As usual, I'm increasingly intrigued by the food system here. My family shops at the SuperMaxi, I imagine comparable to Stop & Shop. They shop there because, as opposed to the local markets, it offers fresh, clean, and organic products. According to Martha and Ramiro, the local farmers markets are predominantly organic (except for potatoes which have a farming history of chemical dependence), yet farmers have little interest in cleaning and preparing their products for market. In short, supermarket food is better tolerated by one's tummy, and if its fresh from Ecuador, than I'm all for it! Now, this is all hearsay and I'd like to investigate the matter further to see whether SuperMaxi is indeed sourcing from small, local farmers in return for fair compensation or from large-scale farms and neighboring countries. Freshly baked bread, however, is a household necessity and is purchased daily from the local baker.
Food and family dynamics are integral parts of my Ecuadorian microcosm. My family's house is the third floor of an apartment building in which Martha was raised. Martha's sister lives below us with her family, and Ramiro's father and brother occupy the first floor. Beginning in concentric circles from the building, almost every block houses an extended family member. Certain days are reserved for dining in a different family member's home. On Friday's Ramiro's father, Don Carlos, serves lunch. On Sundays, Martha's mother provides at her restaurant inTumbaco. On Saturday mornings I make chocolate-chip pancakes: I've implemented this institution as of today, and no one seems to be complaining yet. There constantly seems to be family members running between floors borrowing an egg, half a jar of sugar, or some flour. In the US it seems we rarely express this sense of familial security and support (not even with our neighbors).
