts: 23	Can you buy Just wandering if they sell Motos Clamato down there my wife is a die hard lover of beer and clam. Thaks

01-21-2004	#6 (permalink)
highball lost on fifth Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Timmins Ontario Canada Posts: 23	clamato Does it have the same tast as in the us or canada ? is it motos ?

01-21-2004	#7 (permalink)
Joellen very sparkly Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 26	Local food and kids Can we buy bologna and hot dogs in PDC? We will be staying at Xamen-Ha Condos....any suggestions for the best grocery store? Will they sell "American" food products and large quantities of pasturized milk? I was told that we needed to bring butter as the local version is really oleo not butter, is this true? Any idea why pork products are such a no-no? thanks Joellen

01-20-2004	#4 (permalink)
denisea Forum Goddess Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: On the road to ruins... Posts: 7,025	Prohibited items Any uncanned food, pork or pork products, plants, fruits, vegetables and their products. Canned food is permitted, provided it is not pork or pork products.

01-20-2004	#5 (permalink)
cook4me into ruins Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: texas Posts: 71	Clamato is sold in PdC

01-21-2004	#8 (permalink)
Bumper Class Clown Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Winnipeg, Canada Posts: 9,751	Best grocery shopping we were able to find was at Chedraui (pronounced shed-raw-we), which is at Highway 307 just south of Juarez. We were staying in Playacar I, which is more-or-less in your part of town. We walked there and took a cab back with all our purchases. Fare was 40 pesos ($4 US) It's sort of like a mexican Wal-Mart. You can buy your booze, groceries, lawn furniture or snow tires there. Don't look for milk in the dairy case. It's all in tetra packs, but you'll be refrigerating it after opening anyway. They have a pretty decent deli with lots of selection and plenty of pre-packaged meats, so you shouldn't have any problem getting what you need. You'll recognize lots of product labels from home on just about everything, cereals, snack foods, canned goods etc. We bought butter with no problem, though we weren't able to identify what we would call "half & half" cream for our coffee and ended up having to go with Coffee Mate (Yuk!) They're down on untreated pork products because of a fear of importing diseases.

01-21-2004	#9 (permalink)
miaumma lost on fifth Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Ashburn, VA Posts: 17	what food can you bring to Mexico Hey Joellen! We're going to be in Playacar during February school break too. And I'm bringing my 4 year old daughter too. We should get them together to play on the beach, my daughter is unable to play by herself so this trip should be exhausting for my husband and I. My kids are pretty good eaters but I'm planning on bringing some food with me: Mac n' cheese, nutrigrain bars, juice boxes, Kix cereals, pasta and there is this really neat product its basically cooked rice that you microwave. Also lots of Ramen noodles for the late nighter adults. Nothing like noodles after being hung over. Basically we're packing a suitcase filled with food and toys. I'm assuming it should be okay with customs since there is nothing perishable. Miaumma

01-21-2004	#10 (permalink)
cook4me into ruins Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: texas Posts: 71	I second Bumper's recommendations. We usually stay at the Xaman-Ha also, and do a fair amount of cooking - mostly lunch, and maybe a breakfast or two. Butter is not a problem, but you may want to bring your own if you are picky (as I am!!!). I've never bought milk, I usually bring a package of powdered milk if I think I might need some. The clamato tastes better in Mexico, in my opinion! A little off topic, but the first time we went to Playa, we brought a huge cooler filled with bottled water, Coors Light, and all kinds of food stuff. Now, you can buy almost anything there, and all I bring now is maybe a stick of butter and my Dewar's scotch (not available there). It's fun grocery shopping there and seeking out new and different things to eat!! Have fun.

01-21-2004	#11 (permalink)
Joellen very sparkly Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 26	How is Xamen-Ha? I am not sure how to post a question to two different responses... Bumper So how is Xamen-Ha? I am particularly curious about the beach and pool. It is hard to tell from the photos if the pool is really as large as it appears...and is the beach calm? Miaumma Are you also staying at Xamen-Ha?

01-21-2004	#13 (permalink)
Bumper Class Clown Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Winnipeg, Canada Posts: 9,751	Joellen; Haven't stayed at Xamen-Ha, but did take a walk through it. Looked pretty good from what we could see. I've heard pretty positive things about it, but you can likely get some more first hand opinions in this forum. The search feature provides a wealth of information. Denise; Thanks for straightening me out on the pork situation. Dumping pigs must be kinda messy, doncha think? I misunderstood the restrictions. I'm ignorant and I can prove it!! :oops: Must have been an attack of mad cow disease. (or demented duck, or whacko walrus, or thoroughly annoyed chicken, or something)

01-22-2004	#15 (permalink)
Mina way into it Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 120	It is real butter down there? It sure doesn't taste like it . Maybe our butter in the heart of dairy-land here in Minnesota is different then.

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