Shopping At The Nieuwe Grond Market In Suriname

Hello, Story Time friends from around the world!🗺 How are you guys doing?😁 Feel free to let me know what's on your mind in the comment section! I'm back to take you guys on another adventure in tropical Suriname. 🌴Lately, it's been very hot in Suriname.📹 I made this video of my shopping adventure at the Nieuwe Grond Market on the 9th of August. Despite this day being a national holiday in Suriname, the market was still open. It's one of the few places that's open on a day like that. On the 9th of August, the Javanese Immigration and Indigenous Day is celebrated. Certainly a day worth celebrating if you're a mix like me. On the 9th of August, we remember the day in history when our Javanese Ancestors left Indonesia and arrived in Suriname. After the abolition of slavery, our Dutch colonizers sent immigrants to Suriname to work on the plantations. Most of these immigrants had been brought to Suriname under false promises. They were mistreated and lived in horrible circumstances. As for the indigenous people that we dedicate the day to, they are the first people who lived in Suriname. This country belonged to them before European colonizers set foot in Suriname. The Western world drove them to live deep in the jungles while they stole their country and kept introducing slaves to keep their profitable plantations operating. We had sugarcane, cocoa, cotton, and coffee plantations that the Europeans started in this South American/Caribbean country. Our past might be dark, but it's also the reason why my country is so diverse! Exploring Suriname means discovering the diversity of the world! Our ancestors came from all parts of this planet and how they melted together with each other molded the beauty of the Surinamese culture. We're peaceful and loving people. The Nieuwe Grond Market is located in the district Wanica and it's right next to the police station. This market is open on Wednesdays and Sundays only. It's mostly crowded but worth a visit if you want to get to know Surinamese vegetables. They also sell food at the market. I bought Tjenil from a vendor. It's a Javanese dessert that's eaten with a sweet grated coconut on top of it. The coconut is made sweet with brown sugar and the Tjenil itself tastes like a sticky and chewy rice cake. Our Javanese ancestors brought this delicacy from Indonesia to Suriname.

Tjenil is traditionally served in a banana leaf and that helps a lot with this sticky dessert! The sweet coconut helps add all the flavor to Tjenil.

 Did you know that Suriname is the only Caribbean country that has had Javanese Immigrants during the colonial days? If you see other Javanese people in the Caribbean there is a high probability that they have Surinamese roots. Most Javanese people who were born in Suriname have spread themselves out into the rest of the Caribbean. Right next to the Nieuwe Grond Market, there is a Tian You that I visited. Because of the national holiday, they had a deal on the white rabbit mix strawberry milk tea. It was delicious and worth it! 😍😍😍 My tastebuds fell in love! We wanted to get more Javanese food from the warung next to the meat vendors. But nothing caught my cravings there. So we decided to get some roti instead from Roopram Indiraghandi weg. 🍽This Roopram drive-thru location isn't too far from the Nieuwe Grond Markt as we locals call it.🍲 If you are planning to cook your own food during your travel vacation in Suriname, I suggest you visit the market.🥭 I even managed to get some foreign grapes there from a nice fruit vendor.🍇 Here's my vlog of my shopping adventure at the Nieuwe Grond Market in Suriname. 😀I hope you guys enjoy it and I can't wait to see you again! Don't forget to subscribe when you see that Story Time U.F.O.🛸👽👾 appear on your screen .