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Life's too short to eat Supermarket tomatoes

I hate supermarkets. It’s partly the unflattering lighting, partly the chill, but mostly because supermarkets reduce the experience of food into plain old eating, when I like to think of myself as imbibing. You can’t smell a box or a vacuum sealed packet and even the things that you can touch and smell, like the fruit and veg. are scented with eau de disinfectant, and wearing what I think of as fruit Max Factor. So the resurgence in popularity of Grandmother-markets and slow food makes my mouth water. There’s nothing nicer than buying something from the person who grew or reared it, possibly with the one exception of growing it yourself, but that’s one element of slow food I can’t make time for.

Everyone acted surprised when the food they brought from Borough Market under the tutelage of Jamie Oliver actually tasted better than what you get from the supermarket – surely a tomato is just a tomato, naysayers proclaimed, this is just a way to get us to pay more for the same thing – and there’s dirt on it!, but once I shoved the offending plum tomato into gaping mouths and the juice trickled down their chin they were silent and happy to help carry the bags.

Some countries have been spared the terrible supermarket infliction which has been borne hardest by the post war generation, for whom it was the fashion for the modern and speedy that sent them scurrying into the malls. In these countries the markets are much more than the stomping ground of the all organic pioneers developing a taste for flavour like they did for wine. These whirling arenas of colour, smell and sound are like the nervous centre of a place, where tastes are discovered and connections are made. At the floating market in Thailand I was jostled around in my skinny boat in the same way competitors have been jostling for the best produce for the best price since these canals were built, and in Cairo I was almost sick on spices just from being encouraged to try a selection, and having the finer nuances of spice flavour explained to my poor foolish, drooling ears. Morocco and India are both famous for their market cultures of bartering and battering and so much extra colour is breathed into a place when you’ve been in a haggling matching with one of the locals. When it comes to bartering it goes further than flavour and into being a proper full blown experience of a different culture.

If the idea of the historic experience doesn’t inspire then the promise of the flavours will. The tuna that I tasted at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Markets has almost spoiled me for life, it melted in my mouth in two easy bites, and I could taste it as high in my throat as the back of my nose. While the barbequed baby octopus and platter of oysters I had at the Sydney Fish Market were dressed with nothing more than a bit of lemon but were far more delicious than what you could expect from the most Michelin starred restaurants when consumed in the harbourside sun. All because it’s a fresh as you can get it without going diving with your mouth open.

La Boqueria and the Marche Provencal have co-existed with the supermarkets, Spanish, Italians and French have a different relationship to food than the British, and there you can experience the difference hundreds of years of super specialised food knowledge can have on the flavour of something. Everything we grow has been genetically modified for taste over hundreds of years as producers have poured their passion into creating the most delicious, coveted edition, which will be irresistible in the market, so why not accept it and dig in! The argument is always cost over flavour, but you literally only live once and I for one am too old already to eat supermarket tomatoes.

More Flavourful Markets » Shopping tips:

