While many Brazilians shop at grocery stores very similar to American grocery stores, markets are also still very popular in Brazil, even in the big cities. There are two types of markets: feiras and mercados. A feira, also called a feira livre, is a market that is set up for the day on one or several streets, with food vendors selling fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, and flowers. The vendors typically come into the city from the countryside or outside of the urban area from farms, since there are feiras all over the city, though usually each location holds a feira only once a week. The street where the feira is held is closed to traffic during the hours the market is open, or the stalls are set up on the sidewalk.
Here’s a video of a feira livre in São Paulo:
And here are some of my photos from a feira in Rio de Janeiro:
Mercados, on the other hand, are held in a permanent location inside a building. These markets are open daily or nearly every day. The vendors sell similar products, but also sell cheese, nuts, oil, bread, and other food you’d typically find in a grocery store. These markets may also have prepared food where you can eat a meal on the go or even sit down for a meal. One of the most famous mercados is the Mercado Municipal de São Paulo, or the São Paulo City Market, which is nearly 80 years old. A Brazilian teacher made a great video walking through this market and pointing out the different products on sale, and their meaning in Portuguese and English.
