Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – Sprouts have always fascinated me, ever since my hippy days in Oregon when everyone was growing their own along with making yogurt, baking bread, and having an organic vegetable garden!
Sprouts are loaded with nutrition and are easy to grow. If you’d rather not grow your own, stop in the Olas Altas Farmers Market on Saturdays and buy your weekly supply from Fabiola and Roberto. They have been growing sprouts in their home and selling them at the market for over 10 years.
A friend taught Fabiola to sprout while she was a local school teacher. Since working Monday through Friday during the day, she had to set up her sprout jars at night. During these early years, her son was a toddler and Roberto was a DJ and photographer for weddings. Now her son is 15 and helps out while Fabiola and Roberto run their sprout business full time, taking a break in the hot summers to relax and travel.
Their name, “Shining Sprout,” comes from the former manager of the Saturday Market who also suggested having the sprouts out to choose from, rather than in containers. This surprisingly increased their sales. So, what kind of volume do these two sell? Before the pandemic, they sprouted 10 kilos of beans a week. Currently, it is down to 5. The three they use are lentil, fenugreek, and mung. Together these supply complete protein.
They buy the beans from an organic supplier in Michoacán. Using large glass jars, the sprouts are started on Wednesday nights for the Saturday market in Vallarta and the Sunday market in La Cruz. The process starts again on Saturday nights to be ready for the Tuesday market in San Pancho.
They also make delicious basil dressing that they sprinkle on their sprout sandwiches. It takes 5 large bags of fresh local basil a week to make this dressing. The sprout sandwiches use local artisan bread and the blue corn tortillas with sprouts, cheese, avocado, and basil oil are delicious! Fabiola and Roberto feel strongly about supporting the other local vendors so they either buy or trade ingredients as needed.
Lastly, try their home-made natural insect repellent made from tea tree oil, clove, bay leaf, and aloe vera. It really works as proven by the fact that they sell out on most market days.
Find Shining Sprouts at Olas Altas Farmers Market, La Cruz Market, and San Pancho Farmers Market. Contact them on their Facebook page, or by WhatsApp: +52 322-152-0903.
(BN Editor’s note: The Olas Altas Farmers’ Market is held in Lazaro Cardenas Park and, since all parks in Jalisco are closed until January 31, 2021 as part of the State’s measures to curb the coronavirus contagion, if you are in Puerto Vallarta, contact Fabiola and Roberto via Facebook or WhatsApp until February 6, when the Olas Altas Market is expected to return.
Sandra Cesca has lived in Puerto Vallarta for 12 years. She is a cultural tour guide with her own small business: Puerto Vallarta Walking Tours. She is also a freelance writer and cultural photographer whose work can be found on Your Cultural Insider and Sandra Cesca Photography. Contact her: sun4sandra(at)gmail.com.