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

The post Simple but tasty – Halles de Wazemmes, Lille / France appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

Somehow, Tanger reminded me of Athens. It is called the white city due to its white Medina and buildings; it is by the sea and hilly. Indeed, some things in common.

The Marché Central de Poissons, the fish market hall with its meat section, has the same appearance of raw produce as the central market in Athens, which I blogged about. It’s just smaller and not designed with an outer ring for butchers and an inner ring for fish and seafood. The sections were just next to each other, still as clearly defined as in Athens: one section for fish, one for meat, and one for other produce like olives.

Meat section

The butcher does the cuts on site; there are apparently no ready-made pieces delivered to the market. The view brings the basics of butchering in front of the clientele. It is raw, it is uncensored, it is real. Meat here is not as abstract as in the packages one buys at the supermarket, where everything is so clean that it is hard to imagine the piece of meat you eat was once an animal that was killed.

To my surprise, I saw more beef than sheep meat. I expected the opposite, as my memories of Morocco have always focused on the great-tasting sheep meat. Well, the Marché de Poissons visit is probably not empiric enough.

One of my favorite pieces of an animal has long been the offals. I like their deep, amber taste, which always provides warmth to the body. The butchers were not short of selling them. They hung like curtains on hooks and had at times almost the same look as an abstract painting. I have to add that my passion for offals is larger than my expertise in arts.

Fish section

he focus of the Marché de Poissons is fish; for a city that is at the divide of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, it should not come as a surprise. Even though, I have to say that it was not so easy to find fish in restaurants.

I am not good at distinguishing the different fishes, so I cannot tell what I saw. Certainly, they did not look like freshwater fishes. Some of them had rather frightening appearances, some looked almost funny in their posing appearances, and others were quite colorful.

Shrimps were one thing I expected to see, and they were there in noticeable quantities. Other shellfish were not to be seen, such as lobsters or similar types. I saw fish eggs at more than one stall, but I never noticed that they are used in Moroccan cuisine. I have to dig deeper into this.

What else?

As it was a rather short visit to the market hall, I do not remember everything else sold at the Marché Central de Poissons. But the olives looked really nice! The spices were presented beautifully, as I remembered from my visit to Marrakesh some years ago.

All in all

The Marché Central de Poissons in Tanger is a great way to discover fish and meat as part of Moroccan cuisine. Vendors are gentle; no one refused a picture of the produce to be taken. It is worth a visit while in Tanger.

A little link list

• The Marché de Poissons on Facebook
• The post on the market hall in Athens which has something in common with this market hall
• My other posts on Moroccan markets

The post Fish & meat – Marché Central de Poissons, Tanger / Morocco appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

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

The post White & bright – Hakaniemen Market Hall, Helsinki / Finland appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

Toronto, I like you

Winters must be cold in Toronto. This is the impression I got from the St. Lawrence market hall in the heart of Toronto, Canada.

Lots of hearty products which fill you instantly with joy and energy to overcome any harsh weather conditions. It was warm at the time of the visit but the resistance to stuff my belly was rather weak.

The St. Lawrence market hall is conveniently located in downtown in this rather pedestrian friendly North American city. It is an old spacious building with two floors where sales happen and a partly covered outdoor seating place for consumption of the foods served inside.

But the market hall does not only serve meals, it has a wide range of produce available to cater for home cooking. Toronto is a multicultural city par excellence. Nevertheless the majority of the offerings seemed to target consumers with a rather European background, thus reflecting the neighborhood.

Diving into the St. Lawrence Market Hall

The peameal bacon sandwich is the thing to try in Toronto according to several guides. It is all about a juicy peace of bacon supposed to be rolled in ground peas. I could see that it was rolled in something but I could not taste any pea. It was rather disappointing when measuring it against the hype. Still a decent sandwich though.

That experience made me skeptical about the market hall offering, which in hindsight was not fair.

Comparing with US markets

As I have been a several times in the USA, I always compared my experience there with the one in the St. Lawrence market hall. There are a few commonalities and a few differences.

