Every Wednesday students flock to the farmer’s market to walk through stands filled with delicious foods and drinks. The choices range from homemade kombucha tea to tacos, gyros and crepes. We all know the food our favorite food vendor serves, but few students actually know the hard working people behind these glorious creations.
Acai Blendz + Poke Smash
Meet Inbae. He hails from North Korea and has created what some might call the most popular stand at the UM farmer’s market. Over ten years ago, he opened up Sweet Blendz Acai and began selling acai bowls and two year ago he decided to pursue another venture: Poke bowls.
He is extremely passionate about his work and calls his two companies his “babies.” The thoughts he has had for years have grown from ideas to food stands. And if Wednesdays farmer’s market isn’t enough for you, Inbae is planning to open a store in Broward County, which will offer both poke and acai bowls. He deeply appreciates his customers and stated that it makes him happy when people rave about his food, and let me tell you, it is definitely rave-worthy.
The Argentinean Grill Spot
The Argentinean Grill Spot has held a prominent spot at the beloved farmer’s market. It’s hard to miss the aromas of grilled steak and the sounds of sizzling sunny-side-up eggs coming out from under the black awning. Mark, the happy-go-lucky Argentinean owner, isn’t afraid to crack a joke or share the love of his prosperous business.
Amidst calling out to employees and stuffing fresh french bread with french fries, Mark talked to me about the most popular item on the menu: the steak sandwich. The often sold-out item consists of steak, cheese, pepper, eggs and a 300-year old in-house chimichurri sauce. Not only is the stand organized and tidy, there is also an additional grill for vegetarian dishes. It is Mark’s attention to small details and a wide array of dietary restrictions that makes him cautious of cross-contaminating meat and vegetables.
You might not have known, but just around the corner is Mark’s other stand: Argenterian Pierogi On The Grill, which sells homemade pierogis with his secret chimichurri sauce. It was hard to miss Mark’s passion for his business and the food he creates while speaking with him. “Whatever you do, do it with passion,” Mark confidently stated. His love for what he does can definitely be tasted in every bite.
Incredible Kettle Corn
Yunet is fairly new to the popcorn business, but that didn’t stop him from building a kettle corn dynasty. Originally from Cuba, Yunet has been living in Miami for fourteen years and began to pursue popcorn making in 2012.
I walked over to the stand to find Yunet sporting a safety helmet and goggles while pouring canola oil into a large kettle machine. He mixes kettle corn, canola oil, salt and sugar for about two to three minutes and then distributes it into large plastic bags. Yunet’s flavors range from blue raspberry cherry to cheddar cheese caramel and everything in between. For fun, he once added spices in the kettle and soon a customer favorite was formed: spicy flavor kettle corn. What does Yunet do on other days of the week? You can find him and his helpful family members and friends at farmers markets across South Florida.
Jamaica Caribbean Things
Herman is not someone you could miss while walking through the packed market and his stand titled “Jamaica Caribbean Things” is not your traditional farmers market vending table. It focuses on the spiritual and health-conscious individual. The “selling item” as Herman stated is his sorrel juice. Sorrel, also known as dried hibiscus flowers, has anti-inflammatory and weight loss abilities. The juice consists of a plethora of spices and cloves as well as turmeric. Herman often stands in front of the tent handing out samples of his novelty item while spewing out wisdom on passersby.
What did Herman do before he came to UM’s farmer’s market? He owned the first multi-track record studio in the Caribbean. He even had Bob Marley come into his studio. However, as the prominence of records declined, he decided to change his focus to wellness and medicinal plant properties. He is a well-informed individual and shared his values of humankind and the importance of turmeric to me in rap fashion.
Tropical Fruit Stand
A major perk of going to school in Miami besides the palm trees that line the campus is the plentiful amount of tropical fruit accessible from nearby areas. Humongous jack fruit, mamonsillo quentas, rambutan lychees, sweet dragon fruit and the most delicious mangos are just some of the fruit that are for sale.
Natalia, the young Slovakian owner, can often be found at the cash register happily assisting students while her friends and family cut up the fruit and place it into large plastic containers. Natalia and her husband independently run fruit stands across South Florida. Their fruit is imported daily from a local farm and is delicately packaged and brought to their stands.
You’ve heard their stories and learned more about their food, now it’s time to interact with these wonderful people. Facilitate conversation and ask about the origins of a certain dish, they are all so happy and proud of their creations. And hey, you might even get to hear Herman rap.