eG Foodblog: Panaderia Canadiense - Salt Cod, Squash, and Sweets: Semana Santa in the Sierra

[Panaderia Canadiense]

And because I didn't have breakfast (on purpose!) it was also definitely the time to hit up the Hornado vendor!  This is pulled suckling pig that's been roasted in a wood oven, served with mote (exploded flint corn), lettuce, and encebollado (a salad made of quick-pickled red onion and tomato in lime juice with cilantro).

 

[rotuts]

6 - 8 " of snow here tonight.  nothing really 'fresh' in the local markets.  no buds on the trees

 

Im more or less drooling here.   Id bet the aromas in that market are stunning    ( the fruit aromas )

[Shelby]

That abundance is staggering.  I'd have to bring a large cart with me lol.  And I'm sure everything tastes SO good.  

 

Are the tomatoes...you know, real tomatoes?  Not the mushy bland ones that are in the stores here?

 

I love the basket that your breads are in to go to the market. 

[Panaderia Canadiense]

12 minutes ago, Shelby said:

That abundance is staggering.  I'd have to bring a large cart with me lol.  And I'm sure everything tastes SO good.  

 

Are the tomatoes...you know, real tomatoes?  Not the mushy bland ones that are in the stores here?

 

I love the basket that your breads are in to go to the market. 

 

Yes, they're real, meaty, tomato-tasting vine-ripened tomatoes.  Mostly heirloom varieties.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

18 minutes ago, rotuts said:

6 - 8 " of snow here tonight.  nothing really 'fresh' in the local markets.  no buds on the trees

 

Im more or less drooling here.   Id bet the aromas in that market are stunning    ( the fruit aromas )

 

Man, and I was complaining that it was miserable out today, only 15 C and spitting rain….

 

Here's a bit more of the fruit variety.  The big yellow fruits are Babaco, a native fruit related to Papayas.  They're usually used in juices, where the flavour is slightly sparkling tropical (for lack of a better descriptor - they're something that kind of needs to be experienced.)

 

Green-skinned, pale-fleshed avocado from the valley of Patate are dominating the field this week.  And Tunas (prickly pears) are just beginning to make an appearance.

 

Also, because this is Palm Sunday, the little overflow parking lot in the middle of the Feria Popular has been converted into the World of Bacalao.  There's a bit of everything salt-fish available here, from big true bacalao (cod)….

 

…through smoked or unsmoked and salted Mero (grouper)…

 

 

…and even smaller fishes like Corvina and Barracuda.

 

The Feria of Bacalao fills the entire perimeter of the lot.  It is an aromatic stop on the tour of the Feria Popular - I could actually smell that it was there when I came in the main gates, which are about 500m distant from it.

 

 

Our last stop in the Feria Popular is another temporary market that appears especially on Palm Sunday: Squashlandia.  Along with Bacalao, various types of squash are vital ingredients of Fanesca, the traditional Eastertime stew.  Squashlandia is about one city block long; there are no squashes less than 10kg here, although you can buy pieces from some vendors.

 

The smaller, bright green gourds in the lower left of this photo are Zambo.  I believe English-speakers know these as Cidra (Curcubita ficifolia) - they've got stringy white flesh, tasty black seeds, and a pleasant flavour somewhere between cucumber and bitter melon when they're underripe, which is generally how they're sold for Fanesca, since ripe ones are quite sweet.

 

More Zambo, along with a couple varieties of green-skinned pumpkin.

 

Tiger Pumpkins.

 

The squashes are stacked about 2m tall in some areas.  Also available in this sector, although mysteriously absent from my photos, are some prizewinning giant zucchinis about as large around as my thighs.

 

 

 

 

[kbjesq]

Well that does it, @Panaderia Canadiense! I'm putting Ecuador on my short list. Your photos of the market leave me speechless.  I thought that the giant Mercado in Mexico City was a sight to behold, but your market far surpasses it in the produce department. That one large squash (looks like what I would call "Blue  Hubbard") is big enough to use as a row boat! Thank you again for taking the time to share your life and time with us    

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Next up, downhill.  To get to the lower section of the market, where I'll find the remainder of my list, I need to traverse the market along its main perimeter road, which parallels Av. Julio Jaramillo inside the market fence.  I'm going to make a quick stop, though, in front of the one-square-block sized Nave where Highland Fruit is sold in case lots.  If you need 20-50 lb cases of tomatoes, babaco, peppers, limes, or lemons, this is your stop!  That's right - every one of the roof sections you see in this photo is roughly a square block of covered space.

