Well, the feira didn’t actually go anywhere. All Brazilian winter long I wandered around it still amazed at the huge variety of amazing looking fruits and vegetables.
However, now that spring has sprung, oh, it is back. You can tell a huge difference in its popularity. More vendors have squeezed into the booths and the people are flocking in. I could barely move through the aisles yesterday with my massive shopping bag.
One interesting thing is, again, noticing the different seasons. It is definitely veggie time. There aren’t so many fruits except for some goiaba (guava) and bananas, and carambola (star fruit) is just now starting to show up. If I remember correctly from last year though, the mangos are right around the corner.
I’m loving the longer days. I don’t have to rush there and buy all my stuff in 15 minutes flat in order to rush back and make it home by dark. I can actually enjoy walking around for a bit, well, if that is possible in mobs of fellow market-goers.
I’ve been thinking about all these foods I’ve come to like since arriving here and I’ve decided that I really need to start taking advantage of them while I can. The first year here went fast and I have a feeling that the second is going to go faster.
I don’t make it to the feira every week. Sometimes I go a little crazy and buy way too much so I skip a week. Sometimes I will admit I just don’t want to take the 20 minute walk to get there, especially if the weather is bad.
Anyway, I’ve decided I need to make sure I have at least one prepared food each time I visit within healthy moderation.
This week was Pamonha Simples. I’ve written about all the interesting things they do with corn here, but not about the type you can get at the feira.
The pamonha here is served to you in the corn husk with a spoon. It is difficult to describe its texture. It is similar to sweet corn bread which is why I got it. It kind of reminds me of cornbread back home - which reminds me of chili, which reminds me of fall.
With the weather changes and all the typical media attention to fall attractions I have to admit I am getting a bit homesick for my favorite season.
The corn batter is poured into a pocket made of corn husks. It is tied off and boiled to create this kind of partially baked corn bread/corn pudding. It is served hot and they cut off the top and you dig in.
It isn’t really a summer food to me because it is a bit heavy. This is why yesterday was perfect for it. We’ve been experiencing some cooler weather that I’ve been trying hard to hang on to before the heat seriously hits.
4 comments:
oooh that looks like a Chilean humita! They aren't sweet, though, unless you sprinkle sugar on them when you open them to eat. We often eat them with chopped tomatoes dressed in oil and salt. MMM delicious. But oh so bad for you. Ground corn and fat. Literally. yikes! I know what you mean about heavy!
They do make some savory varieties with cheese and sausage. That might be more similar to what htey make in Chile. Those are good too! I've never had a true humita before though.
Oh Lori... pamonha is one of my favorite foods! Have you ever tried the salt one with cheese and linguica?
Hi Vivi,
Yes! I think I like that one the best. The sweet ones are good, but after a while they are almost too much. We had the one you are talking about at a pamonha restaurant here in town. I really liked it!
Post a Comment