In the bustling streets of colonial Lima, the rhythmic calls of “pregoneros“—street vendors—filled the air, weaving a rich tapestry of daily life that defined the city’s unique character.
These vendors were more than mere sellers; they were essential to Lima’s social and cultural fabric, offering goods and services while marking the passage of time with their distinctive cries.
Therefore, join us as we see the importance these characters had for Lima and the legacy they leave behind.
Who exactly were they?
In 1817, the Royal Spanish Academy defined pregón as “public praise of a person or thing.” They defined pregonar as “to announce the merchandise or food that someone has for sale, so those in need can buy it.”
Consequently, in Peru, it seems that “pregón” vendors existed only in old Lima. There is no record of their presence in other cities in the country.
People at that time easily noticed pregoneros, as they watched street vendors sell their goods throughout the day.
So, we can say pregoneros were street product vendors announcing their goods while saying slogans and catchphrases.
Ricardo Palma, the most important writer in colonial Lima, mentioned that back then, checking the clock wasn’t necessary; the vendors’ singing helped tell the time.
A City Without Supermarkets: The Rise of the Pregoneros
During the colonial period, Lima lacked structured marketplaces like today’s. While there were public markets, they were often limited, and not everyone had the time to visit them daily.
Eventually, the pregoneros solved this issue by bringing essential commodities directly to the residents’ doorsteps.
Many of these vendors were Afro-Peruvian, indigenous, or mestizo workers who found economic opportunities in the informal trade.
They walked the streets from dawn until nightfall, offering everything from fresh milk and bread to exotic fruits and even lottery tickets.
Also, each pregonero had a unique cry—sometimes melodic, sometimes rhythmic—allowing customers to recognize them from a distance. Their chants became so iconic that many were recorded in literature, music, and oral tradition.
A Symphony of Vendors: The Daily Calls of Lima
The day in Lima was punctuated by the melodic calls of various pregoneros, each signaling a particular time and offering:
In his work, “Con días y ollas venceremos” (With Days and Pots, We Shall Overcome), Ricardo Palma notes that by the late 19th century, people in Lima seemed to spend their time keeping their chewing mills—teeth and molars—busy.”
Palma noted that some people didn’t check the clock to tell time. Instead, they listened to the pregón of street vendors.
Pregoneros in Ricardo Palma Works
They walked the streets with pots in large baskets on their heads. They announced their food like this: “¡La picantera……… ¡Ajiaco, charque y seviche! ¡Motesito peladito!” (sic). At eleven, the melon seller would come by.
The mulata de convento also sold treats like ranfañote, cocada, bocado de rey, chancaquitas, and frejoles colados. At noon, the fruit seller with a full basket and the vendor of small meat pies would appear.
One o’clock was unmistakably marked by the seller of ante con ante (a layered dessert), the rice vendor, and the alfajorero (who sold alfajores, a type of pastry).
At two in the afternoon, the picaronera sold sweet fried dough. The humitero offered corn-based tamales. The vendor of la rica causa de Trujillo, a potato dish, filled the streets with their cries. At three, the melcochero sold syrup-based candies.
The turronera offered nougat, and the anticuchero had grilled meat skewers. They called out, always on time, even more than the Mari Angola bell from the cathedral. At four, the picantera (spicy food vendor) and the nut candy vendor would make their rounds.
At five, the jasmine flower seller, the vendor of caramanducas (an old Limeño sweet), and the one selling fabric flowers, who would shout “¡Jardín, jardín! ¿Muchacha, no hueles?”—would appear.
At six, the biscuit seller. Then, at seven, the caramel seller, the mazamorrera (selling purple corn pudding), and the champucera (selling a thick spiced drink).
And finally, at eight in the evening, the ice cream vendor and the wafer seller. After nine at night, according to Palma, “the neighborhood watchman” would sing, “between whistles”:
“¡Ave María Purísima! ¡Las diez han dado! ¡Viva el Perú, y sereno!”“, which can be translated as: “Hail Mary Most Pure! It’s ten o’clock! Long live Peru, and all is calm!”
Atanasio Fuentes Guide
Later, in 1860, Manuel-Atanasio Fuentes wrote Guía del Viajero en Lima (Traveler’s Guide to Lima). He described Lima’s pregones and noted how the common people pronounced them.
The first vendors to appear in the mornings were ice cream sellers, herbal tea vendors, and biscuit sellers. The first would announce their products as: “¡Eh riqui piñi! [delicious pineapple ice cream] y de leeist [and milk]” (sic).
The herbal tea vendors, “Black and zamba women,” sang: “¡Se va la tisaneee… cebaaa con piña! ¡Vaya con la chicha piñi; muchacha! ¡Terranoviiii!” (sic).
Likewise, during Holy Week, biscuit sellers would sell the well-remembered sweet bread: “¡Pan de ulce… pan de ulce… buen pan de regalo! ¡Pan de ulce, pan de ulce y de regaalo pan de ulce! ¡De la concición cosa güena!” (A reference to sweet bread they used to sell).
