Now that we're not working full-time anymore, Bordeaux and I have been able to more fully explore our neighborhood. One of the best spots nearby is the local wet market, where we've started going to do most of our shopping. Shopping at the grocery store was often a vaguely frustrating experience, as even groceries in Bangkok seemed not to stock the things we needed to cook Southeast Asian food. But at the market, we never have problems finding turmeric root, sawtooth coriander or lotus stems, as there are mountains of fresh local vegetables and herbs.
But perhaps the best thing about the market is the fruit. Tempted by the piles of colorful, cheap fruit, we often have the problem of wanting to bring home too much. We returned from the market yesterday with a papaya, two chunks of durian, a dragonfruit, a bushel of lychees, some egg bananas, and a huge bag of furry rambutans (below), which are currently in season- and only 15 baht (50 cents) a kilo.
Now that we're not working full-time anymore, Bordeaux and I have been able to more fully explore our neighborhood. One of the best spots nearby is the local wet market, where we've started going to do most of our shopping. Shopping at the grocery store was often a vaguely frustrating experience, as even groceries in Bangkok seemed not to stock the things we needed to cook Southeast Asian food. But at the market, we never have problems finding turmeric root, sawtooth coriander or lotus stems, as there are mountains of fresh local vegetables and herbs.
But perhaps the best thing about the market is the fruit. Tempted by the piles of colorful, cheap fruit, we often have the problem of wanting to bring home too much. We returned from the market yesterday with a papaya, two chunks of durian, a dragonfruit, a bushel of lychees, some egg bananas, and a huge bag of furry rambutans (below), which are currently in season- and only 15 baht (50 cents) a kilo.
6 comments:
This is precisely what I loved about living in Thailand. Oh, and the snacks.
I love the color of the rambutans. Great photograph.
Boy are they ever in season. You can't escape them at the market. My mom wanted to just try one rambutan and handed the lady 10 baht. In a funny moment, this lady kind of huffed at my mom, looked at her like she was crazy for taking one, and filled up a whole bag of rambutans... apparently they were 1 kilo for 10baht. We ended up with 30 rambutans! With 2 days left in our trip!
At least they were yummy :-)
Thank you so much for commenting on my blog. Not just because I love new readers, but because it led me to your blog, which is fantastic! You are an excellent writer and photographer, and this post especially made me long for Thailand. Have you been to Koh Pha Ngan? I spent some time there several years ago and absolutely loved it.
Thank you for adding me to your blogroll...I'm going to add you to mine, as well!
Markets are always a favorite. They say so much about a place. More local, the better.
Anne
These markets need support!
With the advent of 7/11 and Tops and a whole host of major superstores (Tesco Lotus, Carrefour etc) more and more Thais are opting for the comfort of airconditioned bulk shopping.
Now, there is nothing wrong with this at all, but, being mad Thai foodies, we have noticed over the years that traditional Khao Gaeng and other specialities are disaappearing rapidly as a result.
Do visit a local wet market; it's great fun sniffing around and finding the trader who has focussed on doing "one thing well" for decades ... and this will keep variety alive.
And lil bee, next time you're in Thailand, do head up to the Northeast: we'lll be happy to show you these little markets in the rural villages and get you cooking Isaan dishes - from picking the ingredients to the final dish, so we can all leave our microwave-ready packs at the store.
I really enjoy your blog: keep it up!
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