Santa Ana’s Cultural Seeds

If it were a New York City street, you might look for a succulent Sabrett hot dog or a knish. If it were a Chicago corner, you’d seek out a zesty Italian beef sandwich.

In Santa Ana, expect exotic fruit.

Papaya, mango, coconut, pineapple, watermelon and cucumber are for sale on pushcarts parked at downtown street corners. Informal estimates suggest about 800 boxes of cut fruit are sold from eight carts near 4th and Main streets on weekdays and 1,600 boxes each weekend day.

In this city where 74% of the population speaks Spanish, regulars ask for a mixta with chili powder, lime juice and salt. While the cart operator spices about 20 pieces of fruit in a small, plastic box, customers hand over a dollar.

It’s a tangy, tropical heaven.

And it reminds many customers of cities in Latin America where boxed or bagged cut fruit is standard in shopping districts.

“I loved it in Mexico. I love it here. Fruit on the street is just part of shopping,” says Maria Sanchez, a native of Michoacan, Mexico.

Fruit is also sold by vendors -- who work for the cart owners -- without toppings and in boxes of just one type.

“It definitely makes Santa Ana unique. I don’t think any other city in Orange County has vendors selling fruit and snacks the way we do,” says Councilman Jose Solorio.

But officials haven’t always held the carts so dear. In 1999, the City Council banned pushcarts, citing concerns about litter and food safety. After the pushcart vendors sued, the city passed an ordinance requiring them to maintain a more uniform appearance. After lengthy negotiations with the owners, Solorio says, the city promised to pay half of the cost of new pushcarts, which are expected later this year.

In the meantime, sales remain robust and no health problems have been reported.

“No one has gotten sick. We haven’t issued any citations,” says Bruce Dunhams, who heads city code enforcement. “The fruit is pretty popular.”

Trinidad Felix works a cart at 4th and Main streets. She estimates that she sells about 110 fruit boxes a day. The fruit sells better than Cheetos, Fritos and the cups of flavored shaved ice called raspados, she says.

Customers say they like buying something healthy that is low in fat and calories.

“I can tell you I’d pick fruit over a hot dog any day,” says Cristina Caridad, 50, a city resident who hands out brochures for a weight-loss company. “The best way to order the fruit is to get a mixed box with just a little chili.”

Roberto Maciel, 33, a construction worker, prefers a heavy dose of powdered chili: “It’s better than a coffee. It really gets you going.”

Ana Lares, 14, chooses not to get any chili. But she always passes on the bags of chips, which “give me pimples. Fruit is better for you.”

Employees for each of the eight carts gather before dawn to cut the fruit at warehouses in Santa Ana. The fruit is brought from Los Angeles, says Jose Ortiz, a pushcart owner who has represented the owners in dealings with the city.

Felix says she and nine other employees of Frutas la Placita cut the fruit and box it. She estimates that each day they cut 15 coconuts, 10 papayas, 90 mangos, 50 cucumbers, 12 pineapples and seven watermelons. Sometimes, they’ll chop jicama too. Then three members of the group take carts to the streets and begin selling. They sell until 8 p.m.

Seasoned customers wait until 5 p.m. That’s when fruit boxes go on sale at two boxes for a dollar.

“Late in the afternoon, I get a lot of people asking me what time it is,” Felix says. “I know they are waiting for a deal on a nutritious snack.”