Lille in December?

Lille in December is this a good idea? Yes, the inner city shows itself in beautiful illumination at night. And people in Lille like to sit outside in cafés even in light rains when they got wet when seated at a table not fully covered. The beer culture reminded me of nearby Belgium with its wide range of choices including great local beers. Another phenomenon were all the people jogging in shorts this time of year left me a bit in in awe. I started to like the city.

The Halles de Wazemmes were in walking distance from this lively inner city.

Entering the Halles

The Halles de Wazemmes are spacious, the ceiling is high, there is enough space between the stalls to have a smooth walk around. The ambiance is rustic, it does not exude luxury but provides a large variety of quality produce and goods. There are enough places to sit down like in a beer garden to enjoy some food.

What to discover?

The Halles de Wazemmes have a classic range of produce including organic and gluten free selections. Classic meaning meat in all kinds and forms, cheese, fish, seafood, veggies, fruit, pastry, bread to name a “few”.

Selling meat also meant that the butchers still butchered on the spot displaying their business as a craft and not only as a fresh food counter. The cuts went far beyond what one can find in a supermarket. They included pork feet, offals, terrines as well as little meals to eat on the spot.

Local cheeses were very present. I learned that this region is producing quite a range of distinct cheeses. I was already aware of round pyramid shaped Boulettes d’Avesnes, the strongest cheese I have ever tasted, it is full of spices and garlic. I learned about the Maroilles with a orange-red washed rind and a strong smell. I saw a range of orange colored cheeses in different age categories called Mimolette. Of course there was more to see, but my eyes focused on those.

There was a lot of love in the display of fruits and vegetables. Presented in baskets they seemed to be curated to show the best the fields can offer. The large variety was similar to what I can find in my German home town, so there were no surprises as such. Cabbages in all shapes were not as dominant as I am used to during this season.

To my surprise fish and seafood were strongly present in the market hall. Lille is not a coastal town, but nor too far from the coast either. Local turf, nearby surf I would say. This was apparent in the restaurants as well which served a lot of fish dishes. At least the ones we visited.

What to eat?

We went to a butcher where we saw filled crêpes and got curious. It had home made bechamel sauce and cooked ham. Heated up at the counter and very delicious. The bechamel was full of muscat which gave a nice accent to the ham and the dough.

As dessert we had nice pastry served with a good coffee. Unfortunately I forgot the names of those little jewels.

And if you are thirsty, there is an impressive selection of beers available as well.

All in all

The Halles de Wazemmes are a great place to shop when you have the opportunity to cook in Lille. In the meantime enjoy the dishes available, you will not regret it.

A little link list

• The official website
• The version 2 of the official website – why?
• Documentary on YouTube from 2022

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Filter coffee

One of the first things I discovered in Helsinki was the dominance of filtered coffee over barista type of coffee. This was also the case in the Hakaniemen market hall (Hakaniemen kauppahalli) where I had my breakfast filtered coffee with a Karjalanpiiratat (Karelian pasty) and a cabbage puff pastry. A good entry into the Finnish cuisine.

It was my first time to be in the Nordics and I was looking forward to get to now the local cuisine. My expectations were partly set by the Helsinki edition of the Fare magazine which covers cities from a culinary perspective. It certainly was different to the hype around Copenhagen. Nordic means also some kind of cool and calm to me. I found this cliché kind of true for Helsinki but without the hipster stuff. And this means focus on good, old filtered coffee.

The Hakaniemen market hall

The Hakaniemen or Hakaniemi market hall was my entry point to the Helsinki cuisine. The red brick building dates from 1914. The two floors had just been renovated and everything was white and clean. Very white and clean, a contrast to its brick shell outside. The whiteness promoted a minimalist, concentrated ambiance which helped to bring more light into the hall and let the produce shine.

The ground floor had all the produce and streetfood, whereas the top floor all sorts of hardware and souvenirs in stock.

Difference

Discovering the unfamiliar in a market is what gets my attention. That meant that I had to calibrate my eyes to the merchandise. At first sight I saw only seemingly familiar meat, fish, vegetables, flowers and delicacies. Then I dug deeper and discovered the unfamiliar.

It started with the small breakfast where the bakery was not overloaded with croissants and sweet baked goods, but served a lot of rustic ones filled with meat, cabbage, egg and similar. I had never seen Karelian pasty before, so I took one. It is a rye based oval shaped pasty of roughly 12 cm open at the top and often filled with some sort of rice pudding. A classic topping is a mixture of butter and hard boiled egg called “munavoi“. I liked it, even though I would not call it a breath taking experience. The filtered coffee was filtered coffee.

Walking through the aisles it seemed that the market hall was mainly about meat and fish, not surprisingly when you consider that Helsinki is close to the sea, has thousands of lakes and quite a lot of surface for so little people in a rather colder climate. How did I get this wrong impression? Probably because I saw only one vegetable and fruit vendor amongst the 25 or so food stalls. At second sight I found also a few bakeries, spices, delicacies from Italy etc.

In contrast to the market halls I know in Germany, I did not see traders with a Turkish, Arabic, Persian etc. family history, something I surely missed. But it is hard to tell just looking at people. Having traders with such cultural heritage creates a different layer of ambiance, style of displays and conversations, meaning more variety in the market, something I appreciate.

What caught my attention?

Sandwiches

I like bread. A lot. I love baking bread as well. And I love open-faced sandwiches. Helsinki is a feast for those, especially in the Hakaniemen market hall. I am used to little variety in Germany: mozarella with tomato, gouda cheese, Gouda with ham or salami or similar. Sometimes there are a few more “Italian” looking ones. Here the variety was large variety based on Finnish (?) ingredients. Different spreads, fish, seafood, meat and more garnished with dill or other herbs. Not so much cheese.All very nicely placed on a slice of rye or wheat bread or half a roll. Different style and different tastes to what I am used to. I liked it.

Bread

Did I mention that I love bread?

I was aware that rye is often used in Finnish breads, but I was surprised that it did not really dominate. And I did not find a lot of sourdough based rye bread. I learned from a waitress that quick breads are more common. I looked at three bakeries in the market hall, but was not really observant enough to dig deeper into the existing variety. I bought a flat rye bread wheel wrapped in plastic which was more satisfying and with a longer shelf life than I expected. It was even appreciated at home. So i had to correct a little bit my assumptions.

In sourdough oriented bakeries outside the market hall, I also could not find the dense type of rye breads I am used to in Germany.

Game meat

Bear & reindeer!

I had never seen it before. And I had never tasted it before. And it was easy to buy both in the Hakaniemen market hall. Not only at one stall. It was mostly cured or smoked and not cheap. I shared a small piece of smoked reindeer with my Croatian friend at home. We both liked it. It had a smooth, almost elegant game taste, was salty in a pleasant way and lean. Good for visitors: it is vacuumed packed.

