19th Century Brazilian Street
Food market scene with street vendors, Courtesy of the New York Public Library
The Parisian Adèle Toussaint-Samson (1826-1886) traveled to Brazil in the early 1850s. She became a keen observer of Brazilian foodways and provides a wonderful description of a fish market in Rio “where abound sardines, shrimps, oysters, and delicious fishes, which are bought alive.” She goes on to describe a street vender near the market selling a smoked sweet potato dish, fried sardines served with a manioc flour gravy.