Shopping for food in small towns in South America is an entirely different experience than placing your order online for Walmart pickup or even walking down the isles and doing the actual shopping yourself. In the bigger cities there are certainly stores that resemble closer to all-in-one stores with lots of options, for example, the MegaMaxi or SuperMaxi. More common when you are grocery shopping in Ecuador, especially in the smaller cities like we live near to, you’ll find small shops with limited options and friendly shop owners.
Many people in Ecuador shop almost daily and just for the things they need immediately. It’s a great option for getting fresh food and doesn’t require a large fridge, freezer or pantry space. But for us, it’s a 90 minute bus ride into town, so I go shopping every 2 weeks.
Travel by Bus
The bus leaves early. As the sun rises we bounce along and people continue to board the bus, heading to school or work. Instead of taking the whole family or going by myself, I have found this a great opportunity to get in some one-on-one time with each of my kids. They take turns joining me for this trip to town. I’ve always thought it important and special to find that time to spend with each of my kids, but it can be hard to do, so this has been a great solution.
We start of our day in town going to the bakery for breakfast. Then make our rounds to the different shops. More or less, there are three main roads where most of the stores are located. Imagine each section of a department store, each separated out and sometimes on repeat, in each shop. We generally go to the pharmacy, clothing, household and office/school supply type stores and then head to food.
Buying Meat from the Butcher
On the main road where food shops are found we make a stop at a butcher first. They sell whole chickens, various pieces of beef or pork by the pound, lard and farm cheese. Also chicken feet or all the livers, should that be something you’re looking for.
Fresh Fruits and Veggies
There are lots of options for produce. I have found my favorite few ladies at their stands who are the most helpful. They are patient with me as I ask the names of things, or what they are good for or how they are used. They almost always throw in a “yapa” or a free gift at the end- usually a few mandarin oranges, plums or granadilla or something. And produce, in general, is a great price in Ecuador. I’m always surprised at the size of the box I can fill and still spend $20 – $30 tops.
Everything Else
Most of my grocery staples can be purchased at our next stop. We grab rice and dry beans, pasta, oats, flour, eggs, tuna, oil, sugar, spices, etc. Many things will come in bags, including milk, peanut butter and ketchup. Eggs are also unrefrigerated- which is perfectly safe, so don’t let that bother you.
They also have toilet paper, diapers and wipes and other basic bathroom and cleaning supplies. One of the assignments of the son who has come with me is to also choose a treat to buy to share with everyone at home. Favorites are cookies from the bakery, chocolate bars or soda.
Now, if you are following along you may realize that my backpack has GOT to be full by now and lugging all those groceries down the sidewalk isn’t ideal. It’s one good reason to bring an extra set of hands, aka, one of my kids. But actually, this is one of my favorite parts. After I pay, I ask them if they’ll keep it for me “encargada” and they just set it aside for me to pick up later!
Call a Taxi to get home
Once the shopping is done and I’ve reviewed my list again, we call a taxi. Taxistas are regularly available and there are several corners where they always hang out. Over the months we’ve also found a handful that are especially helpful or kind and get their number. One is almost always available to be there within a few minutes. We might grab an ice cream while we wait. Then we make our rounds to pick up our purchases and head out! The taxi back is more expensive than taking the bus, but the bus only returns to pass our house in the afternoon and it’s more difficult, though doable, with so many groceries. So instead of waiting for several hours, we usually opt to take a taxi home.
How Much do you spend on groceries in Ecuador?
We are usually home again around lunch time. How much do I groceries cost in Ecuador? We shop every two weeks. Family of 7. Cook from scratch and use a few things from our garden (and we’re planting like crazy! We hope to be able to grow a large percentage of our own fruits, vegetables and animal products ourselves here soon!). We don’t buy a lot of “snacks” or extras, especially imported items. No oreos, cold cereal, chips, etc. We spend about $225 each grocery run.
My kids run out to welcome me home as if I’ve been gone on holiday. The taxi driver laughs at all the blonde hair and a family of five boys! Everyone asks when the girl arrives. I don’t have a good answer for that, except that we love boys and they’re the best you’ll find. The kids then help to carry in and unload groceries like it’s Christmas. Grocery shopping in rural Ecuador is an adventure. It sounds like a big day, and it is, but it’s actually a day I really enjoy a lot.