I had tried bear on 10€ slice of bread a couple days earlier in the Vanha Kauppahalli (Old Market Hall), but was not overwhelmed. The very lean meat had the taste of a slightly gamy beef tartar. I did not see the need to bring it back home. Probably a mistake not giving it a second chance.

Fish

When a city faces the sea and has plenty of lakes in the “backyard”, fish should be common place. It was. And in a nice variety. A lot of it was smoked, cured or graved. I could not resist to sample a little and eat it in the hotel to get first hand experience. The choice was overwhelming and my stomach finite. I still have good memories of what I bought.

Of course herring, a common fish in the Baltic region was abundant in the market hall, but also salmon in a large variety of preparations. A small sweet water fish maybe twice as big as anchovies seemed to be a staple food which I also saw at the Kauppatori streetfood market. As I am not a fish expert and reading Finnish labels proved difficult to me – too lazy for a digital translator, I could not identify all of them, but I was impressed.

Else

Other stalls had also a very nice display of their goods, the owners put a lot of effort in pleasing the eyes of customers by displaying what I would call an orderly abundance. Abundance because the stalls were full of produce, no empty spaces, every square centimeter used, always the signal: there is plenty. Orderly because nothing got in the way on providing focus on the goods. No scale, other equipment or empty boxes were visible.

In Hakaniemen market hall meat, fish and bread were in focus meaning represented by more than one stall. Other produce categories were represented by single stalls only, thus clearly showing the focus here. Fruit, Mediterranean specialties, pasta, cheese, coffee, tea, flowers etc. ensured that pantries could be sufficiently filled.

All in all

I went a few days in a row to experience the Hakaniemen market hall. The hall is new and has a touch of class but somehow grounded, offering tourists a nice spot to enjoy Finnish food culture without being a souvenir place. With its produce it has a distinct character, I would not find something similar in Germany or France. I did not see extravagant offerings, but an own good quality which may represent the country pretty well. I had more fun with this market hall than with the more tourist oriented Vanha Kauppahalli (Old Market Hall).

When in Helsinki, it is definitely worth making a detour and visiting it.

A little link list

• Hakaniemi market hall on Wikipedia
• The official website and on Instagram
• A blog post from travel and lifestyle diaries
• An old post from eat-drink-man-woman-blog

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Some time ago

Three years ago I stayed in Paris in the Montparnasse area as a starting point for a visit of the Rungis wholesale market. Close to the hotel was the Marché Edgar Quinet, named after a French historian. It stretches along a boulevard with the same name – comes very handy.

I really enjoyed the market as it offered a large variety of beautiful produce, wanting me to immediately buy a bigger fridge and stove. I took pictures but never turned it into a post. Rungis dominated my mind.

Rediscovery

In December 2022 I made it again to Montparnasse and had almost forgotten that there was a market in the area. So I was pleasantly surprise to rediscover it while looking for a breakfast place.

Had it changed in the meantime?

Not really to be honest, at least not in terms of beauty.

In size?

Not sure it still stretches for quite a bit and I needed some time to cover it all. Even without buying too much.

Produce

The produce were still beautiful. These great selection of cheeses from various French regions were so seducing. From my perspective: nobody beats the French is this domain.

Oysters were plenty, in all sizes and types. I still don’t know why I did not eat any on the spot. Two times the same mistake, I should be ashamed!

Unfortunately it did not make sense to purchase some fish. Hotels are not made for cooking.

As I am baking bread, I always have to test the ones of other bakers. This time it was an organic focaccia. Good but not impressive, I do better

What I have never tried to do is puff pasty, I leave this to the pros. I bought one filled with cheese. Just great! Even after a couple days back at home and reheating in a microwave I was just delighted. Delighted by the flaky pastry which gave a light crunch entry to the melted cheese with its full flavor providing a gourmet feel good moment.

The meat displays were just great, something I have not found in a comparable quality in Germany, the Netherlands and Eastern Europe. Even the impressive assortment at the St. Lawrence Market Hall in Toronto I recently visited could not match it. The market follows the nose to tail approach. From pig feet, via tripe, marvelous meat cuts, cooked hams with their bone to whole capons with their beautifully feathered heads, it was a journey through a sophisticated cuisine.

Fruits and vegetables stalls are plenty as well, but less remarkable than the other stalls. Here even in my German hometown I have a larger variety, at least in winter time.

Ready made meals of the hearty type complement the market offering. They are worth being eaten on the spot.

Entertainment

Farmers’ markets are about the location which defines produce, prices, customers and of course the traders or producers. Some of the traders know their business, some less. Some are communicative some not.

I believe those who communicate make more business. At least with me. Even when I make myself believe that I can distinguish a good product from a bad one, a good stall owner will certainly convince me of almost anything. At least in the moment I am there.

How does it work? Talk to me, entertain me or show that you are a nerd and know your produce. Or in short: have a good story to tell.

The guy who sold nuts knew exactly how to trigger me, he made jokes, complimented me in front of my wife (I like that) and “forced” me to try a sample of his almonds. They were good indeed and I had to buy a rather too generous amount. He made me try some other samples as well, but I was strong enough this morning to resist his charm.

And of course there is the classic joke on farmers’ markets: when I am asking for permission to take photos, I will get the answer to pay for it 5 or sometimes 50 €uro. This is of course the start of a jolly chat making me happy that I asked.

I will not remember all the dialogues we had at the market, but I certainly will always remember that I was nicely entertained at the Marché Edgar Quinet, one reason to come back another time.

All in all

The marché Edgar Quinet is a traditional French market which gives not only tourists a good introduction into the produce which are at the base the wonderful French cuisine. It is neither a low end nor high end or hipster market, it is down to earth, nothing fake about it. It is worth a visit, if not a detour.

Two tips

A book which always helps when I am in Paris is the “Markets of Paris” from Marjorie R. Williams. It describes quite a few markets by arrondissement (neighborhood) and helps me to find the good ones and their opening times. It is not too recent, but still a very good guide.

She has also written a guide on markets in Provence.

On this blog you will also find posts on other markets in France. Check here

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Approaching Catania

The fish market in Catania on Sicily island in Italy is quite known and was part of our last destination on this trip.

We came from the North Coast via Bronte on the slopes of the Etna volcano to Catania. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant day. The rain did not make things better.

The start was promising. We left Cefalu on a Sunday drove up a beautiful mountainous landscape where I was unhappy not to have enough time for a hike. The stop at a local bakery Biscottificio Miraglia in San Fratello with the most beautiful sandwiches one can imagine. Wonderful thinly sliced mortadella, prosciutto and cheese in tasty wheat rolls. Basic food in perfection.

Then the rain started and everything got truly gray. Bronte is famous for its pistachios, but nothings seemed open on this rainy Sunday. Only at the outskirts one old guy sold them out of his little old car.

And then the “trash highway” started, trash everywhere, as if the garbage collection was on strike. All the way from Bronte to Catania. I have been living or working in poor countries on the African continent but I had never seen something like that before.

