The Mercado de Antojitos occupies the southeast corner of Uruapan's main plaza and is one of the best places in Michoacán to eat cheaply and well. The stalls are run by local women who have been cooking the same regional dishes for decades, and the quality is consistently high. Look for uchepos (tender corn tamales, sweeter than the more common masa variety), corundas (triangular tamales wrapped in corn leaves), and the local style of carnitas — Michoacán carnitas being arguably the finest in Mexico, cooked in copper vats in their own fat until the meat is simultaneously crisp and yielding.
The market is liveliest in the mornings and at lunch. At weekends local families fill the tables from early on, which is always a good sign. Prices are low, portions are large, and the chocolate atole served here — a thick, warm drink made from local cacao and masa — is the ideal accompaniment to a plate of tamales on a cool highland morning.