When I was preparing for my move to the pueblo, my Spanish teacher was helping me jot down a recommended shopping list while I was still in San Lorenzo, since provisions are limited in my future home. We walked over to the despensa (a small grocery store in San Lorenzo, which is actually owned by Walmart [!!]) and the mercado (a market with lots of fishmongers, fruit stands and tiny shops) before I left to stock up.
We discussed the staple items: arroz (rice), azucar (sugar), especias (spices), papel higenico (toilet paper), candelas y fósforos (candles and matches, for my many anticipated power outages), and so on. When she mentioned sal (salt), she pointed out that I need to be sure it contained yoduro (iodide). Through my privileged Canadian lens, this point seemed redundant. I asked naively, “Doesn’t all salt have iodide?”
No, no, gringita. Continue reading
Sabrina Ventolina 