Signs aren't perfect here--it's supposed to say "Frutas y Verduras". I discovered this little roadside store on the way back from the supermarket in La Florencia. The woman who runs the stand is very nice and the quality of the produce beats whats on sale at Flosanco. It's a good idea when in Latin American countries to be very careful when consuming uncooked produce. I figured that wouldn't be a problem if I bought, washed and prepared things myself.
I've had a couple of excellent avocado sandwiches and yesterday I went so far as to include a fresh tomato. I bought some sliced turkey at the supermarket and that's been serving me well, along with tortilla chips and an interesting sauce that is called salsa picante but is like nothing we have in the States. The papayas and mangos are amazing here, just take a look at these:
The woman running the store had a crockpot on the counter and had boiled some fruit that I didn't recognize. When I asked her what it was the name didn't ring a bell. She peeled one and cut me a chunk, telling me that locals really liked them (boiled and peeled both = safe to eat). I wish I could say it was an incredible taste of the tropics but it turned out to be as bland as cassava--another staple here. The Costa Rican diet is long on starches and short on other vegetables.
When you order a typical meal you will always get boiled vegetables on the side. Guaranteed to be a mixture of carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. You're also likely to get black beans, rice, plantain and even fried cassava if you're eating dinner. This picture shows the owner of the stand, said crockpot and an appealing display of hanging wares.
I only went yesterday morning to take a few pictures but of course I ended up with a few purchases. The photo below shows what I bought for $5. She threw in the tomato gratis because it had a spot on it. Pura vida!
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| Clockwise from left: papaya, avocado, banana, mango, limón, apple, tomato |
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