An economic exchange was always a part of the gatherings, and enslaved people were always in both categories – buyers and sellers. Many of them had earned money in various ways on their days off, with the permission of their owners. Although there were men who sold goods in Congo Square, as well as in market places around the city, market women, with their colorful tignons or head wraps, were in the majority. They brought their marketing traditions as well as food-ways with them from their homelands in Africa.
Popular items sold at the gatherings included rice fritters called calas, cakes, candy, coffee and ginger beer. They also sold peanuts, popcorn, pies and pralines that were sometimes made with peanuts. Some of the market women as well as men sang chants that advertised the goods they sold. As with the other cultural practices, marketing traditions and food-ways similar to those witnessed in Congo Square were seen in other parts of African Diaspora –particularly parts of the Caribbean. For example, peanut candy, called tablette pistach in Haiti was similar to the pralines once also made with peanuts in New Orleans. Today, pralines in New Orleans are solely made with pecans and are also called pecan candy.
More Information
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