On top of that we had to take a detour on the highway as the right exit was closed, leading us through not so nice industrial and commercial areas.

We finally arrived just before darkness at the hotel in downtown next to the fish market.

While it was still raining, we made a walk through town, the old architecture made the city look nicer than at the beginning. Unfortunately the fish restaurant where we wanted to eat was fully booked. I texted back home to a chef friend and got a good recommendation. Peace of mind was back.

Starting early at fish market day

We started early on Monday. At 8 o’clock we stepped out of the hotel, passing the beautiful “Fontana dell’Amenano”to enter the fish market and saw:

Nothing

Well almost.

Just a few improvised stalls and a few people.

It was so quiet that an octopus had the chance to jump out of his box full with his comrades to start moving a bit on the ground. This was probably the most lively scene yet.

What was supposed to be stalls was still empty. Was this the fish-less season? Are fish mongers getting up late? I never found out.

So we decided to stroll over to the main market to come back later. This was the right decision. The main market was very lively, big and worth a visit but this is for another post.

A couple hours or so later we came back and the stall had filled up.

The octopus was of course back in his box, and we saw many other fishes and creatures of the sea. I am not too familiar with this type of food, but it was easy to identify the mighty swordfishes, remarkable animals and to my surprise plenty at the market.

Being a tourist at a fish market

Being a tourist is a disadvantage when you are interested in fresh produce hence farmers’ markets. Some produce cannot be eaten fresh so easily, and sometimes the transport time without cooling is too long for an unspoiled produce experience.

So I feel rather like a spectator of a sea world zoo or a streetfood festival visitor than a fully embedded market visitor, especially as I am not speaking Italian or Sicilian (yes this is considered to be a separate language).

Opening my eyes, observe, trying to get good shots, this is what I am aiming for then.

What the fish market exudes

It is worth opening those eyes as I do not experience that many open fish markets in my life.

This market exudes robustness. We are not in a hipster world here. No fancy signage or displays. Lots of ice to cool down the produce. Surprisingly no shouting. Many people coming by without buying.

As the market is not one single plaza but is spread around various spaces under or next to the surrounding buildings and alleys, each corner has its own distinct set of merchants. The stalls were some times only a camping table with a few boxes, giving the impression that the gradient from hobby fishermen to commercial trader was rather fluid.

I loved the unpretentious ambiance of the market, despite being a tourist attraction life seemed normal and I did not spot any market souvenirs, neither bags nor mugs or stickers.

What the fish market offers

I have hard times remembering names. Even after decades of eating lots of great cheeses, I cannot remember their names. Okay Parmesan and mozzarella are fairly easy. But how does a Vacherin again look like? Embarrassing. Now imagine that with fish. No way. Especially as I almost only see fish filet and not whole ones.

Still it seemed that the variety was not very large, I doubt that there were more than 20 different species being sold. But all sorts of mussels and shrimps added diversity to the offering.

King of the market was the swordfish. A big fish. Some of them longer than my arm span. Its head with sword were on display quite frequently, almost like a show-off: who has the biggest. But it is also a great signage when your eyes are wandering around.

It was mostly sold as slices looking like round steaks, just that the meat was not as red, rather whitish with red tones. The muscles formed often a four leaved clover around the fish’s spine, and each “leaf” with several rings reminding of growth rings from trees.

Other fish were eel like (they looked a bit sad), some had the sizes of sardines, others were tiger like striped or looked like gilt-head breams. But as said, I am pretty bad at recognizing fish varieties and even worse at remembering their names.

Some of the mussels made us smile: in one box, covered with water the mussels seemed to burp as the infrequent air bubbles coming up to the surface indicated.

It was not clear to me where all the fish and seafood came from. Where they captured in the Mediterranean Sea or did they come from further away? Were they captured by small scale fishermen or by large fleets?

Some of the frozen fish in boxes for sale, indicating a diversity of origins. Next time I will look at the individual labels to get a better understanding of the market.

The other side of the market

imagine an inner circle for fish and an outer ring with vegetable shops, butchers, cheese mongers and a few rather unusual stalls. This outer ring complements the fish market in a very nice way. And it is worth exploring the beautiful produce!

Being October the fruits and vegetables were still very colorful almost summer like, not so many tomatoes, but prickly pears all around.

The butchers were of the rustic kind, cutting the animal parts in front of the customers, something I do not see this that often anymore. Nose to tail was not a trend, tripe, liver, pork feet seemed to be part of the local cuisine. I really love to see the animal being used in his whole entity and not being so abstract as in the plastic wrapped Styrofoam boxes in supermarkets.

The cheese mongers made it easy on me, they vacuumed some of my purchases, especially the smoked mozzarella was still great at home.

The local street food experience was great (no burgers!) and deserves another post.

Was it worth the visit?

Open fish markets are always fascinating to me, so far the most impressive one was in Athens but I also experienced one in Marseille.

When I see all the fishes I am always asking myself: how were the fish killed, how much did they have to suffer? Are the areas where the fishes came from over-fished? I never properly researched on those questions, probably of fear that I would not accept the way these animals are treated and eaten.

It is hard not to be sucked in into the beauty of the Catania fish market.

All in all: The Catania fish market is worth a little detour, its rustic ambiance and the fascinating offering and surroundings being the reasons.

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Corona and farmers’ markets

Corona times have their impact on farmers’ markets. In my hometown Bonn (Germany), the downtown market suffered as all surrounding shops were closed. When was that? March, April? Corona took away my sense for date and time.

The markets in the suburbs boomed as home office meant also cooking at home instead of eating in the canteen at work. And supermarkets did not always provide the “proper” environment in these times.

Besides those general trends here in Bonn, there was also one person who stranded in Bonn during Corona times and built his own business at the market.

This is the story about Baptiste, a French student who visited his German girlfriend and because he could not travel back anymore decided to start again baking bread on a wood fire oven and sell it on 2 markets in Bonn.

He got into contact with a local pizza backer “Pizza Prinzip” , who caters with his wood fire oven pizza for several markets, and off he went.

So let’s listen to his story and craft.

How did it all happen?

Askan: Baptiste, who are you, where do you come from and what are you doing in general?

Baptiste: I am Baptiste Hagège, French from the Southeast of France, more precise the Drôme region. I am into sports, rehabilitation and physiotherapy and another passion: bread and pastries. I am doing the latter one since being a little kid.

Since you were a kid?

Yes indeed, since I was 13, I was selling cakes and pastries in a bakery.

Great. And how did it happen that you came here to Bonn?

My girlfriend Nadine is living here in the city of Bonn and I was suppose to visit her for a weekend. But with Corona suddenly air travel stopped, everything was shut down. So I decided to stay with her during the times of Corona.

That sounds quite romantic. I hope she liked it as well.

Yes, very much.