 

I don't normally buy anything at Highland Fruits - I rarely have call for that much volume.

 

However, I do have a reason to stop here.  The Quail Cart is normally found in the parking area!  A spatchcocked quail, liberally doused in aliño and grilled over charcoal, costs $1 and comes on a bed of mote.  The lady who runs the cart will often give you a grilled molleja (chicken gizzard) to whet your appetite while you wait for your quail to finish - because she will serve no quail before its time!  You can also apparently buy a mixed bag containing two quails and a dozen mollejas - I have never been so hungry as to consider this option; I know how filling even one quail is despite its small size.

 

For ease of consumption, the quail is cut into rough quarters before being stuffed into the bag.  Not pictured is me eating like an utter barbarian - when eaten properly and with gusto, this is finger food.  One will inevitably end up with quail grease running down one's chin and fingers that must be licked clean, and a big grin because it's absolutely delicious.

 

Also, because I omitted Mom's breakfast upthread….  Papas con Cuero are a popular street food dish here.  The potatoes are cooked in a thick, rich curry sauce with strips of pig skin and chunks of liver, and it's all served over gold rice.  You can add a hardboiled egg for $0.25, but Mom usually declines this in favour of extra sauce in a $0.75 bowl (which is more than enough to fill up even a hungry teenager).  She'd eaten so much of it by the time I got back with my bag of Hornado that all I can show you is the cart where the goodies are cooked over wood fire.

 

 

 

 

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Onwards and downwards, now fully sated, I bypass entirely one of the market terraces.  I don't need bulk sacks of anything that's on sale here (nor do I need a sack of sacks.)  I'm heading towards Nave J, Dry Goods, and my friend Klever, a miller and spice dealer.  He's the one who ordered the large loaves of bread.

 

In this area, I need pasta (sold by the pound) and a few things including an entire quintal of unbleached wheat flour.

 

Especerías Doña Clarita, Klever's shop, is one of about 30 under this roof.  It's far better organized than most of the others.  Klever supplies most of the city's restaurants with herbs, spices and dried grains.

 

Nave J is also home to the rice sellers, who spill over into the parking area.  It's possible to buy rice here by the pound, or in 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-pound sacks.

 

 

[Anna N]

@Panaderia Canadiense

 

 Thanks very much for the description of the Pan Injerto. Are the smaller loaves the same?   They certainly look two tone. I will not bother you for the recipe as I am unlikely to be ambitious enough to attempt tthem myself!   But I would love to taste yours.  

[rotuts]

I love markets  like this.

 

inspire of the impending weather here, there is a smile on my face.

 

thank you for all the time an effort for showing us such details.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

My final set of stops here involve the Coastal Fruit nave, which is on the lowest terrace of the market.

 

I would also have gone into Leafy Greens for a head of red lettuce and some fresh dill, but they were holding a Palm Sunday Mass there, and it was beyond crowded.  It's not visible in this photo, but there's a band led by an electric guitar.  Catholic services here are a really intriguing blend of stoic, reserved oratory and outright joyful noise.

 

The overcrowding was a real pity, because there was also a grilled plantain cart down there, and a sweet grilled plantain filled with soft cheese is a wonderful dessert.

 

I was actually headed towards Coastal Fruits, because we had yet to find the bananas we were looking for.  We never did see good Rosados, so we went with Oritos instead.

 

It is the tail-end of Mango season and the beginning of the second harvest of Carambolas.

 

And watermelons, which come from the north coast province of Esmeraldas, are in season, in various cultivars and sizes.

 

But I was also on the hunt for oranges.  Unfortunately, the Sevilles I was looking for aren't due for harvest for another week or so - heavy rains delayed the pickers in Caluma, Ecuador's orange capital.

