←→Must See: Food Markets in Asia

Posted Thursday, February 15th, 2007 · Permalink

One of my favorite pastimes in Asian towns and cities was visiting local food markets. They’re full of life, full of scents, sights, and sounds. If you really want to see how local people live life in most parts of Asia, I can really suggest doing this. You see so many things that might be strange and new but for them are the most normal things in the world.

The diverse quality of the markets I’ve visited in Asia is astounding. Often they are bustling, fun, and a great place to practice bargaining. In smaller towns they are the center of activity. They can also be truly filthy places where the stench is gut-wrenching. But I’ve always had the pleasure of meeting happy individuals who were as interested in meeting me as I was in meeting them.

One of the first things that might strike you when visiting your first market are the various foods available that you might never have seen back home. I took full advantage of the opportunity to try all the different things I could. There is really little excuse not to take advantage of the low prices, great hospitalilty, and fantastic diversity present in the daily food markets all across Asia.

That last thing I suggest is to visit a few markets, not just one. They are local happenings and so appeal to, and are formed by, the local community. I found that a community’s attitude and wellbeing was largely defined in the market.

Filed under Asia, Must See.