To Market, To Market ...

When I was living in Spain, I went to the market every day. Shopping with my relatives was a revelation. It wasn’t the bustle of the crowd, the colour and fragrance of the produce, nor the architecture of the old market buildings. For me, it was the true understanding that market shopping is not a means to an end but a pleasurable social outing; the act of living in the moment and soaking up the sensational colours, smells and the bustle. There’s the scrutiny of selection, questioning the provenance of the produce, the friendly friction of the purchase and the social interaction, as friends, family and neighbours catch up and gossip. In Australia, what we may lack in tradition we make up for in cultural diversity. I go to my local Footscray market, which is a multicultural melting pot. I shop with the Indo-Chinese people. They share with me a culinary love of quail, goat, pork, shellfish, fish on the bone, citrus and other fruits. Food is a great leveller and, when I meet anyone from another culture, it is the start of a new conversation.