There are few things I love in France more than the open-air markets. There’s just something about the beautiful produce, friendly vendors and shameless people-watching that I adore.
I have been to the markets many times but never with a camera in tow. To my surprise and delight the vendors were more than happy to be photographed, and even made jokes like, “What, am I not pretty enough for your pictures?”
In the photos below you will see lots of my all-time favorite food items: blocks of salted butter, buckets of crème fraîche, large pots of rilletes and pâté and sausages like boudin noir and andouillette coiled up like garden hoses.
The produce at markets in France is different from markets in the U.S. : Vegetables come in covered in dirt, the cheeses are often made with raw milk and the wild game birds are displayed with their heads on, which I found out is so that you “know which animal you are buying.” There is also lots of offal, some of which is great, like the tripe-based andouillete sausage, and some of which is truly awful, like kidneys.
I hope you enjoy the photos, and Bon appétit!
Have you ever visited a fall farmers market in France?
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I used to have a breakfast there, Awwww can’t believe you were there as well. It’s a great place and locals are so friendly. My favourite food was a sausage baguette:)
Sausage baguette? I’ve never had that but it sounds delicious!!
I guess Agness means a sandwich made with baguette bread and sausage inside.
Lovely! Looks exactly like I pictured it in my mind :) Did you try anything you’ve never had before??
I actually just went for the photos and didn’t buy or eat anything… but there certainly was a lot that looked delicious!
I adore farmer’s markets! I went to Marché Barbès the other week in Paris and loved how fresh everything was – and that you were offered fruit to taste all the time! :)
Being a vegetarian however, I kind of have a hard time looking at those poor ducks :)
Farmer’s markets are the best! And I know it’s sad to see the ducks like that, but I do think it’s good that in France they use every part of the animal, the tripe, liver, etc. because it’s better for the environment and more respectful to the animal… in the U.S. we rarely eat anything like that!
do you like andouillette? They’re great but quite full of personality :) Actually I find kidney much more inoffensive. :)
Andouillette is great (especially grilled) but I’ve never had kidneys I like!
hello ashley… :)
wow…that is make me hunger when to see your picture…a many delicious food..hmmm…nyummyy…
okky
http://www.natural-heritage-indonesia.blogspot.com
The food is super good here, love the markets!
Looking at these pictures makes me very hungry :-) I love all farmer market’s in Europe. We have them also in Switzerland and it’s the best place to buy local and seasonal veggies & fruits.
I love farmers markets as well… I try to check them out in whatever city I go to! I bet the cheese stand in Switzerland is very impressive :)
French farmers’ markets are all I imagined they would be and more(!) after studying French in high school… It’s so quintessential to experiencing real France in my opinion. I went to a fabulous Saturday market in Arras. The people, the smiles, the colours, the produce, the EVERYTHING was definitely a highlight of my trip that weekend.
Oh I’ve to other towns in the north of France near Arras, what a lovely region! I stayed at an family-run apple farm there so it was a great immersion into the local culture. And the apples and apple juice were delicious of course!
That looks like a good time and has gotten me hungry for some duck.
Duck’s always good! And the markets are where everything goes on in the town… they’re unmissable if you’re visiting France.
Can’t wait to check the markets out myself. Perhaps there will be those Christmas markets set up as well since I’m actually going to be in Paris just right before Christmas.
There are great Christmas markets, I’ve heard the ones at La Defense and the Champs Elysees are particularly good. When do you get here?
Love a good market. I can’t imagine buying anything with the head still attached in the US, haha!
Haha I know, you never see that at home! Here it’s not weird at all.
Farmers markets really put the culture of the area on visible display. Really beautiful pictures.
Thanks, Anni! I agree that farmers markets are fun to visit in every country because mostly just locals visit them and plus, they always have good food!