Meat

The meat selection is very broad in quantity and in terms of cuts. Emphasis is on beef but I found more game meat than in the US. The game was focused on deer and wild boar, I was hoping for more “exotic” meats. Maybe this is not the area for that.

I love the displays here, they are so generous as if space is unlimited for the merchants. you have to truly walk along a single stall to get an idea of the offering, just glimpsing form one point will not help. This is probably what meat eaters consider as paradise on earth.

Considering this large offering, one must assume that people are still cooking a lot. The meat merchants all had their little ready made food stand, like ribs, wings etc. but that looked rather tiny in comparison, indicating only a small portion of the clientele not wanting to cook.

Nevertheless a merchant complained that things had change over time, that they sold more in the “old days”, and that people were not cooking as much anymore. That would mean that all the meat would be left unsold in the stall. Of course this is not the case. I am aware that in the “Western world” I am living in, home cooking is on a decline, and I see streetfood becoming more popular. Still the stall displays showed a still persistent need for produce.

Fish

Toronto is situated at lake Ontario, not exactly seaside but seems to be full of fish and seafood lovers. Octopus, salmon, shrimps, squid, oysters, tuna, trout, halibut, swordfish, cod, lobster and much more on several stalls. I did not ask how often the fish mongers get new deliveries as they looked fresh to me. Strangely enough I did not see whole fish, only filet. That’s a pity.

Cheese

The cheese stalls surprised me the most. In the US these sections are rather small, focusing on more or less local production. Here I saw so many European imports from many countries and regions. The selection would make many cheese stores in Europe jealous.

I do not know where this is coming from, maybe because the French influence via Québec is quite strong. Or maybe the import regulations in Canada are more liberal than in the US?

Some of the cheeses were brands you may find also in European supermarkets, others were more artisan cheeses even hard to find in my home town. I had difficulties to spot artisan Canadian cheeses, being overwhelmed by the wide choices.

Vegetable & fruit

Generally speaking I saw similar choices here in Toronto in comparison to Vancouver and the US markets I have visited over the years. The share of stalls with vegetables was smaller but one could find all the seasonal products. Green asparagus, all the lettuce, topical fruit, a nice selection of potatoes etc. Of course, as convenience food is gaining traction, there were enough plastic containers with cut fruit or nuts to go.

I was impressed with a couple stalls showing a wide selection of mushrooms. They get my attention as they look good to me and I am still wondering how to best prepare them.

Being unfair to vegetables

When writing over vegetable on farmers’ markets I am lacking a bit of imagination and do not present them as something special. Which is a bit unfair. Yes colorful displays catch my attention without noticing the details too much. Probably this is due to my lack of having a deep enough understanding of their origins, quality and distinctions in aromas or taste.

When I see a tomato or a lettuce or an onion, do I have an idea if it will be a good or not? No.

I still have memories from my times as a student in Turkey when the tomatoes and other veggies really had taste. And they were not necessarily organic. The same was valid for the potatoes I ate during an internship at a Northern German farm, they were so lovely. For insiders the varieties were Linda and Granola. Linda, organically grown, has gained popularity in the meantime, whereas Granola is hard to find.

Since then I have not been overwhelmed by the commercial produce. But the homegrown carrot from my colleague I got recently truly had a great taste.

I need to kick myself into my rear to get a little more exploratory here.

What else?

Toronto is a truly multicultural city. I had been walking through Portuguese, Chinese, Indian and Pakistani influenced neighborhoods. On some other spots I saw many more different cultures without having seen their respective centers. This is somehow also reflected in the St. Lawrence market hall, I observed it mainly on the food level, not so much on the produce level.

Salsa & guacamole

I go the biggest joy out a Mexican stall where I bought homemade salsa and guacamole. Eating them at the hotel was a real feast! So much flavor, nice acidity and a little trip through so many aromas. No idea how it had been created, where all the necessary ingredients imported? I doubt it.

Ukrainian bakery

The Ukrainian bakery called “future bakery”. The family fled from Ukraine to Canada with the outbreak of second World War. The name “future bakery” expressed their wish to look forward into a new future. Still the products have their roots in the former home of the family.

More goodies

The St. Lawrence market hall is not small and therefore offers a wide array of goodies which caught briefly my eyes.

