Tag Archives: street vendor

Helados – Skim Ice

Helados – Skim Ice

Helados / Ice cream and Skim Ice / Freeze Pops or Flavored Ice are a welcome treat. You can hear their bell or the music they play as they pass by in the street. These cold treats that are sold in the streets of Dominican are perfect for the hot Caribbean days.

Helados/ Ice cream

A Bon Helados Street Vendor pushing his cart.
A Bon Helados Street Vendor pushing his cart.

Helados vendors push or ride a cart that is brightly colored, usually yellow, around the streets of Dominican Republic. You usually can hear their distinctive bell before you actually see their cart.

The Helado Street Vendors usually sell both Popsicles that are fruit and cream types. Many have fresh-scooped Ice Cream as well either served in a cone found in bags hanging on the side of the cart or in a cup with a little plastic spoon.

Inteliperra enjoying a Helado in the park.
Inteliperra enjoying a Helado in the park.

Skim Ice

The Skin Ice Street Vendors usually walk the streets wearing a blue suit with a blue freezer bag on his or her shoulder. Many of these Skim Ice vendors push a little cart. Some of these carts have a large black and white penguin that serves as the freezer.

There are many flavors of this refreshing Popsicle, ice pop, cool pop or freeze pop type of frozen flavored ice 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. Give a skim-ice a try and help out one of these small entrepreneurs with their little business.

Whether you decide to have an ice cream cone or a little pouch filled with frozen ice these treats are perfect for a hot Dominican day.

La Guagüita Anunciadora

La Guagüita Anunciadora/ The Announcing Truck Vendors

La Guagüita Anunciadora Street Vendors carry a small supermarket in the back of a truck or cart. They usually have a loudspeaker, some are very very loud. They have these speakers on their trucks where they can announce what they have for sale and the prices. Others just have a very loud voice and they yell out what wares they are selling.

Street Vendor Fruit Truck selling their wares
Street Vendor Fruit Truck selling their wares

These supermarkets on wheels pass through the streets selling their wares to the families living in the area as they ride up and down the streets. They can sell anything from fresh fish and chickens to soap, eggs, oranges, all types of fruits and vegetables, and whatever else they happen to have that they think you would want to purchase. This is very convenient for many as so many people do not have vehicles or supermarkets close by.

Truck vendor bringing live chickens to your door
Truck vendor bringing live chickens to your door

These vendors sure do make themselves known as they pass by in their beat-up trucks or pushing carts laden with products. The loudness of their announcements can be very annoying at times. Some play music in between their yelling, which is not easy to decipher because of the usually low quality of the speakers. They do make themselves known by the noise they make.

Bolitas de Coco

Bolitas de Coco / Little Balls of Coconut

Bolitas de Coco, also known as Bombones, Memelos de Coco, Caramelitos Rellenos, Paleta de coco, or Churumbeles, are a sweet candy covered coconut treat that is a very popular product found being sold in the streets of Dominican Republic.

bolitas de coco - little balls of coconut a sweet caramel covered candy found on the streets of Dominican Republic
bolitas de coco – little balls of coconut a sweet caramel covered candy found on the streets of Dominican Republic

Dominicans have many different names for this much loved sweet, sweet really sweet candies. No mater the name they are a favorite of everyone. They can be found in almost all parts of the country. These caramel – hard candies have a white coconut fudge candy inside.

The Bolitas de Coco Street Vendor carries these sticky yummy coconut candies on a tray on his shoulder. He hits the tray with a butter knife to get attention. The knife is used to lift these scrumptious sticky morsels from the tray where they are resting. Each little red ball has a toothpick stuck in the center making it easier to hold until you pop it into your mouth. Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. They are a must try sweet.