Mercado de Peixes São Pedro in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro

I usually go to Brazil every summer and while there, I try to visit a number of different farmer’s market. To me, these markets are the most exciting place to find out about local food and culture, as well as a way to connect with people. Over the years, I have visited markets in many different cities, always trying to find which ones specializes in specific products.

Last summer, I visited Mercado de Peixes São Pedro in Niterói, located on the other side of the bridge, across from Rio. Recognized as the most important seafood market in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the Mercado de Peixes São Pedro supplies most restaurants and supermarkets in the region, but it also sells directly to the customer.

I have a few friends with jobs in Niterói, and according to them, the commute is really easy as long as you avoid rush hour on the bridge. I followed their advice, and in just 35 minutes I made it from Zona Sul to Niterói.

Arriving at the Mercado de Peixe, my eyes didn’t know where to look first. In the display area there were tons of ice and kilos and kilos worth fish, all fresh from the boat and unloaded just a few hours earlier. Big and small fish, fancy and dog fish; sliced, steak, whole; whiting, tuna, salmon, flounder, lobsters, shrimp, and octopus— the variety is endless.

The building holds more then 20 different stands and several restaurants specialized in —fish, of course— are located on the second floor. You can buy your own fish downstairs, bring it to the restaurant, and they will prepare it fresh for you. By 2 pm, most of the fish in the market is sold.

Now, I am holding off to tell you a nice detail of my excursion: I brought my mother along! The plan was to run a few errands in Niterói after visiting the market. She just couldn’t believe the difference in prices between this place and the more convenient fish stores located in Rio’s more affluent areas.

A kilo of Badejo can cost up to 60 Reais (the local Brazilian currency) at any given store in Zona Sul; here, it’s less then half. Just to give you an idea, here are prices in Reais per kilo (data collected on August 2011) for some of the fish offered at the Mercado de Peixes in Niteroi: