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Most people would NEVER think Atlanta is anything but a southern city that hosts CNN, the place where Coca-Cola was invented, and where Delta, one of the largest airlines in the world, operates from. And perhaps that it has one of the top two airports in the world (which, to me, a taxpayer in Atlanta will ONLY be Hartsfield airport). But people do not think of Atlanta typically as an international city.

Today, I took my Mom, stepdad, aunt, and uncle to a place that belies the view that Atlanta is just a southern provincial capital (which it was back in the 80s when I got here!): the Buford Highway Farmer’s Market on Buford Highway right outside I-285. I am not sure who the owners are but I find it more “real” than the more popular Dekalb Farmer’s Market where it feels people go just to show they are “cosmopolitan” and hip. It is full of people from all ethnic backgrounds and I am not just talking about the staff.

In any case, my visitors were astounded by the great variety of Latin products (every product they know and/or use in cooking Cuban food; quenepas/mamoncillo that I used to eat as a kid; papaya, one of my Mom’s favorites; etc.), the large Eastern European section (with its incredible Russian product suite including ice cream!), and the incredible Asian section with aisles (one or more) for each of the following: Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, and on and on. The ONLY thing I begrudge is the too-limited wine section. I expected to find Bulgarian, Chilean, Greek, and other wines. The wine section was tiny and with only the typical countries represented (Chile was but only a handful of wines).

Though I have been there before to buy all the ingredients for the Easter lunch I make for my friends or Christmas Eve dinner for my family (Cuban pernil), I had never stepped back to really gape at the diversity. Sometimes, you have to see things through others’ eyes to discover them!! As I had not expected to want to take pictures, I did not take my camera so the pictures I ended up taking were with my smartphone. I include them here to share some of the sights at this awesome place – and I have special pictures that I hope my friend Pola will recognize… Enjoy!

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE FULL IMAGE!

I used to eat these as a kid but w/o my Grandma knowing as they are a choking hazard! Peppers galore!

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