¡Week 5!

The farmer's market in Zapote was very "organic," if that word is even strong enough to describe the atmosphere. The majority of the venders were selling their produce/other items directly out of the back of their trucks - which gave me a somewhat sketchy "farm-to-table" vibe. Again, the layout was very open, however, it was also very chaotic; I felt at times like I was in a maze of people and produce. The interactions between costumers and sellers followed the same fast-paced protocol. I remember when Mackenzie stopped to buy peanuts, the exchange of money and peanut went by very quickly. However, what I found remarkable was that the grower selected the bag of peanuts for Mackenzie, even though they were already in a ziploc baggy. He also gave Liv and I samples of peanuts - I assume he was hoping we'd also purchase some. Also, I found that all generations were at the farmers market. Countless times I almost got knocked to my feet by some careless children, and I often got stuck in a crowd behind a cane-bound old woman. My family and I often go to the farmer's market in Asheville and I found the Zapote one to be similar, yet different in some ways. There are only old people at the farmer's market at home. Old people selling the produce, old people buying the produce. However, the layout is the same and there are many latino families shopping at the one at home. So, perhaps fresh food is part of Latin American cultural identity?

 These mangos are showcased with the leaves still intact. Perhaps to enhance their freshness?

 Not only can you purchase citrus, you can also buy the tree!

Natural Medicine...no me gusta

In regards to chocolate, my tico mom told me (that's right...we had a conversation...in Spanish) that when she was growing up, chocolate was a rare treat reserved only for Christmas. She even mentioned that she had a cacao tree in her yard growing up and that her mother would prepare the chocolate by hand and would then make a hot-chocolate-type drink for her and her sisters. Today, you can go into any supermarket in Costa Rica and see the shelves flooded with chocolate products...most of it is imported from other countries. My tica mom expressed the sentiment that, like most things, the United States and globalization has created a bigger appetite for chocolate than there has historically been in Costa Rica. For produce, my tico dad goes every Saturday to the farmer's market and purchases all the fruit and vegetables for the next week. My family only goes to M4M or Megasuper for items which they cannot purchase at the market.