Farmer's Market Friday: Ribeirao Preto, Brazil

What a week.

First off, let me say my heart is broken.  For those in Boston, for those in Texas, for those trying to figure out how to go on from here.  We as a nation are strong, that I know.  But individual families are hurting right now, and for them, and all of us, we pray for strength and comfort.

Personally, it was a good week, but a tiring one.  Bachelorette weekend in Napa, camping with 24 children and 13 of their parents -- most of whom had never camped before -- in the rain, hours upon hours of parent teacher conferences... all since the last time I posted one week ago.  I know I promised you Rio de Janeiro this weekend, but my friend in Rio had a week of taking care of sickies and other things that pop up in life, postponing Rio until another day.  And so I bring you the farmers' market in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil!

Remember last week when I said that I initially fell in love with farmers' markets while in Brazil?  This is the one, folks... the one that opened my eyes.

Ribeirao Preto, or Black Stream, is a city of around 600,000+ inhabitants, yet is not considered to be a large city at all. With Sao Paulo coming in at over 11 million and Rio de Janeiro at a little more than 6 million, you can see how a measly 600,000 is in comparison.  If I were to compare it with an American city in size and number of stores/etc, I would say it matches a 70,000 person city here.  Which is to say not a big city, but not a small city either... something in the middle.  Unlike most tourist destinations in Brazil, it is not found along the coastline.  Instead, it is in the 'interior' of Sao Paulo state, about four hours to the nearest beach.  Despite the lack of beach, it is commonly referred to as the "Brazilian California" because it has an economy based off of agriculture and technology, as well as having a high number of wealthy people and sunny days.

As all cities, Ribeirao Preto is broken up into bairros or neighborhoods, most of which having their own feira livre.  This feira livre (or 'free market') serves the bairro my in-laws live in.  A collection of fresh fruit and vegetables line the street as people walk up and down inspecting the produce, looking for a bargain on something fresher than fresh.

And this is great. That's why we go to farmers' markets, right?  Well... in Brazil there is another reason to go to the feira livre.  That reason?

A late morning snack with friends, made up of pastel and caldo de cano.

THIS is why I came to the feira livre week after week.  Fresh produce?  Nice.  Pastel and sugarcane juice?  Even better.

Pastel, a deep fried pastry with assorted fillings such as cheese or meat or even pizza flavors, is a Brazilian street food that I am sure everybody loves.  Maybe not everybody eats it every time as deep-fried-anything is not always the healthiest, but I am sure life has taught you that deep-fried-everything is a little tastier than the norm.  Pastel is that and even more.

Caldo de cano, or sugar cane juice, is another big hit at the farmers' markets in Brazil.  Squeezed straight out of the sugar cane, it is naturally sweet.  Add a bit of lime and you are in Juice Heaven.

This is why I fell in love with the feira livre!

All of that produce isn't that bad, either ;)

So, what can you get for $10 in Ribeirao Preto?  Well, a friend of mine visited a farmers' market near there recently.  For $6 she got six carrots, a large bag of oranges, two cloves of garlic, ginger, three limes, and half a dozen eggs.  Not bad at all!  Looks like with the extra four bucks we could add some of those potatoes and a pineapple.  I'm telling you... quality meets quantity at the farmers' market.  Time to get yourself out there!

// via farmersmarket.com on facebook //

I have a few links for you this week that I am sure you will like.

Find your local farmers' market here, and then be sure to like them on Facebook so you can stay in-the-know with all things farmers' market related!

Head over to Cost Plus World Market to get some great Farmers' Market necessities, like cute bags to tote your stuff and cookbooks that tell you what to do with all of your great finds.

Make sure you are storing your fab finds correctly so they stay fresh.

See you next week, with a glimpse into a Florida market :)

A Piece of Home -- the OTHER Home

This post was written a few months ago as a guest post for someone, but then they kind of disappeared.  Oh well, I can still share with you.  YOU, afterall, are my favorite readers :)

Welcome to Ribeirao Preto (pronounced Hee-bay-rou[n] Prey-toe)!  Although I cannot claim this city as my own, my husband can.  And we are here to show you a little bit of life from Brazil.

