World's Most Incredible Farmers' Markets
By: Lee

Union Square Greenmarket, New York, USA

The Union Square Greenmarket is a farmers' market in Union Square in Manhattan, New York. It is held every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM. Saturdays are the busiest day of the four. The market is served by a number of local farmers (the median distance between farmer and market is 90 miles). During peak seasons, the Greenmarket serves more than 250,000 customers per week. More than 1,000 varieties of fruits and vegetables can be found at the Greenmarket.

La Boqueria, Barcelona Spain

The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria, is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and one of the city's foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla, not far from the Liceu, Barcelona's opera house. The market has a very diverse selection of goods.

Borough Market, London England

Borough Market is a wholesale and retail food market in Southwark, South East London, England. It is one of the largest food markets in the world, and sells a large variety of foods from all over the world.

The wholesale market operates on all weekday mornings from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., but the retail market operates only on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market, which has focused historically on fruits and vegetables, has in recent years added stalls dealing with the fine food retail market, including some of the market's most famous traders Artisan Bakers DeGustibus, Furness Fish & Game Supplies, Peter Gott and Sillfield Farm, and the Spanish company Brindisa.

The Viktualienmarkt, Munich Germany

The Viktualienmarkt is a daily food market and a square in the center of Munich, Germany.

The Viktualienmarkt developed from an original farmers’ market to a popular market for gourmets. The selection, variety and exclusiveness of the products offered contribute to the market’s special flair. On an area covering 22.000m², 140 stalls and shops offer flowers, exotic fruit, game, poultry, spices, cheese, fish, juices etc. Nowhere else in Munich can you find a greater variety of fresh food and delicacies.

Most stalls and shops are open during the official opening hours (Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.); but the Biergarten doesn't open until 9 a.m. Many stalls close at 6 p.m., before the standard closing time. There are special opening hours for flower shops, bakeries and restaurants.

Queen Victoria Market, Australia

A major landmark in Melbourne, Australia, and at around seven hectares (17 acres) is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. The Market is significant to Melbourne's culture and heritage and has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The Market is named after Queen Victoria who ruled the British Empire, from 1837 to 1901.

Today, the Market is a major Melbourne tourist destination, offering a variety of fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood, gourmet and deli foods as well as specialty delicacies. It also has a large non-food related market, selling a diverse range of clothing, shoes, jewellery and handmade art and crafts.

The market is also known for the hot doughnut van which has operated for over half a century and become part of local tradition, being known for its jam donuts.

Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan

Commonly known as the Tsukiji Market, is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and is a major attraction for foreign visitors.

The market is located near the Tsukijishijō Station on the Toei Ōedo Line and Tsukiji Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. There are two distinct sections of the market as a whole. The "inner market" (jonai shijo) is the licensed wholesale market, where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place, and where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls. The "outer market" (jogai shijo) is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood, and many restaurants, especially sushi restaurants. Most of the shops in the outer market close by the early afternoon, and in the inner market even earlier.

Medina of Marrakech

Photo by explorer

Djemaa El-Fna is the highlight of any Marrakech night. Musicians, dancers, and story tellers pack this square at the heart of the medina, filling it with a cacophony of drum beats and excited shouts. Scores of stalls sell a wide array of Moroccan fare and you will almost certainly be accosted by women wanting to give you a henna tattoo. Enjoy the various shows, but be prepared to give some Dirhams to watch. By day it is largely filled with snake charmers and people with monkeys, as well as some of the more common stalls.

Along with the major souk adjacent to the Djemaa El-Fna, there are a plethora of smaller souks throughout the city where any number of products can be bargained for. Keep an eye out for a wide array of hand-crafted candle-holding lanterns, as well as spectacular displays of local spices.

Argan oil, produced only in Morocco, is used in Moroccan cooking and beauty treatments. If you enjoy its unique nutty flavor, be sure to pick some up in the souks. It will cost you over $30 for 250ml in the airport, but DH 40 maximum at the local shop.