A wide choice of honeys

A surprise; truffles!

Italian Pasta: fresh and imported

Of course maple syrup

Wine as well and so many other specialties.

All in all

Is it worth to have a look at the St. Lawrence market hall? For sure. When you are hungry it is good place to find yummy street food and small items to eat on the spot.

When you want something to bring home for cooking it is a great place to find a large variety of produce often of very good quality, still in a laid back fashion. Not snobbish for sure, but it would not harm to have a better display of all the goods, currently it is rather squattered and confusing. That could elevate it to very fine place.

It would be a shame not to visit the St. Lawrence market hall when in Toronto, it gives such a good introduction of what people eat here, I assume predominantly for buyers with some European heritage.

A little link list

• The official website
• The Instagram account

Map to the St. Lawrence Market Hall

The post Hearty – St. Lawrence market hall, Toronto / Canada 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

The post Heroines on the wall – Market hall in Douarnenez, Bretagne / France appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

Preparing food sightseeing

Know your – local -blogger. This is what helped me. With just a few hours time a got some great impressions of what kind of food or produce is characterizing Zürich in Switzerland.

In my case it was Nicole Hasler the “zumfressngern” blogger. Her blog covers a lot of topics around meat, especially from a nose to tail perspective and on modern cuisine with a soul. Anybody a more perfect guide in mind?

And for a guy who is too lazy to prepare food sightseeing, it was really a blessing to know her and get some insights. Without this local knowledge, I believe I would have missed far more than half of what I was able to see and taste.

First impressions of Zürich

Zürich is a rich city. I am not used to that. Walking through the city center, I was impressed by the magnitude of luxury shops, not necessarily the usual luxury brands, rather something distinct and unique. All a bit beyond my budget but great to look at.

Zürich is a clean city. I am not sure how they make it. Are the people just behaving better than the ones in other localities? Or are there little elves which make everything non orderly disappear? Anyway, it left an impression on me.

Somehow all of this was a bit intimidating for an outsider but it gave a great sense of safety. I had no worries to walk after a few drinks at night being afraid of slipping and breaking a leg due to a banana skin on the walkway.

Starting food sightseeing

Before heading towards the real thing from the perspective of this blog, I was told to visit two food sections in department stores in downtown. Not my usual way of discovering the food “personality” of a city or village.

I have to say I was overwhelmed. The cheese section in the “Coop City St. Annahof” was pure paradise. The cheeses were in a separate room, a humidor, ensuring relatively high humidity so that the cheeses did not have to be wrapped every time. The variety of Swiss mountain cheeses was unbelievable. And the lady behind the counter incredibly helpful and humorous. She shrink-wrapped my cheese selection for home so that nobody would become jealous of my Swiss goodness while traveling. For my personal “streetfood” experience she cut some cheese cubes. They were gone fast. I thanked her by making the heart sign with my hands, she instantly asked if I was married and as I affirmed it, she mumbled “always the wrong guys are married” Well, I like those conversations which end in compliments (deserved or undeserved) …

The next stop was the food section, more precise the meat section of the Globus department store. The number of different cured hams and the meats from the best places on this planet was incredible, the same for the terrines. They did not have Swiss Magalica ham, but the alternatives were excellent as well and added to my streetfood treasures.

With these two discoveries my colleague and I had a small feast before heading for lunch in the market hall “Im Viadukt” my true destination.

Heading towards the market hall

The good thing about focusing on food and produce in a new location is that the weather seems not so important. And in November I do not expect anything else than: grey. As long it does not rain, strolling through the city is fine.

While walking for almost half an hour towards the market hall I was trying to think what I could expect. I was told to go there by my local blogger, and I knew that it would not be a mistake. This way I was at least prepared to see quality destinations, still I am always angry about myself of not doing more. There are always these questions which need some guidance beforehand: what is the characteristic food and cuisine of the region, what kind of produce are popular, in season etc. How are the markets, more producer or more trader centric? What kind of treasures should I look for. Yes, discovery is nice, but preparation is better. Next time, maybe … When I get smarter.

