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The Best Places To Buy Fresh Food In São Paulo, Brazil

Street market
Street market | © Helvio Silva /Flickr

Located in southeast Brazil, São Paulo is known as a great culinary spot. Fresh food is part of São Paulo’s identity, so here are the best places to go to pick some up.

Mercadão - Paulistano Municipal Market

Market

Mercadão- Paulistano Municipal Market is probably one of the most visited places in the entire city. Opened in 1933, Mercadão has worked as a wholesale and retail sales outlet ever since. The first floor presents a variety of stands with fruits, meats, spices and dairy. The second floor is filled with restaurants all offering Mercadão’s main dish – their famous mortadella sandwich.

Zona Cerealista

Shop

Zona Cerealista| © Elie Kazuyuki Hayasaka/Flickr
© Elie Kazuyuki Hayasaka/Flickr
São Paulo’s cereal area is located downtown, across the avenue from Mercadão. Quite different from its neighbor, several emporiums here sell nuts, dry fruits, teas and grains. Many famous Brazilian chefs have confessed to coming here for their restaurant’s supplies.

Mercado Municipal de Pinheiros

Market

Mercado Municipal de Pinheiros is this area’s alternative to a supermarket. Although it is smaller, you can find groceries and products in the little shops. There are also few coffee shops and restaurants as a little version of famous Mocotó, a traditional Brazilian North-East food house. The original one usually has a famously long queue.

CEAGESP

Market

CEAGESP | © Maycon Amoroso /Flickr
© Maycon Amoroso /Flickr
One of the biggest supply markets is located in a huge hangar. Stalls at CEAGESP start to work at the crack of dawn each to organize their stands. Besides the fruits and vegetables for sale, there is also a plant and flower market, During the winter, CEAGESP is also known for their soup festival.

Street Markets

Every day of week, different places in São Paulo hold street markets. Usually organized as a big aisle, these markets are colorful and tasty places to buy and try groceries. There are more than 900 markets in São Paulo. Most of them sell pastel, caldo de cana and coconut water, which are three delicious Brazilian foods.

Street market

Organic Farmer’s Markets

Organic farmer’s markets become more and more popular every year in Brazil. Two of them take place in Água Branca Park and Ibirapuera Modelódromo, respectively. Each sells organic food for reasonable prices. Both offer breakfast options, so come early and enjoy.

About the author

Dara, is a native Brazilian living in Tel Aviv and is passionate about traveling. She studied visual art and architecture, but loves writing and photography. You can follow her on Instagram, @daraliberman

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