Throughout the course of the semester, four vendors from different backgrounds have shared their experiences of selling food in the Brooklyn Neighborhood of Sunset Park. These are their stories.
Mohammed- Mohammed’s Fruits and Vegetables
Originating from Egypt, Mohammed has called Sunset Park his home for over 20 years where he sells fruits and vegetables to the residents of the community. Despite living in Staten Island, Sunset Park has allowed Mohammed to make friends with the locals as well as learn Spanish. Mohammed is no stranger to vending since he first started out as a Halal food vendor near Radio City Music Hall with his brother. When asked about vending culture in Sunset Park, Mohammed views vending as work, but he enjoys speaking with his customers and interacting with them through small conversations.
On occasion, Mohammed cuts either the fruit or vegetable to show the customer what they are buying. He believes that street vendors have an obligation of being honest with their customers as well as being honest to themselves and the product they sell.
Eduardo-Eduardo’s Gelatins and Yogurts
A native from the Mexican state of Puebla, Eduardo comes from a long line of street vendors dating back to his grandfather in his hometown. The gelatins and yogurts are made by hand instead of the standard kitchen mixer. Despite living in Corona, Queens, Eduardo has come to love Sunset Park for the ambience of the neighborhood and the welcoming he gets from the locals of the area. Eduardo and his son spend the weekends in Sunset Park selling his desserts to the people of Sunset Park during the spring and summer season.
Street vending is a family tradition in Eduardo’s family. He has siblings in Puebla as well as Mexico City that sell desserts as well as a variety of snacks that is native to Mexico such as “chicharrónes” and “aguas” or homemade Mexican juices.
Rosa Maria- Helados Rosa Maria (Rosa Maria’s Ice cream)
Hailing from Ecuador, Rosa Maria has lived in Sunset Park for over 25 years. She has enjoyed living in Sunset Park where she has taught herself how to sell food as well as applying for a vending license on her own. According to Rosa Maria, vending was lucrative in the year 1995 due to the number of local residents that would go out. Where there are locals, Rosa Maria stands on the corner of 49th Street and 5th Avenue.
When asked about where she purchases the waffle cones and the tubs of ice-cream, Rosa Maria buys the product in bulk from Jetro. Aside from cones, customers have the choice of buying their ice-cream in a paper cup.
Fransica- Francisca’s Mexican Snacks and Juices
For over 30 years, Fransica has called Sunset Park her home. Originally from the Mexican state of Michoacan, Francisca has been vending a variety of Mexican snacks such as “chicharrónes”, Mexican style juices known as “aguas frescas”, and hot Mexican drinks known as “atoles”. The ingredients that she uses are shipped from Mexico to give her products an authentic taste of Mexico as well as using different oil alternatives as means of making her snacks as healthy as possible.
(Francisca’s Mexican Snacks and Juices-42nd Street and 5th Ave) and Francisca pictured on the far right, enjoys talking with customers about the snacks and drinks she sells. Francisca makes sure that the snacks and juices are always fresh to give the customers satisfaction and gain clientele.
The flavors of the “aguas frescas” include tamarind, lemon, and hibiscus flower. As mentioned in her biography, Francisca has a network of suppliers she knows in Mexico that send her the ingredients to the recipes of both the snacks and the drinks to give customers an authentic taste of Mexico.
Prior to immigrating to Sunset Park, Francisca worked as a health assistant for a local doctor in Michoacan which inspired her make her snacks as healthy as possible. Instead of using the standard cooking oil to prepare the snacks (Canola Oil), she uses vegetable oil and olive oil. Her reason for substituting the standard cooking oil was due to the number of diabetics living in Sunset Park. Aside from “chicharrónes”, Francisca also sells homemade popcorn, homemade potato chips, roasted peanuts, and fruit parfait.
