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Rediscovering Market Day in France

Saturday or Sunday (or both!) is market day in France, and as you know, the French take food seriously. Hundreds of locals browse the crowded étalages of fruits, vegetables, specialty food and other delicacies, from spicy salami and ham to crêpes and goat cheese, from fancy cakes to freshly-caught fish.

I usually don’t have much time to cook (and eat!) with Mark and even though I don’t crave French food, I was happy to buy several kinds of cheese and bread for lunch. Mark didn’t seem to mind the crowd and the shouting match between vendors: “my cheese is the best, the best!” “Can’t have fish any fresher than that!” “Taste my strawberries, local strawberries here!”

Times have changed though, you can tell by the weekly markets. First, there are more ready-to-eat meal options than before, such as roasted chicken, salads, savoury pies, etc.—people no longer cook from scratch. There are also more “world food” offered, even in a relatively small and homogenous city like Nantes: Chinese food with spring rolls and “Cantonese rice” (stir-fried rice), Indian samosas, dishes from exotic islands, etc. Mind you, none of these foods is really exotic, it is quite bland compared to the “real deal” but for the French, it is still quite new.

Finally, many of the vendors are from Spain or from Northern Africa, reflecting some new diversity. Markets are definitely a snapshot of a country!

French Market
French Market
Wine Testing
Wine Testing
Fresh Fish
Fresh Fish
Giant Sea Spiders
Giant Sea Spiders
Fruits and Veggies
Fruits and Veggies
Salmon Antipasto
Salmon Antipasto
Pasta Salad
Pasta Salad
Blue Cheese
Blue Cheese
French Cheese
French Cheese
Goat Cheese
Goat Cheese
French Market
French Market
Radishes
Radishes
Eggs
Eggs
Onions
Onions
Asparagus and Strawberries
Asparagus and Strawberries
Avocados
Avocados
Artichokes
Artichokes
Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Veggies
Veggies
Savoury Antipasto
Savoury Antipasto
Small Pastries
Small Pastries
Italian Pastries
Italian Pastries
Mark at the Market
Mark at the Market
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Zhu

French woman in English Canada.

Exploring the world with my camera since 1999, translating sentences for a living, writing stories that may or may not get attention.

Firm believer that nobody is normal... and it’s better this way.

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