You can learn a lot about a place by seeing where people get their food. For that reason, one of my favorite things to do when I travel is visit grocery stores and local fresh food markets. This is especially true in cities like Paris, where fresh ingredients are an important part of the local cuisine. When we visited last spring, I was excited to find a weekly Paris farmer’s market just down the street from our apartment in Ménilmontant.
Every Tuesday and Friday morning, the Belleville-Ménilmontant Farmer’s Market (La Marché Belleville-Ménilmontant) stretches out along Belleville Boulevard, connecting the two communities’ namesake metro stations. It’s only a half a mile walk from end to end, but that narrow space gets packed tight with vendors, shoppers, and their bulky rolling market carts.
These East Paris communities are some of the most ethnically diverse in the city. They are home to large Chinese, North African, and West African communities. French was everywhere, but Arabic and Chinese occasionally punctuated the conversation.
While the fresh ingredients available weren’t much different from the farmer’s markets I’m used to here in the US, there were a few interesting varieties and some were more elegantly displayed.
There were regionally popular ingredients, like a massive pile of fresh mint popular in North African and Middle Eastern cooking. It was incredibly fragrant and walking by it made me crave a cup of fresh mint tea. I wound up buying a bunch — a steal at only about 75 cents.
There were a few colorful cheese stands, lovely and rustic in their lack of refrigeration and plastic wrap.
And there was lots of fresh seafood and meats.
I’m pretty sure I was the only tourist at the market that morning, and it was hard to sink into the crowd with my big camera and relatively leisured, curious pace. While I tried to be discreet and avoid holding up the crowd, my attempts to take pictures elicited a few unwelcome stares. But can you blame them? The shoppers were just trying to get their food and move on with the day.
I’m very shy and usually take few photos of people when I travel, but it’s something I am working to overcome. My preferred technique is always to ask people before taking forward facing photos. Every single older person I asked turned me down, but the younger vendors were much more open to the idea.
In fact, this guy saw the camera and asked ME to take his photo!
In addition to produce, many other everyday items were available for sale at this market. Kitchen utensils, clothing, and housewares were available. Some were strung up and anchored to these cast iron water fountains.
I was particularly fond of these colorful North African hair wraps…
And these vibrant and glittering embroidered dresses…
And male shoppers were not left out — everything they need was available, though the styles leaned a little… well, elderly.
But my favorite friend of the day was a little dog at the market guarding the vendor’s colorful roles of contact paper.
One of the benefits of staying in a rental apartment is that you have a kitchen to cook for yourself. I didn’t intend to buy much at the market, but it all looked so beautiful, I couldn’t help myself.
Here is a photo of my haul, all of which only cost about $10:
Paris Farmers Market: La Marché Belleville-Ménilmontant
Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:30am to 1:30pm
Belleville Boulevard. Enter from Metro: Belleville, Couronnes, or Ménilmontant
This post is part of the Friday Postcards travel inspiration series at Walkingon Travels.
I recall we narrowly missed a market in Paris (walked through the streets as the last few stalls were packing up). A little bit bummed, would have been a great glimpse of local life.
Indeed, they are so fun. So great to see the interesting foods for sale and get this glimpse into the culture. Next time! 🙂
Good investigative work, EIT. I only spent one afternoon in Belleville, but there was no farmers’ market that day unfortunately. And since when is EIT shy?
Thanks, Gerry! I really like those east side neighborhoods and figured you would, too. Was all the street art there when you visited? And by the way, I have photos of St. Sulpice if you still need them, I’ll send you the link right now.
I also am shy about taking photos in crowded spaces and of people. When I was at a market in Brazil, one vendor told me it wasn’t allowed. When my family explained that I was taking photos for publication online, they said it was OK, and one guy came out and posed. It’s hard to know how it makes people feel, though. I really like the ones you took of the vendors!!
Thanks Jenna, I loved that they actually enjoyed getting their picture taken. And a wonderful story about Brazil. Was the guy who posed young? I really think that (here) it was a generational thing. The old men would wave me away every time, but the young guys seemed to enjoy the attention. Either that or they are so used to photos being shared on social media they are not as self-conscious. Who knows..
I love pictures from farmers markets. Pictures of farmers markets really give a view of the culture of the place.
The picture of the octopus is fabulous with the suckers pointed up like they are.
Hi Anni, I agree! I love visiting them at home and when traveling. Where is your favorite farmer’s market?
Darn you woman. Now I’m hungry! These photos are stunning. I love to explore farmers markets with my family. We always find something delicious to eat, plus it saves us loads of money cause we can grab picnic fixings for lunch! Thanks for linking up and helping me kick off Friday Postcards with a bang! So many incredible images. Can’t wait to see what next week brings.
Hehe me too 🙂 Thanks for the invite and thanks for starting this series!
We’re heading to Paris with my guys this spring and I’m so excited for markets like this one! What fabulous pictures!
Thanks Terumi, spring is the best time to go! I’m so excited for you guys (and excited to click through this link… I’m a little obsessed with lillikoi/passion fruit!)
I really like the ridged tomatoes and how much care they took in arranging the green beans. I wonder what their source for octopus is. We didn’t make it to a farmers market when we were in Paris, so thanks for letting me enjoy it vicariously through you.
There’s always next time! 🙂 I also thought the ridged tomatoes were really unique and the artfully arranged green beans! I have no idea which part of the coast their octopus comes from, but it’s trucked in fresh on market mornings. Even here in CA, I know our farmers market vendors sometimes drive 3.5/4 hours to get to our local market! It’s a tough job, for sure.
It looks like you found some great deals. I can’t wait to visit our local Farmer’s Market this summer. I love buying local, fresh produce and talking to the different vendors. Of course, my local market is nothing like this. I love the photos- and those of the people. I’m trying to capture more photos with people, but like you, I’d ask first too and I’m a little timid. 🙂
I did, though I got in a little over my head and had a tough time eating it all in the time we were there! I cut up all the radishes and brought them on the plane home with me. I forgot I had them and had to turn them over to the USDA inspector after passing through customs 🙂
I adore Parisian markets! I’m sure that comes as no surprise to you. 😉 My favorite is the one at Bastille, and perhaps I should visit this one next time.
This neighborhood is my favorite part of Paris — so diverse! I love the West African neighborhoods, too. Can’t remember the arr. #, but it was north east of Monmartre. I’m excited you are going back again–weren’t you there earlier this year?
I know which area if the 18th you’re referring to – I was just telling someone the other day that I want to try an Algerian restaurant there. And it looks like I’ll have a chance to see this market you wrote about, as I’m going back to Paris very shortly. 🙂