During my early years, my mother brought me everywhere. Some of my earliest happy memories involve food shopping at the Quinta Market in Quiapo.
Those weekly trips were joyful adventures. Going to Quiapo, we would take a short walk from home to Quezon Boulevard then take a jeepney to Quiapo. My father always offered the family car but my Mom insisted on the straight non-stop jeepney ride. Though often, we would take a taxi for home.
The Quinta Market of the 19th century was the central market of the City of Manila, originally catering to the wealthy families that lived in Quiapo. Through time, it had become one of the city’s most important markets, generating significant revenues while also catering to residents of all social classes.
In the 60’s, Quiapo was a bustling dynamic hub of economic activity. Venturing into the Quiapo Market meant meeting up with my Mom’s many “suki” (favourite sellers) in separate sections – the meats for pork and beef, the seafood for fish and shrimps and of course my favourite the airy vegetable section which opened up to the pasig river. At the meat section, a large fair-skinned unforgettable woman called “Mestiza” chopped pork and beef with a flourish, flashing her 2 carat brilliant diamond rings. At the fish and shrimps section, my mother personally investigated the fresh fish (look for bright shiny eyes and open the gills for a color-check). At the vegetable section my mom would give this thin wiry woman her list — a few leaves here and there (pepper, chili, moringa, spring onions etc) along with many many kilos of garlic, onions and tomatoes, the main ingredients for the Filipino saute. All our purchases went into palm leaf bags called bayongs. Looking deceptively light, these bayongs can carry loads of produce and purchase.
Once in a while, at the end of a shopping trip, Mommy would bring me to the Magnolia ice cream soda fountain. These were extra special occasions where we would mark a pre-birthday, a great school grade or maybe a non-event like a really hot day.
Many years later when I took a shine on traveling within and outside of the country, one favourite stop would be the public market. In many cities and towns, big or small, the public markets offer a glimpse of the real life of people — their food preferences, their choice of cooking and more important, their equal treatment of people. In Batangas, go for the meat delights. In Pangasinan, the anchovy appetisers are a must. In Baguio, the vegetables are super. The Grand Souk of Istanbul, Chatuchak/Ottocko in Thailand, Meze in Southern France have all offered indelible memories. But still for this still young girl, nothing can quite beat the emotional kick of the Quiapo market.
My Father's Gifts 
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