Travel
Global Village: The Perfect Food Market
Slide Nr 1Whether your aim is to eat better, support local farmers or explore a culinary culture, there is never a bad time to celebrate food markets – but what makes the perfect food market? We investigate, gathering clues from the most alluring markets around the world.
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 2BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA – What is the one essential ingredient of any truly great food market? That’s right, freshness. This is the hallmark of the renowned Jagalchi Fish Market in South Korea’s second city, Busan. Home to one of the world’s busiest ports, visitors can be sure that the produce on sale is supremely fresh. It is also famous for the so-called ‘Busan Wives’ – female market sellers who historically supported their family’s education through their stalls. Daniel Bernard’s shot captures the essence of the market.
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 3GUANAJUATO, MEXICO – Two other key factors that influence a food market’s status are size and setting. The famous Mercado Hidalgo, photographed here by Jezael Melgoza, is a case in point. The cavernous building was supposedly designed with input from Gustave Eiffel’s office, and originally meant to be a railway station. It opened in 1910 to mark 100 years since Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla implored Mexicans to rise up against their Spanish colonial rulers, and was only later converted into one of the grandest markets on the continent.
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 4HANOI, VIETNAM – For curious foodies on their travels, one of the most appealing aspects of visiting a local food market is simply to marvel at the abundance of produce on sale, with all their dazzling colours and aromas. This intrinsic magic is perfectly depicted in Australian photographer Patrick McGregor’s shot of this bustling street market in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 5MARRAKECH, MOROCCO – For some more contrary souls, the key to a perfect food market is the opportunity to explore and seek out other goods as well. The food might still be the star, but the chance to stumble upon other souvenirs and local artisan goods is equally welcome. This is the appeal of the historic Jemaa el-Fna market in the centre of Marrakech, shot here by Romanian photographer Calin Stan. You can still marvel at the local produce and down a fresh orange juice from one of the stands, but after that, you can head off in search of the other items on your wish list.
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 6KELANTAN, MALAYSIA – Whether you’re in Marrakech or Malaysia – as in this photograph from Alex Hudson of the Siti Khadijah Market in Kelantan – another exciting feature of any lively market is the opportunity to haggle. Some, author included, might be too reserved about such things or wary of causing offence, but if you’re feeling brave, then go ahead. This is an ancient game that can be every bit as amusing for the seller as it is for the buyer.
5/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 7VENICE, ITALY – One feature of the ideal food market is its inherent seasonality. This contrasts starkly with the typical supermarket experience, where goods shipped and flown in from across the globe ensure the ‘convenience’ of being able to buy whatever you need, whenever you want it. While that’s a tempting prospect at times, it makes sense in today’s climate to follow the market example of enjoying seasonal produce as much as possible – as in this shot from English amateur photographer Annie Spratt of a stall in Venice.
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 8BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA – Strolling by market stalls stocked with the best seasonal fare can leave any market-goer overwhelmed by the sheer choice – possibly the case with this shot of a food market in Bratislava, from Slovakian photographer and designer Milada Vigerova. There are just so many options, so many varieties… Our tip is to always talk to the stallholders before making a purchase. What’s coming into season right now? What produce are they most excited about? What would they recommend? Let them help you pick the perfect ripeness, too, so your selections are ready for whenever you plan to savour them.
7/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 9NIGERIA – Of course, variety isn’t always on display. There are plenty of stalls that specialise in just one or two crops, as in this picture from Nigerian documentary maker and street photographer Omotayo Tajudeen. This shouldn’t be a deterrent, though. Chances are that quantity has been replaced by quality, and if they’re betting on one crop, then it’s probably going to be good. Very good.
8/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 10BANDUNG, INDONESIA – Navigating the local food markets can be more challenging when you’re not familiar with all the produce, and even more so when you might not be familiar with the local language. In these situations, you may simply want to immerse yourself in the sights, smells and sounds of the environment – such as this market in Bandung, Indonesia, photographed by Falaq Lazuardi – and enjoy the experience purely as an observer. Or you could put those observational skills to the test and do as the locals do, picking similar varieties and amounts of the most tempting fare. Even without knowing the language, a smile and a few friendly gestures will take you a long way.
