Guia Cultural da Costa Verde

Angra dos Reis • Angra dos Reis

RURAL PRODUCTION MARKET

Typical goods and captivating people

• 
• 
• 
• 

There has been a traditional market for 35 years at Praça Zumbi in the Angra dos Reis town center, where the region’s smallholders get together with their regular customers. Their produce is sold in uniform stalls, while in former times it was usual to see the goods arranged over canvas on the ground.

This market takes place every day from 7 am to noon, but on Saturdays it is livelier due to producers who turn up with a large variety of goods, from herbs, greens and home-grown beans to live free range chickens, all of which are organic or raised by the producer’s family.

To the satisfaction of residents and visitors, several of the stallholders participate every day. Among these Maria da Tapioca has stood out for 35 years and attracts a faithful customer base, which passes by her stall early in the day to taste delicious tapioca (cassava starch pancake) before going to work. The cheerful lady is from Ceará and, as they say, has gifted hands. There are people who have knocked on her door at night asking for this tasty specialty, and one customer reports that when she was pregnant her sole desire was to taste this tapioca. They are made to order on the spot and the most requested are filled with coconut and clotted cheese. There are also fans for the natural variety, for whom Maria da Tapioca created a vegetarian type that includes linseed, coconut, chia seeds, nuts, oats and sesame.

Other producers who sell in this market also have their everyday customers and captivate visitors, such as Antônio with his varied seasonings, Regina with her medicinal herbs, José Maria who also announces his special seasonings and medicinal herbs, Rosely who sells her cheeses and pure cassava meal and Maria with her organic vegetables and greens, among others. All of them are very cheerful and of a contagious good nature, prepared to share their stories and experiences to those who enjoy a conversation.

Information