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Dominican Republic Street Vendors Page 3
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Dining and Food | Street Vendors
To learn how to say the foods you would like go to our food words pages.
Skim Ice
The Skin Ice vendors usually walk the streets wearing a blue suit with a blue freezer bag on his or her shoulder. Many also push a little cart with a large black and white penguin. There are many flavors of this refreshing Popsicle, ice pop, cool pop or freeze pop type of helados (ice cream) including Fresa, Chinola, Mango, Guanabana and Uva among others. Most of the flavors are very intense and are almost like eating the fruit itself except without the seeds and much more refreshing on the hot Dominican days. The best thing is they only cost $5 pesos (8/10). Give a skim-ice a try and help out one of these small entrepreneurs with their little business.
Helados/ Ice cream vendors push or ride a cart that is bright colored, usually yellow. You usually can hear their distinctive bell before you actually see their cart. They have the cones waiting to be filled with ice cream hanging on the side of the cart. They usually sell both Popsicles that are fruit and cream types. They usually have fresh-scooped Ice Cream as well. On hot Dominican days you have to make sure to eat your frozen delight fast because they usually melt faster than you can lick.
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Bon Helados vendor with the menu on the side of his cart
La Guagüita Anunciadora/ Truck Vendors
This is a small supermarket in the back of a truck or cart. They usually have a loud speaker on top where they can announce what they have for sale and the prices. Many also play some music, which is not easy to decipher because of the usually low quality of the speakers. But they do make themselves known by their noise they make. They can sell anything from fresh fish and chickens to soap, eggs, oranges, pica-pica/sardines, and whatever else they happen to have.
(top left picture) Bringing live chickens to your door. You pick the bird you want and they dress it right on the back of the truck. You cannot get fresher than that!
To read the story that goes with this picture go to the Life and Times of the Dominican Gringa blog entitled Views From My Balcony, Chicken Killers
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(bottom left picture) a vendor loaded down with wares selling to a Colmado
La Paletera
This vendor usually has a cart, sometimes the cart is an old baby buggy or stroller, that has a box on top laden with treats. Many times this box even has drawers so they can carry more items in a small space. They sell all types of ready made, packaged dulces y golosinas/ candies and treats and snack foods. There are galletitas/ cookies or crackers, cigarrillos/ cigarettes,billetes de la lotería/ lottery tickets and much more. They are usually around where there are public events, busy street corners and Hospitals.
Caféro/ Coffee Vendor
He walks the streets carrying a thermos filled with coffee and some have one with hot chocolate also. He has a pack or bag filled with all the condiments. Stirring sticks, sugar, powered cream and whatever else he may need. They serve coffee in small plastic cups or shot sized containers. They usually have a unique whistle to announce their presence. They are very popular in the early morning hours and when everyone is feeling sleepy after lunch trying to get a caffeine boost to last the rest of the day.
.JPG "Cafero passing by the streets of the colonial city")
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Caféro passing by with a shop owner coming out to tell him to come back so he can get his caffeine fix.
La Marchanta (e)/ The Merchant Woman
This vendor usually carries a huge basket on her head filled with fruits, vegetables, flowers and whatever else she can fit into the basket and mound atop her head. It is quite amazing the load she can carry atop her head and still walk at a decent pace. She usually comes abound around lunch time for the lady of the house to buy what she needs for lunch so she does not have to leave the house. Some carry a variety of sweets also. The male version is El Marchante usually has a large box or a tricycle with a cart offering his variety of wares.
How to say different fruits and vegetables in Spanish?. What fruits and vegetables are grown in Dominican Republic
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El Marchante selling his veggies from a cart
El Frío Frío/ Flavored Ice Vendor
This vendor pushes a brightly painted cart yelling out "Frío, frío". Along with him yelling is a buzzing sound made by all the sweet loving bees following along. In this cart is a collection of glass bottles with many different fruit flavored syrups and a large block of ice. He scrapes the ice with a metal scraper, puts it in the cup and adds whatever syrup you would like. It is the same as a snow cone but the syrups are so much better, they are made with a variety of fresh fruits. Some have little motors on their carts so they can make blended fruit drinks also. Caution for the tourists, the ice may not be made with bottled water so beware. Always ask before you take a chance with ice in the street.
Suapero / Mop Vendor
This vendor is really important, as Dominicans cannot live with out their suapes. These vendors walk the streets yelling out "Suape, suape" with the new mops flung over their shoulder. Sometimes you might see a suapero selling a few other household necessities as well but many are just satisfied selling their mops.
.JPG "A Suapero selling his mops in Colonial Santo Domingo")
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A Suapero selling his mops in Colonial Santo Domingo
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General Description of Street Vendors and Their Wares | Fruitero | El Panadero | Jugo de Caña | El Carbonero | Maizero | Friturero | Yaniquequero | Quesero | Pastelero | Cocoero | Bolitas de Coco | Skim Ice | Helados | La Guagüita Anunciadora | La Paletera | Caféro | La Marchanta /e | El Frío Frío | Suapero
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.JPG "Making a shaved ice frio-frio in Ciudad Colonial")
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Making a shaved ice frio-frio in Ciudad Colonial
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