Nov. 14, 2008
Field Trip! El Supermercado
Posted in Field Trip
 I can't wait to take the kids on a real field trip to the new supermercado in town! Their ad showed up in my mailbox yesterday, and I immediately feasted my eyes on the wonderful opportunity to learn some new Spanish vocab in context.
A market or grocery in Spanish is called a mercado. You may hear marketa sometimes, but that is more of a Spanglish rendering of the English word, and not correct Spanish. A supermercado is of course, a supermarket. It is often shortened to "El Super", and it is not uncommon to hear, "voy al super" (I'm going to the supermarket). When I look at the ad, one of the first things that greets me is the cheerful word ¡Ahorre! It means "Save!". Cool, I like to save, let's see what they have... Pork Roast "para tamales", yummm. They roast the pork until it is fork tender, and then shred it for tamales. Of course, if you want to make tamales, you need to pick up Masa Harina, prepared corn meal flour, and corn husks/hojas para tamales. There is a section of the store called La Tiendita. That means "little shop", and in this case seems to be a grab and go deli. There are sandwiches called tortas served with a variety of meats. A featured special is Mexican seafood cocktail, made with your choice of seafood, pico de gallo, cucumbers, and avacado. Did you know that cocktail is one of the few words we have in English from Aztec? An Aztec physician created a medicinal compound for a princess whose name was Coct'l, and the word became synonymous with any constitutional beverage. Our next stop is the section called Frutas y Verduras, fruits and vegetables. Mangoes are on sale this week. You can also find manzanas, platanos, cebollas, ajo, cilantro, chayote,yuca, and other essential produce. (That would be apples, plantains, onions, garlic, cilantro, chayote squash, and yucca). Then there's the amazing selection of chili peppers! Don't forget that if you de-seed and de-vein those peppers you get more flavor and less heat.
There is a section called La Cocina - the Kitchen. Don't you know it smells good! They are making hot to-order dinners. You can get tamales, chalupas burritos, pollo asado (roast chicken) or tripas. I have tried a lot of things in my travels and adventures, but tripas is one thing I don't want to touch. I'm told it's good, but I'll just have to trust those who say that entrails make a good dinner. Just give me a beef tamale, thank you. La Carniceria is the meat counter. Falda, skirt steak, is a popular cut. You will also see some cuts that are unusual for us, such as cheek meat, chivo (goat), and various roasts and more familiar cuts. Hog or Beef heads are 49 cents per pound. The head has many uses. The cheeks and glands are often ground for chorizo sausage. Meat cooked off the head can be used in most any dish. The water it is simmered in makes for a tasty broth.  In the tortilleria you can get fresh made tortillas. ¡Qué ricos son! - they are delicious! I don't know what it is about something so simple as a fresh tortilla, but maybe it is the comfort food factor. Most Mexicans want fresh tortillas daily. Leftover tortillas can be used in soups and fried into chips, but fresh tortillas are preferred for enchiladas, burritos, and soft tacos. The Panderia feature all kinds of breads. Mexicans have a variety of rolls and breads unique to their country, as they were influenced in that by the French occupation of their country in the mid 1800s. In other areas of the store you will find the Farmacia where you can get your prescriptions/recetas medicas filled, and pick up other remedios (over the counter medications). In the aisles you can pick up comida enlatada / canned food, galletas / cookies and crackers, and comida congelada/ frozen food. A quick pass through the lechería/ dairy section, and you can pick up your leche, queso, and crema (milk, cheese, and cream). For the Mexican food lover (that is about everyone in Texas), this place is a dream. For the Mexican family craving quality ingredients for home cooking, it is essential. I do know of other non-Mexican Latinos in our community who will find special ingredients here. If this were a Cuban or Argentine grocery, you'd see a different variety of foods and condiments. But I know that my Venezuelan friend can still find just the right prepared white corn tortilla flour for his arepas, and my Puerto Rican friends can pick up plantains for their beloved tostones, and a bottle of mojo criollo to marinate a roast. My Peruvian friend would still be in the produce section trying to decide if those luscious yellow chili peppers are really ají amarillo peppers so essential to Peruvian cuisine. We'll just have to buy some and find out... ¡Buen Provecho everyone! Enjoy your food! |
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