Brazilians routinely eat some veggies that may be unfamiliar to you: chuchus (green, pear-shaped, see below), maxixe, jiló, fresh hearts of palm (ask for instructions on how to cook them), couve or collard greens (below at left, already chopped for you) and mandioca (last two photos below at right), also called aipim in many places and macaxeira in the Northeast. Be adventurous, ask for some recipes (or print the ones in our website) and don't miss out on some of the most yummy foods in the world!
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Brazilian pumpkins (called abóboras in Portuguese) are wonderful. My favorite is this green one pictured here, called "Japanese pumpkin." They're sold au naturel or already chopped up and packaged (second photo from the left below). They're used as a side dish and also to make a superb dessert called "doce de abóbora." There is a large variety of potatoes in Brazil; sweet potatoes (center photo below) are a light green color and are also used to make an incredibly yummy dessert called "doce de batata doce."
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Spices and Condiments
From the ones you're familiar with (bay leaves and such) to ones you've never seen before (like urucum, the food color from the Amazon, pictured below), it's a lot of fun to shop for spices, peppers (a few are displayed in plastic bowls below), etc., at these markets. Try the extremely hot Brazilian peppers called malagueta and pimenta-de-cheiro from the Amazon.
Cookies and Crackers
Depending on where you are you'll see giant bags of cookies that are sold by kilo or grams. For packaged ones, try your supermarket or bakery. I love what Brazilians call "biscoito de polvilho." Savory or sweet, they're light and airy and melt in you mouth.
Chickens, Eggs and Fish
It may surprise you, but these are also sold at street markets, out of refrigerated trucks (eggs are not usually refrigerated in Brazil).
Flowers
Gorgeous and inexpensive, especially if compared to U.S. prices. Also sold at street corners in Rio and other cities. Not so common in northeastern Brazil. People always take large bouquets home and have them all over the house.
Other Stuff
You name it, they have it for sale...every single whatchamacallit on Earth for kitchen, bath, repairs, cleaning, and so on. Actually, rummaging through these stalls is a great pastime of mine. I must confess I can't resist them. Just look at these loofahs and you'll understand why!