	Marché Provençal Markets in Nice, France The market in the old town of Antibes is a provencial delight (excuse the pun). The stalls are stacked with goodies from the south of France; honey, olives, lavender, wine, preserves, mustard and brightly coloured spices. The proximity of the location to the Italian border also means there are a wide range of Italian cheeses alongside the seafood straight from the Mediterranean and meat from local farms. But above all else it is olive oil (and all the products that go with it) that pumps through the veins of this centuries-old market. The inside of the building is lined with bars and cafés where regulars ceremoniously sip the speciality aperitifs of the south such as Pastis and Anis. For the more daring, there is an absinthe bar in the basement of one of the olive oil shops, where the owners would be happy to let you try their assortments of the alcohol which has only recently been re-legalised in France. For a less recreational and more educational visit seek out the roman well in the basement of one of the honey shops, which would of course be a greater challenge if you decided to sample the absinthe first. Review by Alessia Horwich Photo by flickr user shimown
	Borough Market Markets in London, United Kingdom I wish I was one of those women who shopped glamorously. Whose attention to detail spanned even the apples she chooses and the width of the cut of her Italian cured meats. Women like that carry old fashioned shopping bags that usually have a baguette sticking out of them and go shopping for food dressed in an ‘outfit’ – she’s put herself together even to do the groceries! And will finish her shopping expedition with the purchase of a bunch of flowers. Those kinds of women find their sustenance at the Borough Markets. As do people who like to eat organic or locally grown produce, foodies and wanna be foodies, and people looking to prepare a special dinner party menu – I don’t know many places in London where you can buy hand stuffed wild boar sausages or so many different varieties of cheese or olive oil and the bakery stalls are WAY above par. I’m not a big meat eater but I’ve been with people who’ve managed to ingest ostrich, deer and pheasant in the same meal – that’s quite a feat. In my own way I contributed to the record breaking feast by eating a brownie, a blondie (white chocolate brownie), a cheesecake brownie and a raspberry and dark chocolate brownie. If I could have handled the sugar over dose I could have got stuck into another couple of varieties. If I was planning a perfect dinner party I would definitely come here for ingredients; from cherry and plum tomatoes that taste like they’ve been in the ground – and there is a difference trust me – to the balsamic you’ll want to squoosh them up with, the fresh fish and shellfish, meats sold to you by the men who raised it, cheese made by French nuns, the breads and wines you’ll want to serve it with and the Monmouth coffee and handmade chocolates you should be serving at the end of the meal. You can even buy locally made ales or sparkling wines if that’s your tipple of choice. One of the best things about shopping at Borough is that you get to taste and natter. In a lot of cases it’s the producers who’re standing behind the counter, so looking mildly interested is enough to encourage them to offer you a taste and give you a run down about how it’s done and why it’s the best. And personally I enjoy that – it makes me feel like those glamorous shopping ladies. And complimentary tasters are always welcome. Before you choose your flowers from the two flower stands by the pub. Review by Kat Mackintosh Photo by flickr user fabbio
	Tsukiji Fish Markets Markets in Tokyo, Japan Tokyo's fish markets now feature in a lot of travel guides but their fame hasn't changed them. The workers still ride around on crazy little trucks made from sitting a drum engine on top of an open wheeled platform – you drive standing up, exposed to the elements but these are wellie clad fishermen not city suits – driving and smoking where they like and crowding each other out with their activity – much of it while handling really really large knives...saws or swords almost. There is no way people would be able to just wander into a place like this in a European or North American country. The insurance would be a nightmare – the floor is covered in water and ice and there are small mad truck/trolley drivers and men with big knives everywhere. But that's what makes it so memorable. I saw a tuna which was longer than I am tall – I'm not the shortest person either – its head was about the size of a lions (mane included). I then saw it getting cut up into sections – it took three men to cut into it. I also saw fish turned inside out exposing their roe, octopi with their legs tied in a bundle, squids soaking in their own ink, and more kinds of dead or dying marine life than I could name. After the big auctions first thing in the morning the purchased fish is sold and or prepared in the a hanger sectioned off into stalls which all have loft bits where I imagine they keep the knives and freezers, but it's all pretty basic – polystyrene crates, ice, fish, wooden chopping blocks, tanks of water, buckets, hoses and did I mention the knives...? The worst thing is feeling in the way – these guys are working, not here to entertain, despite their surprisingly quite accommodating friendliness. The second worst thing is being torn between drooling for sushi and being slightly repelled by the still flapping tails or snapping claws... Getting in is slightly confusing – there isn't really a visitor's entrance and you have to go in the way the workers do and keep your eyes peeled for trucks and their extended vehicular families. On the main road there are noodle bars and stands selling fresh, cooked fish