Val’s story as a street vendor began like many others: one day he found himself unemployed and with a family to support. Without thinking twice, he bought a bag of corn cobs and started selling them on Avenida Brazil, near his home. Soon after, he began making porridge and banana chips in his cart. Now, 30 years later, Val proudly says that he raised his children and bought his house by selling tasty food on the streets of Manaus. He buys bunches of Pacovan bananas (a relative of plantains) at the Banana Market in Manaus Moderna and fries them in his cart so that they are always fresh. “They have to be green to be crispier and less oily,” he explains.