Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Cibo Matto and Markets

I associate the holidays with crazy amounts of delicious food, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some market photos we took while in Vietnam on our honeymoon back in July 2008. These photos were taken at Hue, Sapa and Ha Long Bay. Enjoy!

I don't think a low-carb diet would go over so well here.

Bonus points for identifying all the produce in this photo. I believe she's holding guavas, with pomelos in the foreground and maybe small mangoes in the basket?

Various forms of piloncillo/rapadura (pressed brown sugar). Right next to what looks to be dish detergent, of course.

Black seaweed jelly, anyone?

One banana, two banana, three banana, four.

Produce in every color of the rainbow, and a brilliant smile to match from the vendor.

Without a doubt, this woman's purchases will soon be piled in a gravity-defying manner on the back of her motorbike.

I spy with my little eye: dragonfruit, fruta do conde (atamoya), mangoes, the overgrown and hairy cousin of the litchi (whose name I don't remember). What are those small brown fruits?

Paper money for offerings. Easy to be a billionaire.

I never realized there were quite so many varieties of ginger/galangal.

As if I needed any more reason to sweat...but spicy foods really do go down nicely in a hot and humid climate. Especially with a bia hoi (draft beer) to quell the burn.

In case you need another pair of slippers or plastic sandals.

Assorted natural remedies at the market in Sapa.

Incredibly, this huge blanket was covered in wild mushrooms.

Spicy? Or extra spicy?

When you're on a boat, the market comes to you. This particular boat offers Oreos and other packaged cookies/crackers, bottled sodas, water and candy.

Do you have change for a 20?

Look, ma, no hands! (This boy was incredible - he could maneuver the boat in any direction using only his feet.)

Everybody texts.


3 comments:

Layla said...

The little brown ones are longans (mini-lychees) and the fuzzy hot pink ones are rambutan. Did you get to try mangosteen? *Incredible*. And LOL- was that some dry wit about the vendor's smile? Ooh, that look on her face.... kind of encapsulates Vietnam for me

Meg said...

I think I would wet my pants if I ever went to a market like that!

Ali Ambrosio said...

~Layla - I made notes about what all the fruits and veg were when we were in Vietnam...and now I have no idea where they went. Thanks for the id's. I didn't try mangosteen in Vietnam, but had them once (imported) in Brazil.

And yes, the vendor's smile was total dry wit! It seems we were either met with giant grins or...her expression. No real middle ground.

~Meg - Wait until I post the photos of the floating markets! But yeah, those markets were total foodie paradise if you could manage the chaos.