A walk thru Cochabamban markets

*Photos thanks to Ruth Kinney

                           Papayas, bananas, apples, star fruit, watermelon, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, cherries, chirimoya, pacay, peaches, oranges, grapefruit, mango, mandarin oranges, apricots... 

Fruit vendors sell slices of watermelon, pineapple,

and cactus fruit by the slice.  Yum!

Because of the beautiful range of cheap flowers available year round (Cochabamba is also known as the garden city), I've gotten into the habit of filling my house with them every week.  Lilies and sunflowers, freesia, roses, diablitos (little devils), strawflowers, cala lilies, daffodils...

Items are almost always displayed attractively, the bright colors drawing you in.  From flip-flops to yarn, every display is designed to draw the eye of the buyer in. 

Cheese is salty, crumbly, and there are few kinds of cheese you can get that melt well when heated.  Cheddar cheese is only for the rich at around $7 a pound, and I find that it's one of the top things on the list of foods I miss!  Despite all that, I really enjoy getting cheese that's fresh and made in the valley.

Bolivians love their carbs... pasta, potatoes, chuño (freeze-dried potatoes), rice... But there's also lots of healthy grains here and plenty of quinoa, you guessed it: CHEAP!

With over 2,000 kinds in Bolivia, most Bolivians don't consider food a meal unless it includes potatoes!  There's a saying here that you know you're ready to marry when you can peel potatoes well.  Very few Bolivian dishes include unpeeled potatoes, making potato peeling and essential skill.  Guess I better start practicing!

My average weekly budget for veggies is about $2.  That includes tomatoes (at 60 cents a kilo), broccoli, lettuce (at 10 cents a head), carrots, spinach, cucumber, green beans, etc!  Sure makes it easy to eat a healthy diet, but few Bolivians eat lots of vegetables as a regular part of their diet.

Maybe I missed this important step in the States, although
I have to admit I didn't do a lot of cooking with meat when
I lived on my own, but here in Bolivia you ALWAYS
wash your meat before cooking and eating it.  This picture
probably gives you a good idea why...