Mexico City may be a sprawling metropolis of 21 million, but on its edge is an oasis of green unlike any other in the world. Known as Xochimilco, it is the last part of the city that preserves an ancient system of canals and farms first built by the Aztecs when the area was on the edge of a long-gone lake.

Continuing a tradition we began at IstanbulEats.com, as we approach the end of the year, we’ll be publishing “Best Bites of 2012,” a roundup of our top culinary experiences over the last year in each of the cities Culinary Backstreets covers. Submitted by our correspondents in Istanbul, Athens, Barcelona, Mexico City and Shanghai, these “Best Bites” are not only about the quality of the food – though it usually seems to factor in – but the quality of the experience. Our best bites are those perfect little dining moments when the right food ended up in front of us at precisely the right time, like a consoling bowl of soup in a steamy restaurant on a rainy day or a meal where all of the elements wonderfully came together.

Wake up with the city to taste the Chinese breakfast of champions. We’ll mingle with water calligraphers and tai chi masters, taste Chinese breakfast dishes made right in front of your eyes at local street stalls and learn the true meaning of fresh at a wet market.