Pritil Market, Tondo, Manila, Philippines

 

Pritil is a wet market where you can get everything and more.  They sell anything that you can possibly need.

Going to Pritil is a bit of a challenge especially to your nostrils.   You must take a deep breath as you cross the bridge over the Pasig River, which is so stagnant with floating refuse; it is known locally as the Black River.  The poor people who live right next to the river have gotten used to it.  🙁

I grew up tagging along with mother when she went to Pritil for daily marketing.  The smell of the place varies from the obnoxious to the most delicious and aromatic.  When you go to the shoes area, the smell of plastic, rubber and leather compete with one another.  I love the smell of new textile as well as the latest fashion hanging overhead.

And the corn beef smells as good as they look. The vienna sausages look perky and ready to fry or grill.  And the pinipig (special young rice which was gently roasted and pounded flat),  is absolutely heavenly.

The fish counters need getting used to.  The smell is over-powering and the sight is almost shocking with the varying sizes and kinds of fish on sale.  Their eyes staring lifelessly as they soak on ice.  There were squid, octopus, shrimps, oysters, and crabs whose feet are firmly confined in tight bindings and would now and again spew bubbles as if to show their displeasure and annoyance.

The meat place is another source of fascination.  All animal parts seem to be on sale.  From heads, feet, tails, snout, balls, intestines, hearts, livers, bladders, blood, you name it you can get it.

The fruits corner is my favourite.  Apples smell of overpoweringly delightful apple scent.  The smell actually tastes more delicious than the fruit itself, very curious.  There are papayas, guavas, grapes, chicos, bananas, dalanghita – some sort of clementine/mandarin orange, and other weird and wonderful stuff.  The smell of the jackfruit is sweetly scenting the air, making you forget the pungent fish counter.

There were also hardware at the other side of the main building and electrical shops.  And the bakeries, selling the most delicious newly baked cakes and bread like pandesal, Spanish bread, ensaimada, and other ambrosial delights.

In between the buildings, the sellers of unripe mangoes with the ubiquitous shrimp bagoong sit nonchalantly on the sidewalk knowing that shoppers will not be able to resist the sour mangoes with the fishy, garlicky bagoong.  Just the thought now of the combination makes my mouth water in nostalgia.

There are also buckets upon buckets of pearly white sago and technicolor gulamans or jelly.  They are used as part of a Filipino drink concoction that is divinely thirst-quenching.

There are also little stalls that sell cooked food like pancit noodles, lugaw or congee – my favourite, and anything that would tickle your fancy.

Pritil is an institution that provides cheap, fresh food and everything else.  I would prefer to go shopping in Pritil than PureGolds any time of the day!

To Pritil hope it will last and last!!!

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29 April 2023:

Sad news!  Pritil Market was engulfed in a blazing fire that last for hours.