Market hall “Im Viadukt”

A “Viadukt” is an overpass, and in this specific case one for the railway dating from the 1890s . Underneath embedded is the market hall which opened in 2010. For more details see the history section of the homepage.

The whole market hall is modern. At first sight I got a bit worried, it immediately felt like a place that had been transformed into a concept piece of real estate, not leaving enough room for creative shop owners. The booths were predefined in some aspects like the patterns of the fronts close to the ceiling. I had the same mixed feelings when I was at the Fresh Market in Bratislava, where the booth pattern put restrictions on design opportunities and lacked personality. But after a while I saw that the individual characters of the shops with certainly good to excellent products.

Well crafted traditional products like cheese, meat, sausages and pasta were next to “cool” lemonades, craft beers and chocolates. And not to forget the “street food” offers, like pies, Asian inspired and European dishes. A few produce, potatoes being my favorite, and flowers completed the offering I saw. So how would I characterize the offering? It is not hipster despite some elements indicating it. It is not traditional despite some products coming from small producers. It is also not trendy, even when seeing the craft beer and hipster lemonades. So I guess it is for people who appreciate the value of products were classic craftsmanship cannot be replaced to create food perfection and who are at the same time open for new, “modern” food and taste discoveries.

My personal highlights

I am cheese fan and I like great sausages. I found both in the market hall. Absolute delights. The sheep cheese “Hölziges Schaf” was not a typical great Swiss mountain cheese and did not remind me of other sheep milk based cheeses. It was for more interesting in its aromas especially with its complex “acidity”. A class on its own. And thankfully it survived more than day without fridge to be savored at home .

For the “Schwein/Rind Salsiz” a porc and beef sausage which is dried and pressed, I was less worried about lack of cooling. The producer is Tanya Giovanoli who got back to the old butcher crafts to create again natural perfect meat products. Just by seeing all these sausages hanging on strings in a special fridge made me so happy. All these colors and shapes showed that they could not be produced in a factory. And the taste indicated it too.

More impressions

I could not buy from every booth, still there were a few more things which impressed me. The pasta guy who produced on site. The butcher who had such nice cuts and dry aged porc hanging to beautifully. And the the pie stall which provided our wild boar pie. It is produced by 8 ladies nearby. We shared the pie for lunch, a whole one would have been to much. Remember: we munched our ways through cheese and ham towards the market hall.

Even though the market hall is not huge there were more things to discover than to be expected at the beginning. So take more time than I had the chance to have, you will not regret it. And hunger and thirst will find relief in the restaurant.

Zürich from a food perspective

For me it is clear: Zürich stands for high quality food, especially cheese, meat and sausages. By my own definition it is a great city. With a little more money in the pocket a gourmet life in Zürich could be close to heaven.

All in all: In the market hall “Im Viadukt” in Zürich you will find great products, a lot from small Swiss producers and some nice places to eat. Worth a detour.

A little link list:

• The official website of the Markthalle im Viadukt in English
• The website of “my” local blogger
• The sausage producer Tanya Giovanoli
• The “Berg & Tal” booth were I bought the sausage
• The “Tritt Käse” booth where I bought the great cheese
• A post from lovefoodish including a short video on the market hall

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Sticking to the roots

Seattle is full of hills. For a person who prefers walking over any other means of transport but with a lack of stamina, it is challenging to take all the steps from the pier to enter Pike Place Market. Stairs and stairs passing by something which reminds department stores hoping to finally get there. And yes I am lucky, today there are not too many tourists around. It is the right time to take a few photos in an almost calm manner.

I’ve seen the fish and seafood at Pike Place some years back and was not convinced of the market as a whole. But I have to revise my view a bit. Despite all the new trends in turning market halls into food malls, this place has resisted pretty well this temptation. Other well known markets have not been able to do so, e.g. Borough market in London.

The salmon show

Pike Place Market is known for its salmon show: throwing a whole salmon across the stall from sales clerk to sales clerk. As the pound is being sold for 30$ or more, I believe the value is within the range of a nice TV set. I have been told that only a single salmon is being tossed around, as the flesh will get so bruised that it becomes unpalatable, unsalable.

