VLOG: The Land of the People Person

Feira Friday

I love going to the Brazilian Farmer's Market,or feira, first thing on Friday morning.  I always arrive right at the beginning, as the last pieces of fish are being laid out for display.

There's a calm to the early morning feira.  The workers are chatting amongst themselves and laughing as they help each other tie tarps up over their produce. It's pleasant out at the moment but the sun will not be so forgiving in a few hours.

The entire street smells fresh. This is amazing seeing that this particular street normally has a strong smell of urine. Somehow the clean leafy greens, fresh seafood, and newly cut watermelon cover up the nasty.

I like to stroll along with my boys, letting them point out and lightly touch the fruit. The vendors encourage it and offer them samples of fruit that I can't even name in English. One boy always says no and they other always says yes.

And then we start to buy. My vegetable man calls me dear and shows me the American broccoli. My fish guy already knows which cuts my kids like and he gives me a little discount. My chicken person asks how my in-laws are doing, by name, as she was their chicken person when they lived in the city. My fruit man laughs when my youngest grabs a berry and offers him another.

We top off our early trip to the feira with a visit to the pastel stand. My two boys walk home happily eating a cheese pastel half the size of their heads.

A lovely way to start a Friday. 

Feira Friday

I´m a big fan of the Feira (farmer´s marker).  I have been since I moved to Rio. I feel healthier just walking among the fruits and veggies. 

I´ve gotten so used to it at this point that I don´t even get intimidated by some of the people who sell their. My past intimidaters were the maracuja guys and the garlic/lemon guys.


I would be calmly picking out papayas when the little bastards would sneak up and scare the crap out of me. Seriously, they walk right up to you and yell "MARACUJA! Miss, maracuja?"

Of course I didn´t see them coming.  At that point, I had yet to acquire my Carioca vision.

Carioca vision you ask.  Well, Cariocas need to see 3,000 things all at the same time.  At first it´s quite overwhelming but, rather quickly, you get accustomed to seeing everything coming your way (from both directions), everything that has already gone by, and what is right in front of you.  It´s an acquired skill that takes practice. 

The feira is a perfect example of a place where you need this. No, not for safety issues. Not at all. But for sanity issues. The feira is madness personified, depending on time and day. They are quite calm in the early morning and during the weekend. Of course I used to end up they at 10am on a Wednesday so it was me, a couple of other Moms, and about 200 maids shopping for that week´s produce. 

Now I love it even more.  I love walking along looking at all the colors. Everything feels so alive and fresh.  I even enjoy those guys.  They come sauntering up, ready for a startle and I now see them every time. 

In the oh so Brazilian way, I´m already no no no-ing with my pointer finger before they even manage to say MA. 

Mmmmmm Caqui

I distinctly remember my first experience with the Caqui.  It was my first trip to Rio and I braved a solo trip to the feira (aka. local farmers market).  I did all my shopping and returned to the apartment triumphant.  We were visiting at the time and staying with Daniel's parents and brother.

I pulled out everything I managed to buy without speaking a word of Portuguese. I finally pulled out my last purchase. I was so very proud of this buy.  I told them, I got these tomatoes for practically nothing. Brazilian tomatoes are so much cheaper than American tomatoes at the feira.

Yeah, that would be because they weren't tomatoes.  I had bought a 6 pack of Caquis (or in English Kaki Persimmon).  To add insult to injury, no one in the apartment liked the fruit. 

So I'm trying the fruit out again. My youngest has GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and I am attempting to expand his available fruits.

It was a success. They are weird little gooey fruits but tasty none-the-less.  Not only am I happy they actually ate a new fruit, I'm stoked because it's really good for you.  Check it out:

Health benefits of persimmon fruit

• The fruit is low in calories (provides 70 cal/100g) and fats but is rich source of dietary fiber.
  
• Persimmons contain many health benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants like catechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.
  
• Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
  
• zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent "Age related macular disease"(ARMD) in the elderly.
  
• The fruits are also very good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant (especially native Chinese and American persimmons; provide 80% of DRI). Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
  
• The fruit is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins acts as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.
  
• Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI) and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells. 
  
  Info from http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/persimmon-fruit.html
  
  You should also check out becoming brazilian for more Caqui related fun.
  
  Recipes (in Portuguese) http://www.caqui.com.br/interna.php?pg=receitas