At nine or ten in the morning, the lunch vendor would appear, carrying a large basket on her head with several pots of beans, chanfaina (an Afro-Peruvian origin stew), rice, and sango de yuyo (a seaweed dish). She would shout: “¡Amozáa pué! ¡Se va la amuesee! ¡Sanguito con yuyo! ¡Frijolito con aróoo!” (sic).
At the same time, and in greater numbers on holidays, tamaleros (tamal vendors) would appear. They would sit on the back of a donkey, carrying two large baskets of tamales on either side.
In addition, most of these tamaleras were elderly African women, and their pregones were often unintelligible to foreigners.
Their cries included: “¡Tamaleeee! tamaaa ¡Quién llama la tamaleee! ¡ya meee ya yaaa tamaa suaa! ¡ya se va la tamalee! ¡tamalito serranoooo! ¡calentito taa! ¡Asegurarse con tiempo… que me voooó!” (sic).
Morning Vendors: The First Voices of the Day
The Lechera (Milkmaid): Firstly, at the break of dawn, around six in the morning, the lechera made her rounds.
Mounted on a mule laden with containers of fresh milk, she tapped her wares with the reins, a sound that became synonymous with the early morning. Some called out, “¡Leche fresca, leche puraaaa!” (Fresh and pure miiiiiilk!)
The Tisanera: By seven o’clock, the tisanera, often an Afro-Peruvian woman, carried a clay pot filled with tisana—a refreshing beverage made from pineapple or lemon peels. Her chant of “¡Se va la tisaneee… cebaaa con piña!” was both an advertisement and a wake-up call.
Did You Know? Tisaneras were emoliente street vendor pioneers! To know more about this traditional Peruvian drink, take a look at our blog!
The Bizcochero (Biscuit Seller): Then, around eight in the morning, children eagerly awaited the bizcochero, who balanced a board on his head filled with freshly baked biscuits. His cheerful cry of “¡Buen pan de Guatemalaaa!” promised a tasty morning treat.
Midday Vendors: The City Comes Alive
The Tamalera: As the sun rose higher, the tamalera arrived, carrying large baskets of tamales. She often rode a donkey and announced, “¡Tamales calientitos, tamales de maíz y chanchooo!”
The Picantera: Approaching lunchtime, the picantera appeared with a variety of spicy dishes like ajiaco, charquicán, and ceviche. Her calls promised a feast of flavors.
The Chichera: Selling chicha de jora (a fermented maize drink), this vendor played an important social role, as chicha was a daily staple. Her cry, “¡Chicha fresca, dulce y buenaaa!” attracted thirsty customers.
Afternoon and Evening Vendors: A Night of Treats
The Dulcero (Sweets Vendor): Children and adults alike awaited the arrival of the dulcero, who sold alfajores, turrón de Doña Pepa, and candied fruits.
The Champucera: As the evening cooled, the champucera set up her stall, serving champús, a warm maize-and-fruit drink, perfect for a chilly night.
The Panadero (Bread Seller): “¡Pan calientitooo!” signaled the arrival of fresh bread for dinner.
The Decline and Legacy of Pregoneros
With modernization, the role of the pregonero began to fade. Formal markets, grocery stores, and restaurants reduced the need for street vendors. However, their legacy persists:
Music and Literature – Peruvian waltzes and folk songs often include references to pregoneros, capturing their rhythms and spirit.
“Viva el Peru y Sereno,” a waltz written by songwriter Alicia Maguiña, shows the importance of Pregoneros in Colonial Lima.
Festivals and Reenactments – Some neighborhoods in Lima celebrate pregoneros with festivals where actors dress in colonial outfits and chant traditional cries.
The last Pregonero alive
With a large tray balanced on his head, filled with the traditional sweet sanguito, his deep, raspy voice echoes through Lima’s historic center square:
“Sanguito rico, sanguitooo… vamos, sanguito rico.” Germán Clemente Reyna Lezama is Peru’s last pregonero, or street crier.
He keeps a tradition alive that started in colonial times. Back then, vendors would sing to sell milk, sweets, biscuits, and more.
A resident of Barrios Altos, a traditional Lima neighborhood, Reyna inherited this tradition from his mother, who taught him the secrets of making sanguito.
Wearing an outfit reminiscent of Peru’s colonial period, Reyna walks through Mesa Redonda and the Alameda de Chabuca Granda, calling out to passersby: “To remember is to live again. Know this: what you have eaten and lived, no one can take away from you.”
Viva el Peru y sereno
In conclusion, the story of the pregoneros is more than just a nostalgic memory. These street vendors connected people, provided essential services, and brought warmth and character to the city.
Their distinctive hats, often wide-brimmed to protect them from the sun, became symbols of hard work and cultural pride.
Therefore, in today’s rapidly changing world, remembering and celebrating these traditions ensures that the essence of Peruvian culture continues to inspire future generations.
The spirit of the pregoneros still lives on, reminding us of the rich history behind each call that echoes through the streets of Lima.
Their legacy reminds us of a time when human voices, not billboards or social media, brought us together in a shared experience of daily life.
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