Xinia’s Visit to Alajuela’s Farmers Market

Alajuela Costa Rica has a weekend farmer’s market all year round starting on Friday afternoon at 2 pm and ending Saturday afternoon around 2 pm.  It is my and Xinia’s favorite thing to visit on Saturday mornings.  We arrive early, around 7:30 am . I have posted  some favorite photos of Xinia at the market.

All the fruits and vegetable sold here are freshly grown by local small farmers and some are actually grown organically.  You name the tropical fruit and it is probably sold here.

Mangos, papaya, watermelon, cas, guayaba,  melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, bananas,  and many many more.  Grapes and apples are mostly imported, and are quite expensive.  Grapes often $4 pounds and apples are better prices at $2 pound.  Locally grown fruits are mangos 25 cents each, pineapple 75 cents each,  papaya $1.00 each, and bananas are super cheap at around 5 cents each.

Vegetables-well the variety is so great that I cannot begin to name them all.  Chayotes (pictured here)   are sold here by the dozens and very cheap.   Most Costa Rican families  eat  at least a dozen of these small round green vegetables daily. which grow on a vines and to start a vine you must have both a male and a female see of this vegetable. Chayotes are hard  to find here in the US.   To cook them,  mix with a small amount of pork, onions, chicken stock, sweet red peppers and serve with rice and black beans.

Another unusual vegetable is the peibaye (pictured below)  Costa Ricans eat it boiled,  peeled and with mayonnaise. It’s a beautiful small red round vegetable which actually looks like a fruit.  And it takes awhile to get to like it  because of it’s very bland taste.

I hope you enjoy the photos and if you are a planning a vacation to Costa Rica please contact me-Ann to help you with an individualized vacation itinerary to save you money and your time trying to plan it all yourself.   Email   anncreed23@gmail.com