Now you are working at the market in Oberkassel (neighborhood in Bonn) with a wood fire oven from Pizza Prinzip. How did that cooperation happen? You probably haven’t heard from Pizza Prinzip already in France.

I discovered the farmers’ market at the Frankenbad in Bonn and I asked myself, hey why not start selling bread here. The major things for selling bread are, first making bread, having flour and an oven. For the flour I discovered the nearby Broicher Mühle and afterwards I started looking for a wood fire oven. I approached several bakers in vain and then I contacted Zoe who is running the Frankenbad market, who told me to call Boris (owner of Pizza Prinzip). We started a trial with one of his ovens and it worked out. So he told me: just do it!

So we started the first Friday market here in Oberkassel, it worked really well, people were coming back the next time, they really liked the bread, which is the most important part (laughing).

Baking bread in a wood fire oven

But tell me, what is so special with a wood fire oven? At home I am baking bread as well, but only in a normal electric oven.

What’s so special about the wood fire oven is that you have to preheat the stones inside first, then you put the bread in the oven and do not heat it anymore, the stones give back the heat. Therefore one has to master the heating of the oven, meaning having the right wood and fire to heat up the stone to the right temperature.

What does it do to the bread when you bake it in a wood fire vs. an electric oven like at home?

Well it first adds taste to it. A more distinct taste to the bread crust and a particular color, a little darker. The bread will also not be uniform, there will be for example some darker spots due to some ashes or so which gives authenticity to the bread.

Is it harder to handle such an oven?

Yes it is more difficult than pressing a button of a regular oven. Each one is different. And it is after two months that I start to understand how the oven works. Before that it is only tests. So it is a long process. Of course the type of wood is important which will add taste to the bread and heat up differently.

A different style of breads

When I look at your breads, your Pain au Chocolat, I wouldn’t know which type of style they are. The baguette is not the one I usually see in France, neither will I find your other breads in a German bakery. How would you describe it?

Well, I would say it is a bread from former times and which comes back into fashion again. The breads are sourdough based which helps to keep them fresh longer and gives them a distinct taste, a certain acidity. It won”t be the classic baguette which is eaten immediately. I am using whole flour not the white one.

Which are the flours you enjoy working with?

For making bread I like working with spelt, the one you can find here and the one from France.

And what do you like so much about spelt?

The “little” spelt is one of the most ancients cereals. It is a bit yellow and has a distinct taste, slightly spicy somehow, slightly sugary , a quite particular cereal.

Spelt is different to wheat, it will not rise as much when baking. And here in Bonn is also different to the one in France.

Oh really? What does this mean?

In France we have an organization which protects the “little spelt” . Here in Germany it cross bred with wheat, looks a bit more brownish, with a strong taster, partly reminding of rye. So it is really a different flour altogether. In France spelt is strongly protected and therefore “pure pure”.

Is rye being used in France?

Yes. And here I discovered at the “Broicher Mühle” a super beautiful rye with yellow, purple, black, white colors. It is really great to work with, it has a great taste.

The experience selling at a market

Have you ever worked on a farmers’ market before, with your own oven etc.?

Not it is my first time. It is the first time that I sell bread on a market.

Where you not scared working at a market making your bread “live” in front of everybody?

Oh yes, I was scared. When I had my first breads, they were a failure. So I put them aside. Then somebody wanted to buy them and I told him: no don’t buy them they are not good. But he still wanted to buy them and he liked them. The next breads turned out better nevertheless.

You had some experience as a youngster selling bread in a bakery, is this experience here at the market very different?

Ooh, yes, yes, it is a bit different. First it is a bit more complicated as I do not speak German. Okay, I know spelt flour, rye flour or “would you like a Pain au Chocolat” in German. But beyond that the communication with the people is different.

So it is the smile which wins at the end of the day, even under a mask in Corona times?

Exactly, the smile with the people is what counts. Then the people are happy.

Is it always the same people who came to you to buy bread? Or did it always change?

I have base of loyal customers, that is really a great experience, one of the most positive things I am taking with me being at the market. You meet every week the same people, they provide me with feedback, telling me what was good and what not so good as you have to consider that I am not really a professional who has done many markets. So I get a lot of advice from the local customers, and that is really super. And what is great they still come back when there was something not so great. They try something different, it is really nice.

The difference between markets

You are working at two markets: the one here in Oberkassel, rather a suburb and the other one at the “Frankenbad” in the “old town” of Bonn at the center. Is there a difference between the 2 markets? Or are they the same?

No, they are very different. On the level of the organization and people. In the “old town” market I have to first produce my bread in the oven and the transport it to the market with a trailer on my bike. Here in Oberkassel I produce the bread on the spot itself. There is also a different ambiance, here in Oberkassel people take more time to talk with each other. À Frankenbad people have less time, but they are a very different type of people. So there the markets have different type of customers, event though the age groups are similar at my stall. But as a whole there are more young people at Frankenbad who are more interested in the initiative. In Oberkassel people prefer the more traditional side. In Oberkassel the people are interested in the fact that I am a young guy and working to get things done. Frankenbad has a more alternative ambiance also when it comes to consumer habits.

And what does it mean in terms of sales? Is it different as well?

No, not really. People come, ask what kind of bread it is, we give them advice for example what they are going to have for dinner and give them the best choice. On the pastry level people have also the same preferences. It is kind of balanced between the two markets.

I have heard that you will come back one more time and then you will leave?

Yes.

Leaving the beautiful city of Bonn,

yes

your girl friend,

yes

the chance to bake bread and sell it

yes

Which is really pity from my perspective.

Now I know: I can make it!

But tell me how would you characterize your experiences here? What are your lessons learned? For you personally.

In the meantime the cook from nearby bistro came by and wanted to buy some bread as well. And after a chit chat Baptiste commented:

You see it is nice, he gets some breads from me and he brings me his great bowls, this exchange is really a nice experience. But also the ambiance amongst the traders is great. I give bread, I get fish. That is really a particular ambiance.

So what does this experience here means for your future? Is it something you do not want to do anymore because it is so hard?

It gave me the idea that it is feasible to do it. Baking breading, finding flour, starting the business, people who come back to buy again. At the beginning we wanted to do it for ourselves and now we want to do it for the customers. So these two things blend together, that is really super. I really got the feeling that I can make it.

So it means that one of these days we will see you here again? Maybe during vacation?

Why not. I call Boris (Pizza Prinzip owner) and will ask him if I can bake some bread in one of his ovens and then we start again.

Any final words?

First, I would like to thank Boris a lot for his help, he gave me everything and trusted me. That was top. You know I just the capabilities and he gave me all the materials. And even when I had a strange idea, he said “no worries, just do it”.

And second I would like to thank all the people from Bonn who bought my bread.

Epilogue

I was really impressed how Baptiste got stranded and found a way to make a living in a foreign city without any knowledge of the local language. And how people like Boris are helping in a practical way without knowing about the outcomes. These are the stories which make farmers’ markets unique places full of life.

