With all that driving yesterday, we really didn't want to drive too far today. We checked for things to do around Gallup and found out they have a huge Flea Market on Saturdays. The reviews said "lots of local products and food tents." Sounds like just the ticket for lunch. The directions were a little vague, but we didn't have any trouble finding it. The large white tents and cabanas stood out against the dessert sagebrush.
The first thing you notice as you approach the market place is the wonderful smell of barbecued meats and baking breads. There is also a slightly herbal aroma from all the tea and spice vendors. Our immediate thought was that we were back at the Night Market in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
The vendor stalls range in complexity, from actual food trucks parked under aluminum garages with tables and chairs for guests, to homemade structures that look like yurts. There were even several vendors selling pinon nuts from folding tables.
Young kids enjoy an activity tent and play while their parents shop. The carousel with actual ponies was a big hit.
We didn't take a lot of photos from our outing, since most of the vendors and shoppers were native peoples from the surrounding pueblos. We wanted to respect their customs and personal privacy. That, and our hands were full with all the wonderful goodies we bought!
When we got home, we took a photo of our loot. You can see in the photo above, from left to right - Navajo frybread, Zuni bread, Navajo tea, New Mexican fire roasted green chilis and an apple turnover! (Not shown in the photo are four Zuni tamales. I had already already put them in the freezer and forgot to take them out for the photo.)
FRYBREAD is a flat dough fried or deep-fried in oil. The dough is generally leavened by soured milk, baking powder or yeast. It is very light when fried up. The Navajo Taco is a round frybread filled with ground beef and all the traditional taco toppings. The locals like their frybread with spam, onion and green chili. You can also dust the frybread in powdered sugar and you would think you are eating a funnel cake.
(For lunch at the market, we each had eaten a huge Navajo Taco filled with roasted mutton and green chilis, and washed our food down with a cup of Navajo tea. You can guess that inspired us to buy some of these items!)
ZUNI BREAD is baked in an outdoor clay oven called a horno. Here is an article onhorno by Jimmy Paywa, the baker of our bread.
NAVAJO TEA comes from a plant called greenthread. The Navajo Tea plant has been picked, dried, and brewed as an herbal tea by generations of Navajo people. Its mild flavor has a natural sweetness and aroma which make it an ideal herbal tea. It reminded David of the special fermented red tea we were served in Lijiang, Yunnan, China, but without any of the caffeine.
NEW MEXICO FIRE-ROASTED GREEN CHILIS came straight out of the rotisserie. As we walked down the back row of the outdoor market, the smell of roasting peppers grew stronger and stronger. By the time we got to the end of the row, we had found the source. A husband and wife team were busy roasting and bagging the green chilis hot from the grill. We got two bags for $5.00.
APPLE TURNOVER - This last purchase was an impulse. We were sitting down to enjoy our lunch of roasted mutton on frybread with green chilis and Navajo tea, when a young girl came in with a basket of homemade apple turnovers. How could we resist?
I realized I forgot the ZUNI TAMALES. The ingredients needed for tamales are pork, mutton, or beef stew meat, onions, chilI powder, salt, shortening, white corn or hominy, blue corn, corn husks and coriander. Since we've never met a tamale we didn't like, we can't wait to try them "Zuni style."
Today we sampled food; next we want to sample more culture. We have a few days here in Gallup and are looking forward to getting out and about and learning more about the Pueblo history and lifestyle.
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