 

My orange vendor friend did, however, have something interesting: Mamey.  These are a fruit with hard brown shells, one big pit, and creamy, pumpkin-custard flavoured flesh.  It is unusual to see them in this season, but we're in an El Niño year which does give us (along with flooding and road-slides) a second harvest of some fruits, Mamey among them.  They're stacked here alongside smooth Alligator Pear avocados from the central coastal plains.

[Anna N]

Wow!  Just Wow!   But inquisitive minds want to know if there is any produce enjoyed in North America that you do not find in Ecuador?   Anything you miss?

[rotuts]

I take it you are 'posting as you go'

 

what sort of technique are you using ?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

The last stop before catching a truck-taxi and heading home was Seasonal Fruits - our honey vendor is in this area, and we needed duraznos (a type of highland peach that's currently in season).

 

Also currently being harvested are Achiotillos (rambutan) - there wasn't enough space in Coastal Fruits for this vendor.

 

More highland harvest includes tart, green-fleshed Capulí (highland cherries), more prickly pears, and a type of tropical-adapted Pippin apple from Tisaleo canton, which is upslope of Ambato and one of the only places in the country where even adapted apples will grow.

 

Membrillo (Quince) are just starting to make an appearance - this bucket was $5, which is exorbitantly high.  As the harvest comes in the price will drop to more reasonable levels and I'll make marmalade.

 

El Niño has also brought us a second harvest of Andean walnuts, and extended the apple-pear season by several weeks.

 

 

Chirimoya are also starting to come in from farms in Manzana de Oro and Cevallos canton.  These are fairly small and will be more bitter than the late-harvest fruits; as the harvest progresses they'll get larger and sweeter.

 

Small vendors of everything from green onions to naranjilla to cucumbers line the retaining walls of each nave.

 

Also hiding down here is the arepa cart.  These are Arepa de Guaranda, a soft buckwheat pancake filled with sharp, salty fresh cheese and cooked on a brass tiësto over wood fire.  These are one of my favourites, but I was too full by this point to consider one.  The milk can is filled with warm Horchata, a typical herbal tea.

 

On the way to the trucks, I couldn't resist a cup of freshly-squeezed orange and coconut juice.  It's only 50 cents, and so refreshing!

 

As usual for this time of day on a holiday-sized market, there were traffic jams on the way out.  It took about 30 minutes to get from Dry Goods to the gates of the market, which are up by Potatoes.  Vehicles of all sizes come to the Mayorista to shop - right behind me was a beat-up old Toyota Corolla with plantains that wouldn't fit in the trunk strapped to the roof.  The CITA interprovincial bus was packed to the rafters, every seat, with sacks of fresh fruit.

 

Here's the haul, and what we spent.

 

[Panaderia Canadiense]

15 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Wow!  Just Wow!   But inquisitive minds want to know if there is any produce enjoyed in North America that you do not find in Ecuador?   Anything you miss?

 

Sweet corn.  Oh my, what I wouldn't give for a nice sack of Taber corn, peaches-n-cream variety.  Ecuador excels at starchy corn, but because the sweet stuff is photoperiod and altitude sensitive, it just won't grow here (I've tried, and been reduced to tears by the experience.)

 

Apart from this, there is nothing in Canadian produce that I can't find here, depending on the season.  I actually like Capulí a bit better than "standard" cherries, since they're not so cloying.

 

4 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I take it you are 'posting as you go'

 

what sort of technique are you using ?

 

Nope, this is all after the fact.  I'm sitting on my duff in the comfort of my living room, drinking an Ovaltine, breaking my journey into digestible bits, and then posting them as sections.  The Mayorista is something you have to finish before noon if you want choice in your produce.  Secondarily, I carry a dumb-as-bricks burner phone and a small, inexpensive 14 MP point-and-shoot camera - anything flashier is an invitation to theft, especially when the market is crowded.  Even if I give the impression of it, I'm never posting as I go.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

35 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Thanks very much for the description of the Pan Injerto. Are the smaller loaves the same?   They certainly look two tone. I will not bother you for the recipe as I am unlikely to be ambitious enough to attempt tthem myself!   But I would love to taste yours.  

 

The smaller loaves are sort of like freeform buns made the same way as the big loaves, but without the benefit of a pan to contain them.  For reference, the buns are 4oz of dough each, and the loaves are 16oz (weights taken before baking).

