Venture into local food markets to sample diverse cultures and flavors

Prepare for sensory overload. Every country has unique sights, smells and sounds. In local markets they’re dialed up to the max. If you really want to get to know a place, start at the market.

Markets can be crowded, so when visiting with your family, always make a plan. Select a convenient meeting point in case you get separated. And be wary of pickpockets. If you have bags, hold them in front of you. Keep valuables — including phones and watches — out of sight or secure. In some cities the threats are low, but in others, tourists are specifically targeted. If in doubt, get local advice before plunging in.

The world over, markets tend to be laid out in zones. The fruit and vegetable sections offer a riot of color. Most of the produce will be familiar, but in Asia especially, you’ll likely encounter items you’ve never seen before. First timers to Southeast Asia should learn how to identify a durian, a type of fruit so stinky many hotels charge a “decontamination fee” to any guest who brings one in.

PHOTO: © IURII GOLUB | DREAMSTIME

The fish section varies from day to day depending on the latest catch, with glistening arrays of fish in all shapes and sizes displayed on ice. In some markets the traders gut the fish at their stalls … not a sight for the squeamish.

Which brings us to the meat section. In European and North American markets, this tends to be relatively tame. Not so in a Chinese “wet market.” Live animals are held in stacked cages and are often killed to order in full view of the shoppers, including animals typically considered pets, so proceed with caution, especially those families with young children.

Even in less extreme markets there is often a frankness about presentation that can prove a shock to people who only ever see meat precut and neatly packaged. Across southern Europe one commonly sees entire carcasses of pigs or sheep hanging from hooks. In Malaysia, cows’ heads are often on display at stalls selling beef.

Produce and presentation can vary considerably from region to region, and so can the setting. In Africa markets are often open-air, with trees or improvised canopies providing shade for the sellers and their wares. In West Africa you’ll sometimes find stalls piled high with bones and wild animal skins. These are tended by witchdoctors dispensing traditional, animal-based remedies.

In major cities in the developing world, markets tend to occupy large, functional sheds. At the market in Jinja, Uganda, we always chose to buy our fruit and vegetables from stalls nearest the entrance, where there was plenty of natural light. Deeper in, the gloom made it difficult to judge what we were getting.

In the developed world, market buildings can be much more impressive, often serving as a focal point of the city. In Sydney, Australia, which knows a thing or two about iconic waterfront buildings, the new Sydney Fish Market on Blackwattle Bay promises to be a world-class foodie destination when it opens in 2025. Under a soaring white roof, the market will combine fish stalls with cafés and restaurants.

© ALIAKSANDR MAZURKEVICH | DREAMSTIME.COM

Spain is especially renowned for its market buildings. My favorite is Mercat Central in Valencia, an Art Nouveau masterpiece constructed between 1914 and 1928. As with many of the best markets, it’s not just a place to buy fresh produce but also to eat it. Café stalls offer tapas (small, savory dishes, sometimes bite-sized) as well as more substantial meals.

Barcelona’s Santa Caterina Market has occupied the same site for centuries. A complete renovation in 2005 gave it an undulating, multi-colored ceramic roof. From inside, the roof ’s underlying wood-and-steel structure is breathtakingly left exposed. As in Valencia, this proves a great place to enjoy a meal made from the freshest ingredients.

By contrast, Dong Ba Market in the Vietnamese city of Hue (pronounced “Hway”) will win no architectural prizes. It’s a huge, concrete edifice divided inside into a maze of stalls and narrow walkways. You need to be especially vigilant for pickpockets here and stick together. The hassles are worth it because here Anthony Bourdain discovered what he claimed to be “the greatest soup in the world.” We’re talking about bun bo hue, which usually includes noodles, chilies, lemongrass, shrimp, pork knuckles and blood pudding. You can try it at many places in the city, but it was here in the market Bourdain filmed a segment for one of his shows. Is it possible to find the exact stall? No problem. We find a cluster of food stalls, and above one an illuminated sign reads, “Anthony Bourdain’s Hue Lady.” There’s a photo of him together with the lady who, beneath the sign, is busy cooking up the latest batch of her legendary soup.

Which brings us to another cautionary note for families. Standards of hygiene vary considerably around the world. The food in Vietnam’s markets is undoubtedly fresh, but you’re also likely to spot rats scampering between the stalls. Only eat at a market food stall if you’ve acclimatized to the local food, and ideally not before you’re about to embark on a long journey. A bad meal at a market in Thailand led to the worst long-haul flight of my life (it wasn’t much fun for my fellow passengers, either).

It pays to be cautious, but you don’t need to be paranoid. One of the great joys of a market is the chance to sample the produce. While living for three months in Türkiye, we never went hungry when out shopping. In the markets of İzmir and İstanbul, we were forever being offered samples of baklava, Turkish delight, nuts and salami.

One of the latest trends is the rise of the pop-up market. Prague’s Manifesto Market is conceived to be moveable, able to temporarily occupy disused spaces around the city. With a modular design and stalls made from shipping containers, the entire market can relocate to new sites as the city evolves. A second Manifesto Market opened in Berlin, with a third planned for Dublin.

Pop-up markets may seem like a new, innovative idea, but in fact they are as old as human civilization. The nomadic tribes of North Africa and the Middle East traveled with their markets for millennia, setting up whenever they reached a village or town. Once civilizations began to settle, markets became central to communities.

© PHOTOTHEA5 | DREAMSTIME.COM

The hustle and bustle of a market is both contemporary and timeless. In Varvakios Central Municipal Market in Athens, Greece, we walked among stalls displaying fish or cuts of meat in ice-filled, polystyrene containers. Traders wearing modern logos take orders on their cellphones and process cashless payments.

Just a few blocks away lies Agoraios Kolonos, or Market Hill, the archaeological remains of one of the city’s original markets. The markets of the world do not just immerse us in different cultures, they are a living legacy of ancient human history.