A little link list:

• Market in Oberkassel
• Farmers’ market at the Frankenbad
• Pizza Prinzip who helped Baptiste with the wood fire oven
• The local mill Broicher Mühle for Baptiste’s bread
• The other markets in Bonn on this blog

The post How Corona “helped” me to start a business – Interview with Baptiste at the Oberkassel Farmers’ Market appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

How long do culinary memories last?

Vacation in Douarnenez and the visit of the market hall happened half a year ago. What sticks after such a long time? What kind of memories and feelings remain?

Douarnenez is a popular coastal vacation spot in Brittany, France. Having visited it in autumn meant that only a few tourists remained and life was less busy. A time of the year I appreciate.

Visiting the market hall a couple times, I was every time surprised to see it that it was rather empty than full of stalls. What a pity. Not only for me but also as a window of the city towards its inhabitants and visitors.

There is always something one can count on at French markets or market halls: the quality of the produce is superior. This is something I envy as a German. Not that things are bad here, but France is in a different category for most produce.

Also in the Douardenez market hall any eye could easily spot the nice stuff and even better: remember it after such a long time.

Sustainable fishing

The lady fish monger with a dozen or so boxes presented with pride the catch of her husband with his boat Saint Anne 2. She spent time to explain that fishing was done in a sustainable way in the nearby waters. There is even an association of sustainable fishermen of the region who make sure that the concept of ocean to table can be reality. While her husband is fishing, she is the one selling their fish on the market with a lot of charm. Her conviction and dedication still lives in my memory and I spent some time to look up information on the boat and the association as I did not write down the information – one of my usual mistakes.

Spices and fat

Spending vacation in a holiday flat comes with some limitations on cooking. Looking for the easy stuff becomes second nature. So sausages for the pan are an obvious choice for me. Good ones lead to a world of new aromas and sensations. The sausages from the butcher were different to the Bratwurst I am used to and this was nice. The spicy Merguez becomes more and more widespread to my delight, they filled our little kitchen with some nice aromas which lasted until the next day. Even better there was some pure salted fat. As I am the only one in the family eating something like that, I had little feasts just for myself. This fat on a toasted slice of baguette was heaven.

Modern Vietnamese

Then the Vietnamese food stall. I forgot how the lady came to Douarnenez, a city which did not give the impression of being multi-cultural. But it wasn’t a simple story. So her stall was different to the more traditional ones around her. In France, I believe, it is easy to see that food traditions are very important and alive, even if the influx of North African, Vietnamese and partly Subs Saharan cuisines is making its mark, for example with Merguez or nem. So I was quite impressed how the lady found her home in this region bringing new flavors to the city, beyond the classic spring rolls being sold at any larger market in the country. We tried some sardines (very Douarnenez) with some Asian style marinade and filling. I do not remember the details, but I remember that the combination was a delight. So much about food memories and how they last.

Heroines on the wall

Douarnenez was once an epicenter of sardine fishing and processing (canning). Mainly women and girls worked in the sardine factories. The working conditions being poor, led to successful strikes of those women, the best known one in 1924. Having such strong, well organized women seems to still leave marks in the society. At least this is how I interpret the photo exhibition in the market hall with portraits of women from the strike times, resistance against the German occupation in World War II and other women in various civil institutions having shaped the local society. These photos were distributed across the whole hall, making sure that they could not be missed.

This, together with the Vietnamese stall, gave me the impression that modern times have arrived in this city.

All in all: The market hall in Douarnenez is also in post season a good place to find quality produce and a free history lesson.

A little link list:

• The website of the Douarnenez market hall
• The Martime parc d’Iroise with a video clip on the Saint Anne 2 fishing boat
• The Facebook page of the Vietnamese deli stall
• Other posts on markets in Bretagne / Brittany

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Approaching the Quimper market

I got to know the little cows breed Bretonne Pie Noir, kind of pony size, but this was not the only interesting encounter I had at the outdoor market in Quimper in Bretagne (Brittany).

Already approaching the market was pleasant, as we passed by a little barrage at the “Le Steir” river. This sight transferred me immediately into a different mood, away from modern life with all its technologies right into an old days ambiance.

Greatness

But the market is not about the past, it was about great products. Lots of vegetables and fruit, artisan cheeses, dairy, meat and sausages, some bread and pastry. All the classic basics one needs for a cuisine of love at home. The market just exuded pleasure of life, people appreciating food not only of a means to survive and going for the best what nature and farmers have to offer. This is what I like about markets and what carries me away into the greatness this planet is able to provide.

Talking to producers

It is always nice at a market when a producer has time to tell about his life, craft and products. Often they are very busy, but when the moment is right the poor person is bombarded with my questions. And most of the time the market people are happy to share stories beyond the usual ones. I guess it is the same as with most humans. The owner of La Ferme de Kerdelliou had a bit of time for me.

The gentleman is producing milk and dairy products on his own farm, which to my surprise he only started a couple years ago. It baffles me very time when I see an adult becoming a farmer. When I was young I worked in agriculture to make some money during school vacation. I like the work, but it is also a very hard one, rarely making one become rich. This is why have a deep respect for farmers, especially when they have superb products to offer.

Beforehand he was working in different jobs related to agriculture, e.g. promoting the links between urban and agricultural population, or educating kids. Then he seized the opportunity to get a farm and is now having a dozen cows of the Bretonne Pie Noir which look like the classic “black and white” milk cows but are much smaller, kind of pony size. There are only a few herds of this breed left worlwide. According to Wikipedia only 15 000. So I am happy to see that somebody is supporting to agricultural diversity, it enriches food culture and makes it more interesting.

He likes the quality of their milk which is higher in fat and protein in comparison to the ones of traditional breeds. He produces a nice variety of dairy products on in his farm house. If you look on his Facebook profile you will get a good impression. I got a glass of Quark (fresh cheese in English?), it had a very nice taste, not as bland as I am used to when getting it from a supermarket.

The only Hipster stall

I visited a few markets in France. From what I saw they never seem to adapt to a Hipster culture with their demand for new types of (processed) foods. But one guy, the one with the tiniest stall at the market (see photo gallery on top) was selling Korean foods like Kimchi with the claim “Eat Korean, live well”. He is married to a Korean which made him want to sell such home made products in the market. A nice addition to the overall choice, even though I am not sure how successful the couple is.

The weird stuff

Markets are often a place to discover some unknown foods. So was the “Tourteau fromagé” a round pastry based on fresh goat cheese. The top side is kind of burnt, thus black, reminding me somehow of a naval mine. But the inside is very soft and fluffy, a bit sweet. Quite an unusual pastry, but worth a purchase as it tastes nice. Still the look is unique.

What did I buy?

