El Friturero street vendor is not seen in the streets of Colonial Zone everyday but when he does show up people always are ready to purchase his tasty wares.
El Friturero
This vendor carries a large bowl covered with paper and plastic with a small cutting type board lying across the top of the bowl. If he calls out his wares, which many times he does not, he will yell “Tripita. Tripita”!.
When El Friturero lifts the plastic
of the bowl a sort of unpleasant yet acquired aroma seeps out from within. Once you get past the smell and try what is inside you just may be pleasantly surprised.
El Friturero cutting panza.
Inside the bowl are some very special Dominican style-meats. Typically the bowl is filled with Morcilla, which is blood sausage, Tripe, which are pork intestines, and Panza which is pig stomach. The man cuts these morsels on his little cutting board and gives you a plate. Add some lemon or a vinegar type sauce on top if available. Sometimes he will offer some boiled platano to accompany the meats. Everyone needs to try the Fritureros treats at least one time.
El Maizero walks around pushing a large cart with a big cauldron of hot water. In this cauldron are ears of corn on the cob or la mazorca. He yells out “Maíz, maíz, maíz!” but it sounds like mye, mye, mye.
El Maizero on Calle el Conde
When you want to purchase one of these ears of corn the vendor removes the steaming hot treat from the vat of water. He then drops it into another smaller pot containing salt water and butter and swishes it around covering all the little kernels of corn. The dripping ear of corn is then deposited into a plastic bag and the hot ear is handed over to the customer.
This street food usually costs about $30 pesos (3/12). It is one of the few snacks that are sold on the street that is a bit healthy.
The bread man usually walks carrying a large basket, pushes a cart, rides a bike or motorized vehicle. He has fresh baked bread and at times pastries from a local panadería / bakery. He is heard yelling out “Pan, panadero” (Bread, Bread Man).
Panadero delivering bread by motorbike
Normally el Panadero is out very early in the morning providing the fresh baked goods for breakfast and making deliveries to the local stores and shops. Normally the evening Panadería has a large basket with a variety of breads for dinner or a snack.
This type of vendor sells pan de agua / water bread, both hard and soft. There is sweet bread that is a wonderful with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. My favorite is the garlic bread. It is covered with garlic, salt and oil. Fattening but so wonderful.
Panadero bread man on motorbike
Some of the new-fangled bread vendors now have a motorized cart – motorbike with a nice variety of breads, sweets and even cold sandwiches. One of our local Panaderos has a large display case on the back of a motorbike with all sorts of goodies.
Panaderos in Colonial Zone:
*There is usually on that passes by the park San Jose (in front of the statue Montecino) around 6PM. You can get some great garlic bread or a little ham sandwich from him.
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