Life in Brazil is in many ways very similar to life in America, yet in other ways completely different.  Ribeirao Preto, or RP for short, is one of those cities where the similarities outweigh the differences yet Brazilian flavor is sure to be found.

Both countries have shopping areas; both have residential areas.  The biggest difference we notice between the two is the lack of parking lots (and the need to pay someone to “watch your car” while out and about) and tall gates around the homes in Brazil.  Where America is wide and open on the streets, Brazil seems to be tucked away. 

But walk into those stores and life is not much different…

… although the produce and products offered might take on a different size and shape.

What makes Ribeirao Preto different than other Brazilian cities?  It isn’t the public market, which every city has…

Like a full time flea market, people can rent stalls here to sells their goods.  Want beans of any color?  Come here.  Want some seasoning fresh from the local farms?  Come here.  Simply want cheap and sweet treats?  Once again, come here.  The prices are low and the variety is wide.

Or on Friday mornings you can visit the feira livre (free fair), what we would refer to as a farmer’s market.  Once again, it doesn’t set RP apart, but is a vital part of the city.

Feira livre is packed almost every week.  How could it not be?  Look at that fruit!  Those nuts!  And the best… that pastel and sugarcane juice!  These deep fried cheese pastries and juice squeezed fresh out of the sugar cane is the biggest hit in any Brazilian farmer’s market, not just RP.

And of course, this being Brazil and all, you can find futebol anywhere and everywhere you look, from outside on the street or inside in a fancy basketball court.

Ribeirao Preto, however, does have some things that make it unique.  It is rated as the 4^th highest quality of life throughout all of Brazil (which is the size of the continental US, to give you an idea).  Although we have not seen an official list of reasons why, we have our guesses.  Beautiful architecture and well-planned downtown-areas allow for the residents to enjoy the beauty around them as they are doing their errands.

If city scenes aren’t your thing there is ample green space to be found.  Curupira Park is the perfect place to go throw a Frisbee, unpack a picnic, or ride a bike on one of the many trails.  On the weekends it is packed, but come on a weekday morning and you can have the entire place to yourself.

  

Want some more wildlife?  Head over to the zoo which is free to the public and open all year round.  You will see turtles sauntering along all by themselves and probably a field trip or two – and of course, our favorite, Blue. 

In reality, though, it doesn’t really matter how pretty the parks are or how fancy the downtown is.  What makes a place a “hometown”?  The people you share it with – your family!  This is something that remains the same all through Brazil, America, and the world.  Home is where the heart is, and family is usually the in the center of that space.

 

Field Trips, Futsal, and Farmer's Market... (Ribeirao Preto)

It is here: our last and final stop on the "See Brazil Through Tiffany's Eyes" tour -- Ribeirao Preto.

This "small city" by Brazilian standards (although quite large by mine, at 600,00+ inhabitants) is ranked at number four for best places to live in Brazil.  I do not know what the first three are, but I can tell you that Ribeirao Preto is quite proud of this ranking as they made sure we knew about it, whether through billboards or magazines.  And I can see why. 

Although it is far from the beach, it has a nice pace of life going on.  The streets are not congested, there is a lot of green as far as cities go, and for the most part, it is kept up pretty well. 

My favorite place in Ribeirao Preto, as with any Brazilian town, really, is the farmer's market.  Going to the feira livre on Friday mornings for pastel and caldo de cano (sugar cane juice) has become a weekly ritual for my husband and I whenever we are here.

And if you can't find what you are looking for here or in one of the many grocery stores around, you can always head over to the public market.  It may not be as impressive as the one in Sao Paulo, but it is worth a visit.

It might not be a hot-spot tourist destination like Ubatuba or Rio, but for a place to call "home", as my husband did for many years, it is just right.