Well, the market provided many temptations. As usual the eyes are bigger than the stomach, but this time my ratio was stronger. Very tasty heritage tomatoes, went into the basket as well as other vegetables. Furthermore a beautiful cheese “Le Ramoneur” very ripe almost remembering a bit a blue cheese in taste. Sausages of course. The Tourteau fromagé went directly into the stomach, the above mentioned Quark served us for a couple days. My my stomach was very pleased.

In Quimper there is also a larger market hall, so it was about time to head this direction. But the time spent on the market was truly worth it.

All in all: The market in Quimper delivers pleasant moments, quality produce and interesting producers. A joy to be there, pure happiness. Also for the little cow breeder.

A little link list:

• The Quimper tourisme site with all the markets of the city (French)
• The Facebook page of the cow breeder – La Ferme de Kerdelliou
• The Facebook page of the Korean stall – Matin Calme (calm morning)
• My other posts on French markets

The post Little cows – Market in Quimper, Bretagne / France appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

First things first!

What do you do first when you arrive at your vacation destination? Visit the market of course! So we had to get up a bit earlier on that wonderful day to drive to Pont-l’Abbé in the Bretagne (Brittany in English) region of France to get to the market in a decent time.

The setting of the produce section of the market at the Place Gambetta is very nice as it is contoured by linden trees. The two rows of stalls were facing each other, making strolling and buying very convenient. It was off-season, still plenty of people were making their purchases on this Thursday.

When reaching a new market I am always a bit nervous and hectic. What am I going to expect? How many stalls does the market have? Will I discover something new? What is the specialty on this market? Those are all the questions coming to my mind. And then I want to take pictures without annoying people. In short: I should learn to relax a bit One day I will.

Getting the overview

First I made a quick tour getting an idea what the market is about. The one in Pont-l’Abbé is what I call a typical French market: produce focused, predominantly from the region, often from producers themselves who are willing to have a chat and tell you about their products. There is nothing hipster like to discover, not a lot of streetfood. It seems to me that the innovations themselves have been the occurrence of organic produce and payment via credit card only. In short: the market is about seasonal quality produce for the daily cuisine which is made from scratch.

The offering is a classic one: vegetables, fruit, cheese, (salted) butter, meat & sausages, a bit of bread and pastry, mushrooms, etc. Still as a tourist who cannot store a lot of things, there is something to buy and eat. Strangely enough I did not see fish despite Pont-l’Abbé being a coastal town. It seems rather to be a business of the market halls.

What were the discoveries?

We were lucky as we had a stove, fridge and dishwasher (!) in our vacation home: no significant restrictions for shopping.

I come from sausage country, especially those you just put in the pan. And I was lucky. The producer “La ferme de Kérautret” raises his own animals, get them killed in a nearby slaughterhouse before processing them into the right cuts and sausages. The reason for the animals not being killed on site are the EU laws with their standards including hygiene which makes is hard to maintain an own small slaughterhouse. I got some duck and pork sausages which were gone instantly in the evening after a long day on the road (I am not afraid of having food away from a fridge for a longer period of time). They were certainly worth the purchase, such great taste, no need to add anything, not even my beloved mustard.

And then the tomatoes from an organic stall. At home tomatoes are usually a disappointing experience for me. It does not matter where I buy them, they never seem to have a truly great taste. A friend of mine recently went to the Romanian country side and discovered how much taste they can really have. I was jealous since I am looking for years into such an experience. Here they had different colors and shapes. Yellow, green, red, round, egg shaped. In the evening I just cooked them all in one pot for a sauce and I was surprised: such a nice play of acidity and sweetness, it was truly great. Something you could truly call a tomato.

I also purchased some nice salted butter and cheese from a small organic stall. The Bretagne cake we bought from a bread and pastry stall was rather uninteresting. The honey from buckwheat or chestnut areas had real intense aroma and made its way back home.

Street food

What is “always” to be found on French markets are a certain type of take-away food stalls. Usually they have huge pans (1m in diameter perhaps) on a stove. Classic foods are paella or couscous, but also other dishes I am less familiar with. We skipped these ones, but tried some vegetarian samosas from a Vietnamese (?!) stall. Great taste, complex and very pleasant level of heat.

By the way: it is easy to heat up your food, there is a public (?) microwave not far from the produce section, in front of the market hall.

Epilogue

Was it worth to have visited the market as the first thing? For sure! We got a taste of the area and had something to eat in the evening. In one of the next posts I will report about the market hall in Pont-l’Abbé.

One little remark: I described mainly the produce section at the place Gambetta, the larger part of the market is at the place de la République in front of the market hall around the corner where the majority of the stalls are to be found, but they less produce ones.

All in all: The market in Pont-l’Abbé is a classic French market with all the goodies you need for cooking and a little bit of take away food.

A little link list:

• The market mentioned on the homepage of the city of Pont-l’Abbé
• The site of the ferme de Kérautret who had such great sausages
• My other posts on French markets

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Waking up early, very early

We got up at 3 o’clock in the morning to catch the tour bus to the world’s largest food wholesale market, the Rungis wholesale market in Paris. Thankfully everybody in the bus was quiet at this time of the day, so it was easier to gear up in a smooth way.

After a 20 minute we entered the market which is basically a city in its own, 236 hectares (583 acres or 330 soccer pitches), larger than the Principality of Monaco. It is just gigantic. One German visitor who had visited the Hamburg wholesale market considers it now in comparison just as a little playground.

And there is no way that you can walk through the whole market area, it is just too big. There are also security considerations when groups are being transported around by a bus. There is just too many hectic lorries driving around.

Upon arrival we had to dress up a bit, we all got some white protective gear to wear during the whole visit. I had the impression it was less about the hygiene than rather for the guides not to loose sight of the visitors.

Francis – the basis of a great experience

The visitor groups were divided into the French and English speaking ones. The English speaking group was very small: 3 Germans and one Canadian. Lucky strike one. And Francis was our guide. Lucky strike two. He is working in the market since 10 years with a visible great passion. At least this how he guided us through the different halls. Always with a good portion of humor, full of knowledge and great envy to answer ALL the questions. Even though the tour was maybe 3 hours long, it felt much shorter.

The products

The Rungis wholesale market offers all types of fresh produce: meat including poultry, some game, fish & seafood, fruit & vegetables, dairy (mainly cheese) as well as horticultural products. Some produce categories even occupy several of the huge halls. Here a more detailed plan of Rungis as a pdf.

The Rungis customers

Rungis does not cater for supermarket chains, they have their own direct trade platforms. Its customers are independent retailers, restaurants and especially vendors reselling at the many open markets in Paris. The latter ones may even be the most important ones – something which made me happy as a market fan. Due to the high rents for shops in Paris, the prices seem to be lower at the markets.

Indeed 65% of the trade is being done in Paris, only 10% goes outside France, mainly high value products. It is estimated that Rungis feeds daily 18 million people!