of all kinds, but with just a bar and four chairs they're not really the restaurants the guide books promise, those are around the other side and in the narrow lanes beside the main undercover market where as well as seafood you can buy crockery, dried foods, pickled foods and other unrecognisable things suction packed in plastic, fruit and veg and anything else you might need if you were planning a dinner party or opening a restaurant. If you're in the market to buy something for your tea, get some advice from one of the less hurried (possibly older?) looking market men (not one driving on of the mini trucks), and see what they recommend that day, the people were surprisingly friendly considering I wasn't even a proper shopper, I was taking photos and possibly in the way (though I was trying not to be.). No where else like it – a perfect place to discover the marketplace atmosphere of Japan and the culinary traditions all in one go. Definitely go...promise me you will. You won't regret it. Even though it's a early start to get there before 8. Review by Kat Mackintosh Photo by Kat Mackintosh
	La Boqueria Markets in Barcelona, Spain La Boqueria on Barcelona’s ‘La Rambla’ claims to be the largest market of its kind in Europe. Whether this is true or not, the market is definitely worth visiting, not only to see some of the local produce that is available for restaurateurs but to see a slice of everyday life for Barcelona’s locals. The market has a huge seafood selection from Tuesday to Saturday (the fishermen do not fish on Sundays so Mondays are always sparse on the fish front), offering tuna, baby cuttlefish and even more exotic varieties alongside everything you would traditionally expect to see. The fruit stalls are piled high with bright coloured and often oddly shaped vegetables and fruits which although failing to conform to British supermarket standard categories, taste amazing and their fresh smell spreads through the whole building. The vendors are friendly and although prefer to serve you themselves, will allow you to point out what specific produce you would like; be ready to bargain with them to get the best prices. More exotic produce such as snails, dried insects and all varieties of dried mushrooms can also be bought in the market alongside basic picnic ingredients that you can pick up on the way to the beach. To stay and soak up the atmosphere, you can get lunch at one of the little tapas restaurants around to try catalan dishes cooked with produce directly from the market itself. Review by Alessia Horwich Photo by flickr user jeroen_bennink
	Khan-el-Khalili Market Markets in Cairo, Egypt Khan el-Khalli is a fourteenth century Souq made up of 900 stalls connected by tight alleyways where it is easy to get lost. The bazaar sells perfumes, jewellery, clothes, souvenirs and antiques and also has an entire section devoted to spices which perfume the air throughout the whole structure. Since tourism in Egypt has become less popular in recent years prices have gone down, and so you can find some great bargains. Learning how to count in Arabic will help you procure what you want for the price you are willing to pay and to exude a level of extreme savvy and cool compared to your fellow tourists remember to refer to the market as simply ‘the Kahn’ as the locals do. To escape crazed bargain hunters and really taste market life settle down to watch the market go by in one of the many restaurants where you can try babbaganoush with baladi bread, beef shwarma, falafel and many more local dishes with a nice cup of star anis tea. Food on the run can be grabbed mid-shop from the many small cooked meat vendors or fruit stalls. Review by Alessia Horwich Photo by flickr user Kris*M
	Damnoensaduak Floating Market Markets in Ratchaburi, Thailand Local markets are usually busy, bustling places of unfamiliar noises and smells, but this market is even more challenging being conducted on boats laden with produce instead of stalls and frequented by people in boats. To make things even more difficult the edges of the canal are crowded with houses from one end to another. Every morning hundreds of people take to their motley assortment of river crafts and buy, sell or exchange their goods, mostly fruit and vegetables. The market starts early and gets crowded by tourist groups after 9 o’clock so it’s best to visit before 8 if you need to hire a boat, which is really the only way to experience the market properly - if you’re looking for the traditional Vietnam of pointed hated farmers this is a good place to find it. The region is known for it’s malacca grapes, mangoes, bananas, coconuts and Chinese grapefruits. The Damnoen Saduak canal was actually man made, built as a transport route in around 1866. Most people here are farmers making use of the canal for irrigation as well as commerce and transport. Some farmers have dug smaller channels off the main canal for easy access, there are more than 200 canals of all sizes now running off like blood vessels and veins. Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user Carrie_Brown
	Chandni Chowk Markets in Delhi, India This noisy, crowded street market is identified as being quite traditional, with saris, jewellery, Indian food (especially sweets, treats and delicacies) and spices the main attractions. It also has the books, clothes, shoes and electrical goods that come with the territory of major city markets. The cacophony of music and shouting coupled with all the action and the people means this can be an overwhelming experience, but this has been a centre of trade since around 1650AD so its worth venturing into for the history as well as the shopping. Chandi Chowk sits between Delhi’s Red Fort, the Jama Masjid Grand Mosque and rows of smaller temples. Review by World Reviewer Staff Photo by flickr user [Satbir]