The Mercado Central is a two-storey covered hall a block north-west of the central plaza, busy from dawn into the late afternoon. The ground floor is fruit, vegetables, herbs, cheeses (especially the local fresh queso chuquisaqueño), grains, dried chilis, and a wonderful row of juice stalls where for a few bolivianos you get a tall glass of freshly pressed papaya, mango or maracuyá. The chicha, a mild fermented corn drink, is also good if you can find an enthusiastic vendor.
Upstairs is the food court. This is the place to try a Bolivian almuerzo — a two-course set lunch with soup and main for around 15 to 20 bolivianos, served until early afternoon. Sucre's signature salteñas (baked pastry with a soupy meat-and-vegetable filling) are sold from stalls around the market's perimeter in the morning; they sell out by 11am. Pickpockets do work the market, so keep bags in front of you.