The buzz

5000 trucks and 25000 vans per day plus one whole train from the South of France. Lots of merchants and supporting staff. All in a hurry. This is what is to expect in Rungis. It is a busy place where operation starts much earlier than our tour at 5am. Most of the merchandise has to roll out of the place before 6am to arrive in time for the shop openings in the different cities or to reach in time the ferry to the UK, which will not wait.

In the halls themselves most of the movements are fast, pallet jacks and forklifts are busy to put the orders into the right space. The merchants talking to buyers with their clipboards taking notes of the deals and prices.

I am surprised, despite being busy, how friendly the professionals were when one of us got into the way. But I also heard that some halls are off-limits for visitors to not disturb the operations.

Fish & seafood

We started at around 5 o’clock in the fish & seafood hall. The white Styrofoam boxes stapled on top of each other gave us the impression that we had entered Legoland, just with different content. And ultra fresh! Indeed the scallops in their shells looked better here than what I partly saw later in the shops.

“Where does the fish come from?” asked us Francis. After a couple seconds of silence he answered: “from the seaside”. We were relieved. “But also from the river side” he added.

Business was already winding down, making it easier for us to have close looks at the content of the boxes, with a large variety of different fishes, including not so common ones, e.g. shark steaks. We were wondering who would eat the latter one, especially as our Canadian companion mentioned that it is a rather tough meat.

Lots of fish comes from Norway as the 5m inhabitants “do not eat fish”. The country has a longer coastline than France and thus higher fishing quotas under the current EU rules, making it able to continuously supply in relevant quantities.

Not only fish is being traded in this hall, but also lobsters, langustas, crabs, shrimps, all kinds of mussels including oysters and scallops. Strangely enough, frog legs are also part of the seafood section but we could not see them anymore as they were already sold out to the restaurants. It is usually not a French product anymore, as the frogs are protected, they come now from other countries like Turkey.

The merchants know pretty well the types and sizes of fish which are in demand and have set up the supply chain accordingly. Tuna usually comes in sizes of up to 40kg. But if one customer wants a 100kg tuna, he will get it anyway if ordered in advance. Satisfying whatever kind of demand is a the heart of the merchants.

I liked how the boxes were labeled, besides the weight and origin of the fish, the scientific Latin name of the species was displayed giving it a very official status. I learned that Sparus pagrus is a red porgy (see also photo in the gallery). I might remember it …

Pricing

Francis put our attention to the fact that no prices were attached to any merchandise. It is all a matter of negotiation between buyer and seller. I have no idea how this works and how the two parties remember the numbers. Just consider that salmon is being offered between 15 and 50€ per kilogram.

The deal is done with a handshake, the bill comes later. Here again I do not know how this seem to work. There is not digital machine which records the deal, it is all on paper. But there are offices in the upper floors of all halls. I hope these employees can read the handwritten numbers.

Vegetables & fruit

The vegetable and fruit hall truly showed the diversity of produce in Rungis. Yes the usual staples like tomatoes, potatoes, onion, cucumbers, salads etc. dominated the space. High “towers” of full boxes gave this hall a very colorful look. Buyers and seller were busy talking with each other fixing orders. We had to watch out for all the pallet jacks putting things together.

We got a closer look into the details. Suddenly we discovered on a few spots a merchant specialized in mushrooms: boxes of ceps in April (!) from South Africa, morels from Turkey and a few other specialities.

And then a small pallet of tiny tomatoes, called tomberry carefully put into transparent boxes. A buyer specialized on high-end restaurant even looked deeper into the matter and hand picked what he considered to be the best selection out of this quality item.

Strolling along I saw produce I had never seen before: radishes of all kinds of colors, sprouts unfamiliar to me, as well as salads where I needed a few moments to recognize at all what they were supposed to be. Happily enough I saw some cassava which reminded me of the my times on the African continent. Lots of discoveries.

Francis was pointing here and there and talking: this is top quality. As a German I am used to the term quality being used from a rather engineering perspective, meaning shape, size, color etc. But Francis comforted me, he was talking about superior taste when talking about quality. It fit exactly the cliché I have about French people

Nowadays we do not seem to have seasons anymore. Francis explained it via the cantaloupe. In the old days it arrived at the market from France only, then Morocco proved to be a good place for off-season growing but it was further stretched to Senegal allowing all three countries to have their own seasonal presence in Rungis.

Asking Francis what probably is the produce with the shortest season, he had to think for a while. Surprisingly it was a potato! A certain variety (I forgot the name), hyped by restaurants for its taste, has a season of 2 weeks only. Then the hype is over, it does not seem to be possible to grow it elsewhere for an extended season.

Horticulture

Before heading to the meat section we drove to the horticultural section. The hall was not as full and busy like the other ones. Another aspect also stood out: there were women working! In the other halls I did not remember having seen more than one, very much a men’s world.

The horticultural business in Rungis is declining, I believe to remember that half of the merchants closed their shops in the last ten years as the Dutch flower traders set up more powerful platforms. They have kind of a monopoly in Europe.

The merchants world

It is mainly a men’s world. And one where hard work dominates. In peak times, before festivities when revenues are at their peak, it is not rare that the merchants work 2 days straight without sleep. The urban legend says that they have less sleep in a week than a classic employee has working hours.

Pointing out at some fancy expensive cars in the parking lot, I was told that the shop owners do not have time to spend their earnings, so cars are an easy and pleasant way of doing so.

Meat – Beef and porc

The first thing which struck me in the meat hall was its cleanliness. Unbelievable. I am certainly not able to keep my home as clean as this meat hall. The cleanliness is also comforting considering that 18 million people are getting their food via Rungis.

The second thing which surprised me was the quantity of German beef especially Simmentaler Rind being sold. It has a reputation to deliver good quality meat . This one I have to check out when back home.

The third thing was the whole beef – except head and tail – hanging on hooks. Lots of meat jumping into our eyes. “What is this?” asked Francis showing on a row of big animals. “Beef of course” was my answer. I was completely wrong and I have should have known better. The meat did not have the red color of beef but more a light pink one due to being fed mainly with milk which does not have as much iron as grass. This is usually the color of veal meat. And it was a veal, a Limousin one. But it was huge, really huge, looked like an adult animal to me. Francis showed us the label: the calf was born on October 15th 2018 and was now 6 months old. I was baffled.

Food waste

The topic of food waste came up naturally. There is just so much produce in one single spot. There is a simple answer and more interesting one.

Generally speaking there is not a lot of food waste, below 1% if I remember correctly. How is this being achieved?

First it really depends on the product itself. Potatoes or cheese can be stored for a longer period, whereas fish, strawberries, salads perish quickly. The merchants also have some experience in forecasting the demand and not ordering too much from their suppliers.

Every merchant has some kind of refrigeration to store products not being sold. And they know which quality levels the individual buyers need which helps them to steer the stock a bit better.