9/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 11GUATEMALA – Temptation comes in many forms… Comedian and content creator Perry Grone captured this mouth-watering shot of a stall displaying a dizzying array of sugary delights, from candy and chocolate to sweet buns, doughnuts and more. As if this wasn’t temptation enough for any kids passing by, the stall strengthens its iron grip on the imagination of younger market-goers with a judicious selection of toys.
10/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 12SANTA ROSA DE COPÁN, HONDURAS – Life in a food market might be hard work, but it’s also happy work, if this heart-warming image from Aaron Burden is any indication. Taken in Santa Rosa de Copán, the warm smile and dancing eyes of the seller hint at pride in his produce and amusement at the ebb and flow of market life – not to mention his unexpected ‘breakthrough’ as the star model for a passing photographer.
11/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 13SEATTLE, USA – If you can pull yourself away from the endless variety of produce on sale, head towards the market’s food stalls, cafés and restaurants. Being able to serve produce from the market right at source means that, whatever you order, it’s sure to be fresher than fresh. The famous Lowell’s at Pike Place Market, photographed above by Julius Vincent, claims to be ‘almost classy since 1957’ – and is a must-visit on any trip to Seattle.
12/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 14IRAN – However difficult life is at times, food is something that remains universal and unites us all. And it is the food market that brings all sections of society together in search of the right produce at the right price. It is this knowledge that gives the market sellers pride in their work and the importance of their goods. This is embodied in Rayaan Rezaie’s photo of a market stall in Mazandaran province, Iran.
13/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 15LA PAZ, BOLIVIA – The best markets offer a profound sense of place, of community, of being almost world unto themselves. For regular market-goers, the sellers become central characters in this eternal drama – some friendly and gregarious, others more reserved, but they all contribute to the overall experience. The ‘drama’ of the market is no less for the sellers, fuelling plenty of animated discussion on the day’s news, the interest of the customers and so on – as depicted in Lesly Derksen’s photograph above of a food market in La Paz, Bolivia.
14/19
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Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 16OTAVALO, ECUADOR – Sacks of spices or pots of gold? Quite possibly, both. The humble presentation shouldn’t disguise the precious commodities on sale and the artisanal skill involved in watching over the soil and harvesting your prized produce by hand. Freelance designer and art director Andrea León captures these treasures at a market in Otavalo, Ecuador, but similar delights can be found at markets the world over.
15/19
Travel
Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 17CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – Pick your produce and prepare the feast because it doesn’t get fresher than this. A stop at the central food market on a trip could be the perfect stop for an informal lunch or a chance to collect your ingredients for a local cooking class. The choice is yours. The only challenge is what to choose – as depicted in this atmospheric shot from Zach Inglis of a food market in Chiang Mai in Thailand.
16/19
Travel
Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 18UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA – A key indicator of a food market’s importance to the local community is its size. Many tend to expand as the years go by, spreading inexorably from one site or building to another and another until eventually they’ve taken over an entire city block or more. And in a few cases there is the market beyond the market with unlicensed traders trying to sell their wares in the areas around the main market. This all contributes to the buzz around the area and the hope of benefiting from the market’s magnetic pull as in the shot above from Ravi Sharma, taken in Uttar Pradesh, India.
17/19
Travel
Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 19GLOBAL – Whether visiting your local food market or exploring far-flung equivalents across the globe, they all remind us of the importance of provenance and making conscious decisions on the ingredients we buy. It was the 19th century German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach who first said “We are what we eat” and, while that truism was long ignored, today’s generation is rediscovering its wisdom. And who could argue with the value of the advice above to “Eat your organic & local greens fresh and crisp!” captured by Dan DeAlmeida.
18/19
Travel
Global Village: The Perfect Food Market.
Slide Nr 20SULMONA, ITALY – There are few pillars of human life more fundamental than a food market with sellers sharing the fruits of their labours with hungry buyers. They connect humans today with those of two or even three thousand years ago. To experience a food market is to experience living history. This image of a farmers’ market in Sulmona, Abruzzo, taken during the time of Covid by Gabriella Clare Marino, symbolises the importance and resilience of all markets. Regardless of feast or famine, war or peace, sickness or health, humans persevere – and the market remains open for business…
19/19
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