Bangalore is abuzz with farmers markets, there seems to be one in different parts of the city almost every weekend. We have participated in a few, and attended others, and have noticed them to be quite different from each other. Some are hosted in high end locations, with expensive restaurants, branded foods and a high society ambience. Others have a flea market feel to it, with stalls selling jewellery, clothing and artwork. Our favourite kind has been the small, local setup, with a focus on food and fresh, locally available produce, represented by the farmer or the business owners themselves, and targeting the neighbourhood in which it is conducted.
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| A Slyly Simple stall |
One of the biggest highlights of a routine life in Europe, is the weekly market - in some places these are conducted throughout the year, come rain, snow or sunshine. The market is setup in an open public area - maybe near the town hall, or in a scenic central square. The market area is car-free - and one must either park a little distance away and walk down, or else bring along a cycle or a little trolley to carry your shopping back home. The stalls are set up by individual farmers themselves - they either have a collapsible tent below which they have tables stacked with fresh fruits and vegetables, others have a couple of tables under a canopy, some bring pushcarts, while others have vans which open up to form a portable store. The vans are normally used by farmers who need to keep their produce chilled - whether it is fresh milk, hand crafted cheese, fresh pasta or cuts of meat.
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| Christmas markets |
Each season dictates a different set of produce, and seasonal specialities are highlighted - be it wild mushrooms or piping hot orange juice in the winters (sounds strange - but try it when its freezing outside!).
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| Seasonal pumpkins |
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| Wild mushrooms |
The atmosphere is lively and jovial, with sellers yelling out best prices for their wares, florists and nurseries displaying the prettiest plants up front, and prices quickly varying according to the demand. Some stalls are very popular and have people lined up in front of them, the best stuff is sold out early and late comers go away disappointed. Everyone brings their own bag, and the place is left clean without any garbage or litter lying around. People are encouraged to reuse, milk and yoghurt bottles can be returned when one comes to make the next purchase. The market normally begins early in the morning and wraps up by lunch time on Saturdays, leaving everyone (including the vendors) the chance to enjoy the rest of the day and weekend at home. It is the ideal place to go to for fresh groceries, which is usually used up for family dinners and social gatherings over the weekend.
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| With atmosphere like this, why wouldn't you visit every week? |
The weekly market is a prettier form of the markets we have by the sides of our streets on Sunday mornings, except that it is more visitor friendly, and also includes hand made products with locally procured ingredients. The markets give one the possibility of going home with something delicious, something exotic, something they wouldn't otherwise find in a regular supermarket. The markets encourage local artisans, home cooks and the idea of making a delicious, exotic meal from scratch. Its all about a simple, hearty life - the kind that we recognise from 15 years ago, before malls, supermarkets, take-aways and home deliveries became routine living.
Its heartening to see that farmers markets are picking up here, specially in Bangalore - with the right kind of events, this is bound to grow into wonderful neighourhood experiences. Here's to every organiser of farmers markets - and while we jump on to the bandwagon, lets try and keep it simple!