Last section: cheese

We approached our last hall, the cheese hall. It was probably the quietest one, due to the advanced hours. But the whole goodness of France was to be seen.

Comté, St. Marcellain, Brie de Meaux, Sein de Nounou, Banon, real Camembert, Boulette d’Avesnes and so many more names which help you to bluff your way through a party. Many of them were raw milk cheeses, truly to my delight. And all so nicely packaged. No sampling unfortunately.

And we got to see (not taste) the best cheese in the world – a goat cheese from the village where Francis originated from, big promise! A similar looking cheese from neighboring village was of course only half as good, if at all. Always when going back to his parental home he went to cheese makers next door to buy this cheese, only to discover after a few years that he could get it cheaper in Rungis.

Religions and their demand

Religious holidays mean more business for Rungis. Easter and Eid al-Fitr mean high demand for lamb, there is a Jewish holiday with high demand in living carps, and Christmas means foie gras and oysters etc.

Then the days are too short for all the working hours needed to feed Paris and the rest of the remaining world. The merchants are prepared, have negotiated with the suppliers, but then the weather changes. Easter 2019 meant good weather in Paris, a reason to leave home, go to the country side an eat there. This meant less business for the Rungis merchants. We saw some less happy faces.

Happy end, also called breakfast

It wasn’t dark anymore, the tour came to an end. But a new highlight was presented to us: breakfast. A real one! Not only the coffee we all badly needed before going to bed again in the hotel. Not only a croissant with some butter or jelly. A full charcuterie and cheese board full of delicacies from the island of Corsica. Even for somebody like me who enjoys quality AND quantity it was a great final experience. I wouldn’t say that the breakfast alone would have made me get up at 3 am, but…

Will the Internet kill the Rungis market?

Rungis seems to be confident that the Internet will not kill its business. It is not easy at all to find enough space for all the produce a city like Paris needs. Rungis has a strategic spot. All the infrastructure and processes to deliver continuously high quality in big enough quantities to the consumers via the retailers is not easy to replicate. Rungis knows how to handle perishable goods and keep hygiene to the highest level. Does this sound like a good reasoning?

All in all: Rungis wholesale market is a must-see for all who want to learn more about produce, its huge variety, origins and how it is being traded. And the breakfast is great

A little link list:

• The official website of Rungis in English
• Rungis on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
• The booking site for guided tours
• David Lebovitz wrote about the market in 2010
• The Food Republic posted as well
• And not to forget the New York Times
• Probably the best guide to the other markets in Paris from Marjorie R. Williams

The post Gigantic – Rungis Wholesale Market, Paris / France appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

Granville Island in Vancouver is supposed to be the second biggest tourist attraction in Canada after the Niagara Falls. So my expectations were not very high when planning to visit the Public Market. I was taught a different lesson.

Getting there

Granville Island is indeed a peninsula and we chose to walk from across the water along the Burrard Street Bridge, which was a mistake in the hot sun. The next time we took a water taxi a far more pleasant way to get there, faster as well.

The peninsula welcomes people with a friendly ambiance: not a lot of cars, everything colorful, yes businesses want to make money from visitors but do it in a non-obtrusive way. It is big enough to make discoveries but still small enough to manage the large cultural and market area by foot.

Being surprised

After entering the big red public market hall, I was surprised to see an ambiance which was not typical touristic. Every produce necessary for cooking at home was available: fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, not so much fish by the way. And for those who need to eat something on the spot, there are quite a few options, but the majority are still “regular” food stalls. The owners of the 50 or so stalls gave the impression that they had an interest in the high quality of their own products and making sure that it stays this way. It was a pleasure to look at all the stalls, not a single one left me behind with a feeling of being taken for a ride. The crowd was also quite mixed, no single dominant fashion statement, everybody can feel at ease.

I was deeply impressed on how a market, in such a touristic environment, is able sustain a very classic approach and not fall into the trap of making quick bucks from visitors and in consequence losing its charm. I think Pike Place Market in Seattle, the market halls in Chania and Rotterdam have not found or have lost this type of balance: staying true to itself and still being a tourist destination. The Granville market has a soul you can feel it in every single corner.

Who ever manages this market: congratulations!

Diversity

I do not know what Canadian cuisine is, but here in the public market it was about diversity in terms of products as well as in terms of people.

Most of the fruit and vegetables seemed to come from the area and where nicely arranged by colors: the greens, yellows and reds had their own spaces in the booths giving an impression that they should form a flag of an unidentified country. It was berry season, and they were piled up in their little boxes reflecting somehow the nearby mountains with their peaks. One little mixed berry box came into my shopping bag and served the breakfasts of the following days.

The meat cuts were more North American style with lots of beef and the vendor I talked to was from Australia. The stall with English style hot pies produced on site had owners of Asian origins. At the “Kaisereck”, a stall with German sausages, perogies and sandwiches, I was served by a Mexican lady while I was chatting with her Swiss colleague at a booth owned by a German in Canada. What a small planet.

Bread and pastries were plentiful with strong French and Italian influence, still I lost track of all the variety. The salted caramel apple focaccia made us very happy, even a seagull – but this story is for later.

I am a cheese lover and one stall which caught my eyes as it had lots of raw milk cheeses, mainly from France and Italy. The ones from Canada, mainly from Quebec and a few from British Columbia were a bit hidden but found also their way into my bag. They definitely had character and made me happy.

The stock & soup stall left a lasting impression on me. Huge pots, like in a little archaic factory, were simmering along to produce broths & stocks from vegetables, mushrooms, veal, beef, chicken, lamb, bison & fish and gravy as well, plus the rich soups. I saw whole cooked chicken being teared apart in front of me, probably for a soup. I do not think having seen something similar at any market before, it was just great to watch the ongoing production while eating one of their soups with corn bread. A nose to tail approach in front of customers. Yes, they had also good vegetarian soups

The falcon

While we were eating the salted caramel apple focaccia outside the market hall, a seagull came flying by and stole the piece on its way to the mouth of my daughter without injuring her. Great artistic performance but a bit annoying. And indeed pigeons and seagulls are waiting to find some food. But the market found the help of a falconer. Once per week he is there with a falcon on his palm, standing around and scaring seagulls and pigeons away. They keep distance while nervously watching the falcon and at times screaming to warn other birds. This keeps the place very peaceful during lunch hours. No bird is hurt as the falcon has been fed beforehand lacking appetite. Good idea, as I do not think that one would appreciate nature so close, meaning a falcon feeding on a seagull while you enjoy a sandwich.

And if you want to know something about habitat management ask the falconer, he is unbelievably patient answering questions.

All in all: The Granville Island Public Market In Vancouver / Canada is a great market for sure, full of quality & diversity and ambiance, serving daily needs as well as the hunger of tourists. A market with a soul.

A little link list:

• The official website of Granville Island Public Market, and some market tips
• The Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts of Granville Island
• The website of stock & soup producers “The Stock Market” which impressed me so much

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