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Fruterías

Posted on February 25, 2007
Filed Under Montevideo, Food and Drink, Vocabulary | 4 Comments

For people who appreciate fresh, ripe and inexpensive fruit, Montevideo is a treat. Sprinkled throughout the city one finds small stores that only sell fruits and vegetables. Some of them also make home deliveries, or pedidos a domicilio. The offerings are usually limited and seasonal, since they tend to be locally produced. So don’t go to a frutería expecting to find exotic, or imported fruits. Large supermarkets are a better place to find those.

In many cases, you can also find organically grown produce with a very small price differential. Usually, the product presentation is very simple, almost careless. Sometimes you’ll find obviously overripe fruit sold along side good-looking, fresh fruit. For example, I noticed bananas are often left on display long after they are too ripe, even for banana bread. I am not sure who would possibly buy them in that state. As they say, buyer beware!

However, the fact that there is usually a frutería within three blocks of wherever you are makes it easy to get your five a day. And once you get the hang of the names of things and how to ask for what you like, it does become addictive. On our recent vacation (summertime), we found ourselves buying a kilo of peaches almost every day! They were perfectly ripe, juicy and wonderfully tasty and cost only 20 to 25 pesos/kilo. We also bought bucket-loads of ripe figs, plums and delicious pears. We also tried apricots, bananas, nectarines, avocados and watermelon. We did not try, due to lack of time, various types of melons and strawberries, which were also in season.

If we were to return a few months later, the choice of fruits and vegetables of course would be different. Unlike the US and Europe, you are less likely to find off-season fruit flown in from far away countries. However, I did see beautiful Spanish oranges being sold at the Devoto, but at first world prices. And, since Uruguay is part of the Mercosur, the supermarkets carry in-season tropical fruits from Brazil, apples and other fruits from Argentina. You can find price information by going to one of the supermarket web sites, like Tienda Inglesa.

Due to the limitations of the kitchen of our apart-hotel, we did not purchase as many vegetables as we would have liked. However most of what we saw was of reasonably good quality and inexpensive. The tomatoes we tried were quite good. Red bell peppers are available everywhere and are remarkably inexpensive compared to those sold in the US. Lettuce of various types are readily available and super cheap. Our favorite, of the commonly found vegetables in Uruguay, is the boniato, or yam. It can be prepared easily in the microwave of the hotel and eaten with a spoon, delicious. Another very Uruguayan vegetable is the zapallito, which looks like a tiny little pumpkin. It is widely used in Uruguayan cuisine and it is often served cooked and stuffed with a variety of tasty morsels.

Below is a vocabulary of fruits and vegetables commonly found in Uruguay:

Apio - Cellery
Arroz - Rice
Arvejas - Peas
Berenjena – Eggplant, Aubergine
Boniato – Yam, sweet potato
Brotes de soja – Bean sprouts
Calabaza – Squash
Calabacin – Butternut squash
Cebolla - Onion
Chaucha – Broad beans
Chauca alubia – Green beans
Choclo – Sweet corn
Ciboulete – Green onion
Coliflor - Cauliflower
Endivia – Endive
Espinaca - Spinach
Lechuga - Lettuce
Mandioca – Manioc, cassava
Morrón – Bell pepper
Morrón Amarillo – Yellow bell pepper
Morrón Rojo – Red bell pepper
Morrón verde – Green pepper
Papas - Potatoes
Pepino – Cucumber
Poroto - Beans
Puerro – Leek
Rabanito – Radish
Remolacha - Beets
Repollito de Bruselas – Brussels sprouts
Repollo – Cabbage
Tomate – Tomato
Tomate cherry – Cherry tomato
Zanahoria - Carrots
Zapallito – Tiny pumpkin, only found in UY
Zapallo – Pumpkin

Ajo – Garlic
Albahaca – Basil
Gengibre – Ginger
Laurel – Bay leaf
Orégano – Oregano
Perejil - Parsley
Romero – Rosemary
Tomillo – Thyme

Anana, Piña - Pineapple
Arándanos - Blueberries
Banana - Banana
Ciruelas – Prunes
Datiles - Dates
Damascos - Apricots
Duraznos – Peaches
Frambuesas - Raspberries
Frutillas – Strawberries
Higos - Figs
Lima - Lime
Limón – Lemon
Mandarinas - Mandarins
Mango – Mango
Manzanas - Apples
Mamao – Papaya
Melón - Melon
Naranja – Orange
Palta - Avocado
Pelon - Nectarine
Peras - Pears
Pomelo – Grape fruit
Sandía - Watermelon
Uvas - Grapes

Other posts in Food and Drink

• Tipping Custom in Uruguay
• Uruguayan Mate Custom
• Types of Cheeses Made in Uruguay
• Overview of Uruguayan Dulce de Leche
• An Overview of the Uruguayan Beer Market
• Overview of the Jams and Jellies Available in Uruguay
• Review of Milk Types Available in Uruguay
• Comparison Between Regular Coffee and Café Glaseado
• An Overview of Inexpensive Table Wines of Uruguay
• Where to Buy the Best Uruguayan Empanadas

Other posts in Montevideo

• Ten Things I Love About Montevideo
• Furniture Moving and Delivery in Montevideo
• Real Estate Investment Risks in Uruguay
• How to Search for Products and Services in Uruguay
• Overview of Crime in Uruguay
• Observations about Dogs in Uruguay
• Where to Buy the Best Uruguayan Empanadas
• Description of the Arrival Process at the Carrasco Airport
• An Overview of the Laundry Services in Uruguay
• An Overview the Main Supermarkets in Uruguay

Other posts in Vocabulary

• Car and Driving Spanish-English Glossary
• Uruguayan Spanish Conjugation
• Uruguayan Spanish Real Estate Terminology
• Uruguayan Mate Custom
• Marijuana Legal Status in Uruguay
• Types of Cheeses Made in Uruguay
• Things to Consider Before Hiring Household Help
• Uruguayan Knife Sharpener
• Observations on Pricing in Uruguay
• Uruguayan Banking Vocabulary

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