One of the best aspects of a trip to Latin America is shopping in the open markets and the weekly ferias (street markets). Ever since I went to Uruguay way back in 1968, I have enjoyed the way Latin Americans provide fresh food for the populace. Grocery stores are only one of the options that people have and grocery stores are no match for price and freshness of the markets.
In Tarma we often go to one of the larger open air market stalls about 8 blocks away from our place. Natalie likes the fresh produce and friendly attitude of the owner/operator. Most of the market stalls are run by women, though not all. We can buy the usual veggies and also some from the selva (jungle) around an hour and a half away. The huge avocados come from there, as well as a variety of bananas. From the high valleys come many varieties of potatoes. The little yellow fruit in a husk called capulin is a good source of vitamins and you just tell the seller to give you $.30 worth and you’ll have all you need. The tomatoes are mostly Roma. We can buy enough veggies for the week for about $10, all super fresh.
For meat, we go to the covered market. We buy a whole chicken and the women at the counter cuts it up to Nataly’s specifications. Then we go to the beef area and pick out meat that we like. The butcher grinds it and weighs it in front of us and off we go.
At another stand we can buy a variety of grains and beans. Quinoa is popular in Peru, as is kiwicha or amaranth. I had trout covered in kiwicha and baked—-yummy. I guess both are actually seeds. Maca is a product grown near our area. It is sold in a powdered form. Gladys made a drink with maca, oatmeal, greek yogurt and a banana. Very high energy. Maca is technically an herb and sold in a flour-like form. It is called Peruvian ginseng. I’ve seen it at Trader Joe’s in Iowa and on the package it says that it is a product of Junin, Peru, our place.
There are some folks who arrive and just spread out the few veggies they have on a piece of plastic. We generally buy the big avocados from the selva from a little old man who just brings in those and spreads them out on his blue plastic. Others in the market are selling sandwiches–pork is popular. There are many varieties of street food, though I’m not usually willing to try much. Neither Nataly nor Gladys do either, so I follow their lead.
However, food is not all you can find at the market. Tarma is called the City of Flowers. Huge gladiolas last up to three weeks and are found in a variety of colors. There are roses, carnations, lilies, geraniums, others I can’t name off hand. We buy big bunches for the sanctuary for Sunday services and we spend very little. When I visited the jumbo sized Catholic Church (an entire square block) down the street from us, I was impressed with how many gladiolas they use!
So, don’t hesitate to go to the open air market and buy your favorite or new veggies, fruits and flowers.
Paths in Peru 