Saturday Market in Daraga

octopus meat

The butcher's daughters work on Saturday.

The butcher using his knife and block with skill and agility.

There is no wasted space.

The spices and seasonings are as important as the meat and vegetables.

The fish was caught that morning.  It is now 6:45AM.

Pumpkin that I purchased for my soup.

gisantes

Everything is weighed.

The fishmonger's job is to descale and fillet the fish.

dried fish

grinding the coconut

coconut flakes

coconut milk

It is early on a Saturday morning and Ely and I board a jeepney and head down to the Daraga Market.  We are joined along the way by the women of the town. This is an outdoor market that expands and contracts depending on the day of the week.  Saturday morning, all of the vendors and merchants are present.  You can get any seasonal vegetable or fruit within its confines.  You can also get meat, fish and household goods.  There are baked goods, bread and bags of rice.  I was able to purchase spices in small quantities and cream for my pumpkin soup.  The key is knowing where to find the things that you need.  I could never have accomplished that without Ely.  She grew up in Daraga and knows the merchants and has shopped in the aisles her whole life.  There are hidden places in the recesses of the building.  We jumped over a water trough and walked behind the coconut vendor and found a whole new section of the building. When Ely was a young girl, she contemplated becoming a chef and judging the freshness of the food and its quality are part of her lifelong training.  Now, she is training me and I will take all the advice and help that she has to offer. This market with its hanging light bulbs and metal corrugated roof, is a good place to start.