This show is the real circus in this market, smartphones being lifted for taking videos. Everybody waiting to catch the moment when the salmon is in the air (I failed) flying over his mates laying on ice and being caught by blank hands a few meters further. It is one of those things: I don’t like this part of the market but I watch it as well.

The fish mongers are swift in offering anybody the chance to get the fresh or smoked salmon and other fish and seafood shipped across the US, as a whole or in big chunks. Little fortunes being deducted from the credit cards making the vendors and FedEx happy. Great service.

The traders are very generous in providing samples of such great and high value produce. I am wondering how they distinguish between potential buyers and free sample collectors. And the guys look sometimes tired answering all these questions which seem to be the same over and over again. My favorite question on customers – tourists or locals? – is being answered almost robot like: both are buying. I felt sorry for the guy handling me, and yes I did not buy any of the smoked salmon despite the good taste and his very generous sample. Thank you pal.

Beyond salmon

Salmon is at the core of the market, but there is more to discover from the sea, and it is definitely worth a look: halibut, tuna, king crabs, oysters, scallops. All the produce I cannot see in my home area, my eyes are wide open. There is a strong longing for such treasures to end up in my mouth, but pricing and a lack of cooking possibilities stop the desire.

What I overlooked the last time I visited Pike Place Market were the “normal” stalls. At least I recognized that the pasta stall was still there as I remember it 8 years ago. For the daily needs fresh vegetables and fruit were abundant, organic, local or not. Colorful enough and well presented to be tempted. A tasty diet should be the easiest thing possible in Seattle.

Strangely enough I did not see any dairy or butcher. Probably my memories are fading.

Flowers. I saw already lots of flowers at the market next to the Amazon HQ further away. And here again. Seattle people seem to be in love with flower bouquets, something I have not seen at any markets elsewhere. I have no explanation for that. Makes the market even more colorful on grey days.

The crowds

Saturday was hell. That sunny day was full of people, mainly tourists like me. It was not pleasant anymore. Strolling along while being interested in the produce became difficult. My senses were more occupied by not stepping on someone than with the offering and the dealers. Pleasantly enough there was no aggressiveness, something a bit surprising. Nevertheless, Saturday would be off my list the next time, there are other markets in Seattle worthwhile visiting.

Epilogue

In my first post on Pike Place Market, I was quite negative on the market. I still believe it is overrated. I made my peace with the place when I started looking beyond the salmon show and noticed that it is still a good produce market as well. It has also withstood the temptations of becoming another food mall with more or less fancy street food. For this one alone the market deserves my respect.

All in all: Pike Place Market in Seattle is great for discovering the diversity of fish and seafood. As long as the crowds are not there. Then you can enjoy also the other offering.

A little link list:

• The Homepage of Pike Place Market
• Amy Stanton gives a nice introduction to Pike Place Market with some nice photos
• Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
• My earlier post on the market

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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

The post Well balanced – Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver / Canada appeared first on Food & Farmers' Markets.

A colleague’s foresight

“Let’s have a coffee at the market hall” my colleague Peter said. The coffee in the hotel wasn’t bad, but he is a market enthusiast and had the foresight to find the market hall some time ahead and squeeze it into our busy business schedule.

So we walked a few minutes through the city of Kecskemét, passing by beautiful buildings of the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city is located roughly one hour southeast of Budapest and was in the past, and probably still is a hub for agricultural trade. In recent times car manufacturing created many jobs.

The sky was announcing a hot day, and the shade of a market hall was welcomed.

First glimpse

The first sight of the market hall did not look promising, the structure reminded rather of the back side of a supermarket than something welcoming. Inside we first crossed a couple of coffee shops with people just getting ready for the day with a cup of caffeine.

The market hall is one which needs a second look to discover all the goodness. Many tables in the middle of the hall were empty and we later discovered that the action was outside on that day. But some great goodness was waiting for us.

The couple cheese stalls had true artisan cheeses, from fresh ones to slightly older ones. The fresh one was just a big white, depending on the customer the right size was just cut off with a big spoon. Despite the language barriers Peter was not shy at all to ask for some samples and I benefited greatly from it. The different cheeses were all rather mild but with a clear character, a wonderful discovery. Buy some for a snack if you come across them.

