Breakfast at the Feria

This morning we went to the Grecia feria to have breakfast at one of the sodas - there are a number to choose from - and to walk around looking at all the gorgeous fruits and vegetables. You can also buy dairy products, breads, meats, fish, and plants and flowers, clothing and leather goods.

Most of the sodas do not have menus, but they may post what is available on a board. In any case, you need to know what you want to eat and you need to order in Spanish. We decided on coffee, scrambled eggs and gallo pinto. Cost for two meals was 6,000 colones, about $12 USD.

The coffee was super hot and strong, the way we like it. We drink our coffee black.

Here are our breakfasts (sorry that the picture is not in focus). You can see that the portions are generous. They also came with fried plantains, which are sweet and almost caramelized. We couldn’t finish all the rice and beans.

At the end of our meal, our server gave each of us a square of cajeta - a fudge like candy. I might try making these.

After breakfast, we wandered around. Rambutans are in season now (also known as mamon chino and lychee). I also bought a few mangosteens, because this is a fruit I hadn’t tried yet.

Rambutans on the left and mangosteens on the right:

Here is what they look like cut open. I like the mangosteen - it’s a bit tart.

Our final purchase was fresh flowers - gladioli and a white flower that I can’t identify. The flowers will continue to open up along the stem so it lasts for quite a while.

Atenas' New Feria (Farmers' Market)

On August 28, 2014, Atenas' new feria opened, also known as Feria del Agricultor. The Friday farmers' market has relocated from the town of Atenas to the radial road that connects Atenas to highway 27.

Only time will tell if this new location will work out. We can no longer do our weekly farmers' market shopping right in Atenas. Now, the only way to get to the new market is by driving or taking the free feria bus from Atenas which runs back and forth every hour. I worry that the Atenas Costa Ricans have lost their market right in the heart of their town - the market that they have been shopping at for years and years - the market that they could walk to every Friday and buy their week's worth of fruit, vegetables, chicken, eggs, flowers, herbs, and also visit with friends and neighbors.

On the plus side, the new feria has a permanent roof over it and it is wide and spacious. There are two sodas and we had lunch there today - good food, good prices. We bought cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, strawberries, water apples, mamóns and sausages.

Here are photos of some things we bought today. Everything is grown locally.

 

Limes

Strawberries

Water Apples

Mamón, aka lychee, rambutan

The new feria

Fresh cut flowers.

 

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