Grocery stores - local products

National brand Rebo and a brand from Cayes.

The previous post was about all the awesome food imported to Haiti.  But I haven't forgotten the importance of local food to the people and economy.  So here is a smattering of local (& national) coffee and nuts you can buy in the stores.  Along with a reminder about malaria - they sell the anti-malarial drug chloroquine over the counter.  In the US you need a prescription for this.  Prices are in Haitian dollars, divide by 8 to get approximate US prices.  ($HT divide by 5 to get goudes, then look up conversion rate for goudes, around 42 gds / $1 US).

Smaller brand and National brand Selecto.

Cashews

Karapina - sugared peanuts, and regular peanuts (pistache)

The grocery stores of Port au Prince.

In 2008 in the Central Plateau we had to drive 3 hours to Hinche to go to a grocery store that was only 13 miles away (now that road is paved it takes less than an hour).

In 2012 I moved to Les Cayes, a large coastal city.  And they have grocery stores!

In 2013 I began spending more time in Port au Prince visiting a friend.  And their grocery stores have everything!  Even guinea fowl & duck.

Here’s a smattering of photos that probably are not impressive to those in the US, but to those of us not in Port it’s the promised land.  (while you are in the store and not outside where all the trash, pollution, traffic, and people are).

Guinea fowl (pintad)

 

The cost of groceries

In case you are wondering, here's how much my groceries cost at the Super Star Market #2 in Les Cayes.

Sauce made for herring?  Or made from herring?

# gourdes each      total     $US 41.00 1.00 1.00 0.02 laughing cow cheese 1 65.00 65.00 1.59 Elle et Vire yogurt 8 35.00 280.00 6.83 locally made peanut butter  1 145.00 145.00 3.54 Progresso black beans - 15 oz can 2 75.00 150.00 3.66 peanuts - 142 g can 1 100.00 100.00 2.44 1 oz packet of hot chocolate 1 7.00 7.00 0.17 ramassoire - dust pan and brush 1 150.00 150.00 3.66 Harmony - roll of toilet paper 1 30.00 30.00 0.73 carapina - locally made candied nut mix 1 45.00 45.00 1.10 Comparette - 4 pastry rolls 1 40.00 40.00 0.98   total 1,012.00  $24.68				Earl looking at pancake syrups.

Rhoda choosing from many flours (rice, banana, casava, etc.)
to make cookies (no wheat available)

A selection of teas.

DandB - razor	1	10.00	10.00	0.24
DandB - malta	1	40.00	40.00	0.98
superstar - malta	1	40.00	40.00	0.98
superstar - selecto coffee	1	150.00	150.00	3.66
superstar - yogurt	4	35.00	140.00	3.41
superstar - canned friskies	3	35.00	105.00	2.56
superstar - frac chocolate cookies	1	50.00	50.00	1.22

downtown groceries	#	gourdes each	total	$US
Earl's candybar	1	25.00	25.00	0.61
tictacs	1	60.00	60.00	1.46
sandwich ziplocks (50)	1	125.00	125.00	3.05
Earl's doritoes	1	195.00	195.00	4.76
ballpoint pens (8)	1	250.00	250.00	6.10
Earl's cokes (plastic bottle)	2	20.00	40.00	0.98
cookies	1	60.00	60.00	1.46
sliced American cheese	2	80.00	160.00	3.90
			915.00	22.32
D and B malta with returned bottle	1	25.00	25.00	0.61