The butchers got Peters attention: “look at it: they have real big chicken, not as small as we have at home”. Indeed the whole meat section was wonderful with a slightly archaic touch – just the way I love it. Dried and smoked skins of pig heads, offals of all kinds and large cow rumen. Of course regular meat cuts and Hungarian salami were available as well. A well spiced one of the latter found space in our luggage, and I believe no smell bothered any other travel companions.

And yes there were pickles. I first saw the Hungarian version in the Budapest market hall. There was a tendency that those pickles in the jars were assorted in a neat way, and some seeds used to mark smileys on larger chunks of vegetables. I thought those were done for tourists only, but here in Kecskemét it was the normal way of doing it. Great marketing approach, makes not only kids look for them.

Outside

Before getting our coffee we went outside, as it was the day of the extended market. Under a larger covered structure we saw the bounty of summer time: it was full of ripe, juicy fruit and vegetables. Nothing looked evenly shaped as in the supermarkets, nothing was wrapped in plastic. All the produce looked like coming from real farms of the area. It had a touch of paradise: Watermelon in red and yellow, big juicy peaches, beautiful plums, peppers, fresh corn, cucumbers and more. It was just beautiful.

And it was busy. It looked like people wanted to make sure that they got the real, fresh stuff before going to work or back to their homes as in the case of the older people who were in the majority.

We bought some fruit to eat during the day and got some water melon samples. English skills were not abundant at the market but this was not a true barrier. At times German helped.

Finally, our coffee

Just before heading back, we finally got to get our coffee. A simple stall with a high table in front to sit down a bit. The specialty of this popular shop was espresso in a glass with very sweet whipped cream on top. Double shot here meant double portion of whipped cream, not coffee. It went down very well, and we headed out of the market to get our business day starting.

All in all: When in Kecskemét visit the market hall and have a coffee while watching the locals getting fresh produce for their home, don’t hesitate to try the goodness available.

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New in town

January 5th, 2018. The opening of a new market hall in Cologne, Germany. Renate & Ulrich Engels a couple living since a long time in the neighborhood took on the challenge to create something new in the area: “Markthalle Belgisches Viertel“. Several years of struggling to get all the permits and the renovation of an existing structure, finding the right people, “just” to make a dream come true. The couple does not belong to the classic start up generation from an age perspective and therefore I am stunned by their willingness to take on this risk. They transformed their passion for the markets in France and elsewhere into something beautiful.

The market hall caters rather for the neighborhood (“Veedel” as it is called in Cologne) then the “whole” city. It is a place for food, produce and meeting neighbors, producers and other people, not huge but big enough.

It is difficult to compare it with other market halls. Most of the other ones like the one in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Budapest, Athens or Cork are well established, partly with generations of traders. The Rotterdam one has an incredible architecture, but still has to find its true character beyond being an attraction. The Markthalle 9 in Berlin is probably the one which comes closest, but the Markthalle Belgisches Viertel is more embedded in the surrounding culture and way of living.

Creating individuality

What surprised me when I entered the building: I felt immediately comfortable. Everything is nicely put together and makes you feel that the market had been around for a while and got its “patina“, the sign of real life. There is lots of room for individualism, each stall – and there are only 10 – is different, nothing is standardized. The baker lady has chosen a pale yellow, a painful decision for some people. The butcher shop opposite is very modern: lots of glass for transparency, no hiding of the crafted meat. The chairs and tables on the lower floor are all different, the tables as well. The bar of the restaurant has been decorated by a local graffiti artist – he has now free espresso until …

Challenges

Giving every trader his freedom to design his/her shop as desired, needed to be balanced with requirements of the other ones, not an easy task for the couple. And indeed the challenges were not only on the bureaucratic side – German construction laws have a reputation of their own – or dealing with craftsmen in times of construction boom. Finding the right shop owners was the toughest part according to Mr. Engels. As the concept is based on true individuals or characters who know their products, franchises were not aimed for. And not every entrepreneur has the capacity to serve the market six days a week for 10 hours daily. And indeed the guy who was suppose to take over the restaurant canceled it shortly before the opening. But improvisation turned out well: for the first days some pop restaurant folks from Cologne took over and served great street food (to my delight: no burgers, they have turned from my perspective to a plague in Germany).

