Sunday 4 October 2009

Things I LOVE about Turkey - The Pazar

Do you see this?
I LOVE it!
Almost every neighborhood in Turkey has a weekly fruit and veggie market. It's kind of like the Farmer's Market that I used to go to in my college town in California. Except on steroids. It's really really really big. Speaking of big... can you see that pile of veggies in my picture? No. . . it isn't the camera angle. . . those veggies really are piled about 12 feet high.
The pazar in our neighborhood happens every Saturday in a big covered concrete lot about the size of a football field. It's chalk full of colorful, fresh, delicious fruits and veggies. Turks are amazing at arranging things in an attractive way, and the result is that you (or at least I) want to visit every booth (and there are rows and rows and rows of them) and buy a little of almost everything.

Don't those carrots look delicious? And did you see the size of the cabbages? They're bigger than watermelons! I've always wanted to buy one of those big cabbages, but I have no idea what I'd do with the 4/5 of it that would be left over after I made coleslaw.
My parents came to visit and I took them to the pazar. They just stood and stared in awe. . . Or maybe it was jet lag. . .
The thing about the pazar is that you have to buy most things in bulk. . . I usually ask for a kilo or two. The first time James and I went to a pazar, he tried to buy one apple. The seller just looked at him then rolled his eyes, muttered something, and handed it over. Apparently it wasn't even worth going to the trouble of weighing it.
Yumm! Apples and grapes. And can you see those super red tomatoes in the background? I wish I had taken a shot of them. They are so so so sweet and delicious, they don't even resemble those tasteless things I would buy at the supermarket in the States.
Mmmmmm!
I love it!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I loved the pazar, the fruit was so delicious, just like fresh picked!

TnT said...

i want to go here when we visit you. it, alone, would make me a vegetarian. well, actually...i'd still eat bacon.

Abby said...

I LOVE it too! I think it is the thing I miss the most about Turkey. I'm going through withdrawal!

Jamie and James said...

Abby, glad I'm not alone. I'm pretty sure James hates it. Probably because I want to go up and down every aisle and check everything out - the prices, the sights, try any little samples, you know, really EXPERIENCE it whereas he wants to just get in, buy a couple things, and get back out. He probably wouldn't hate it so much if he didn't have to go with me :-)