[Panaderia Canadiense]

So, all this posting of the morning's activities made me hungry again.  Sunday lunch is leftovers lunch - today that meant mac-n-cheese reheats with sliced Perníl, and some avocado and tomato on the side.  Yes, those are my Christmas placemats.  Don't judge me.

 

[LindaK]

What an amazing market. I'm really curious about your learning curve with all the new fruits, vegetables, and grains when you first moved to Ecuador.  Did you just start buying and tasting? Did you buy local cookbooks?  Have the farmers/vendors been helpful?

 

I love the World of Bacalao!!  Those displays are beautiful. I'm salivating at the smoked and salted grouper--omg, I've never seen it before, it seems like such a luxury.  How is it used, esp. the smoked? I'm imagining chowder, salads...

 

I want grilled quail and fresh orange-coconut juice at my farmers' market!

[IowaDee]

I'm loving this blog.  I even spent some time on line looking at real estate there.  Pretty sure I would need something at a lower altitude but that amazing market calls out to me.  Looking at beautiful fruit makes me almost understand vegans

[kayb]

I believe I could live at that market. What a gorgeous array! And roasted quail, too? Be still, my heart.

 

[kbjesq]

13 minutes ago, IowaDee said:

I'm loving this blog.  I even spent some time on line looking at real estate there.  Pretty sure I would need something at a lower altitude but that amazing market calls out to me.  Looking at beautiful fruit makes me almost understand vegans

 

Haha @IowaDee  you are not the only one looking at property in Ecuador and a resident visa. I'm visiting Bogota in July so might just swing over to Ecuador for a look about 

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by kbjesq
Fix Typo (log)

[munchymom]

This is amazing! The quail, the pig, the produce.... drool. Maybe we need to all get together, buy some property in Ecuador, and establish an eG Retirement Community and Home for Wayward Foodies.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

2 hours ago, LindaK said:

What an amazing market. I'm really curious about your learning curve with all the new fruits, vegetables, and grains when you first moved to Ecuador.  Did you just start buying and tasting? Did you buy local cookbooks?  Have the farmers/vendors been helpful?

 

I love the World of Bacalao!!  Those displays are beautiful. I'm salivating at the smoked and salted grouper--omg, I've never seen it before, it seems like such a luxury.  How is it used, esp. the smoked? I'm imagining chowder, salads...

 

I want grilled quail and fresh orange-coconut juice at my farmers' market!

 

I went to the markets and with my fractured Españglais, and much to the amusement of the ladies selling the fruit, started asking "what's this? How do I eat it? How many for $1?"  I'd then buy however many that was, and eat/cook/process as instructed.  Vendors and farmers are extremely good-humoured and helpful when you're obviously curious and eager to learn.

 

Local cookbooks are something of a mystery - recipes seem to be handed down within families rather than published, for the most part.

 

Smoked Mero is used the same way that any regular salt fish is, but it imparts a world more flavour.  For those who really enjoy the salt-fishiness of Fanesca, smoked Mero amps it up to a new level.  It also makes delicious croquettes.  You might be amused to learn that Mero is considered the "poor man's bacalao" here - it's quite a bit cheaper than the "real deal."  The whole hanging cod I showed is about $120 worth of fish; a Mero of similar size is only $50.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Panaderia Canadiense (log)

[kbjesq]

This is one of the best blogs ever, although I'd love to see a blog where @Shelby takes her canning equipment on the road and puts up hoards of that gorgeous produce! 

I dreamt of The World of Bacalao and the Gigantesco Mercado all night long    

Regarding the bananas, exactly what qualities were you seeking and in what way did the variety that you purchased differ from your intended purchase? Around here, we generally only have a choice between *standard* Dole-style bananas, tiny baby bananas and generic plantains (yes, I know that plantains are not bananas) at least in markets.

This seems strange since bananas grow easily here, albeit the most common variety in people's yards is the *decorative* variety - they grow beautiful leaves but never produce fruit! We also have loads of coconut trees but no one can eat the fruit, since they are all sprayed heavily with pesticides in an attempt to eradicate something called "white flies"    smh

[Tere]

Gobsmacked at that wonderful market <3