Chatting with the traders

Mrs. & Mr.  Engels truly chose individuals with a passion for their products. It was fun chatting with each of them, they were so eager to explain their offering, providing samples and giving advice on how to use them. Each producer had its own style.

The baker lady with her down to earth shop explained in details her breads based on a 47 year old sourdough – mine being only a couple months old, I felt sort of young again. Coming from an area where I believe some of the best bread is being made, I was pleased with her rye bread.

I was happy to meet the wine maker who remembered me from another event. He was the one who told me about this market hall and is therefore responsible for this post. Unfortunately I was not in the mood to drink some wine. But he was also offering some fermented veggies from Mrs. Avci. She explained the process of fermentation as I wanted to understand a bit the hype around it as I observe it in some foodie segments outside Germany. We are used to sauerkraut but not much more. Try it and also her small batch Kombucha which she produces with a partner.

Mrs. Collin who runs the French cheese shop (nice selection) told me how she got into the business. She met her French husband at a university in France, but as she was the first to find a job, they moved to Germany and soon her husband, a former shepherd started the cheese business. She will continue running the market hall shop, whereas he is handling the one at the Carlsplatz market in Düsseldorf. Not an easy life. And I have to thank her eternally for connecting me to Mr. Engels. I learned a lot from him about running such a place.

The young hunter & butcher Lappen & Prengel was hyper this day. He was walking around in the hall looking at the people, serving and telling everybody about his meat and sausages with endless energy. He takes a lot of pride in the animals he hunts or sources and the transparency in the butchering process he tries to achieve. Visitors of the market hall can even the see the meat stored on hooks behind a glass window, the sausages are made in front of everybody – great approach to promote crafted meat. I bought for the first time some kidneys. I was surprised to see how many people suddenly became interested in it and one lady from Bavaria shared her recipe with me – gorgeous result. As the young owner butchers only a few animals per week you have to hurry to get them.

Lucy Barré who owns with her husband a French pastry shop did not have a fixed stall so far, which I hope will change soon. Despite being close to delivery she chose to be at the opening of the market hall. I am very grateful for that as she was selling true Galette des Rois (King cake). It is a puff pastry filled with an almond paste and somewhere hidden is a tiny porcelain figurine. The person who discovers it in his piece of the cake becomes the king of the day and gets a golden paper crown. I bought one as my childhood memories popped up, unfortunately I did not become the king when we ate it. Anyway, Mrs. Barré might be a mother by now, I wish her and her child all the best.

Food place

No market hall nowadays without a food place. The folks from Dreigang (three course in German) who were only here as a stand in, usually work as a supper club. They loved the open kitchen as they prefer to work in direct contact with the customers. I took advantage of it. My detailed questions about the business were appreciated (or tolerated?) and I learned not only how to produce rosemary syrup but also about the advantages of such a business being different to running a restaurant.

Learning curve

With all the discussions I had, especially with Mr. Engels, I gained a lot of respect on what it means to set up and run the market, the individual shops. And what it means to orchestrate the unbelievable magnitude of details to make it a success for the customers, the traders and the owners. It is a steep learning curve for everybody. I am very curious on how the market hall will develop, which traders will sustain the long working hours and how this place will develop to the place to meet your neighbors. There is enough space, even for events to bring people together.

All in all: Go for the Markthalle Belgisches Viertel in Cologne, it is a place where you will feel comfortable, get to know the neighborhood and eat & buy get great products as well.

A little link list (mostly in German):

• The official website
• The market hall on Facebook
• The hunter & butcher Lappen & Prengel
• The French pastry shop
• The bakery
• The hip guys from the IMI winery
• The fermented vegetables producer
• French cheese shop
• The pop-up restaurant folks
• A short report on TV (min 4:00)
• My other posts on markets in Cologne

Most producers have also a Facebook presence.

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