During the summer and autumn months, I do my vegetable shopping at a farmer’s market. Actually, la piață. In Romanian this word can mean several things. It can mean market as a physical place, market as in “free market”, or it can mean a square in a town or city – the latter similar to the Italian piazza where the etymology comes from; the pronunciation is basically the same as in Italian. But, when someone says “merg la piață” (I am going to the market) people know exactly what one means, a place with various stands selling mostly fruit and vegetables, and some meats and cheeses. Such markets exist in most places, though in Romania there are decidedly on the not fancy, low end side. Unlike say the equivalent in Munich or Vienna.

I decided to make a short picture post on the topic. As usual the pictures are not the best – I need a new phone – and they are not very artistic or planned, allegedly because I want to give an idea of the feel of the place as it is on an average day. Also I like to be spontaneous with my pictures. Furthermore, I tried my best not to look like I am taking pictures and to avoid getting too many faces in. And I do not know how to take pictures.

These are not called farmer’s markets like in the States, just markets, although some say “producer” markets or “peasant” markets, as peasants are still a thing in Romania. Unfortunately, many are controlled by the local city halls in cahoots with the local mafia, and a lot of peasants and direct producers can no longer find or afford a place, and many are dominated by basically traders, intermediaries if you will, some good – buying quality produce from the farmers, some bad – buying from the same wholesale distributors supermarkets buy.

I don’t know about the old U S of A but at least in Europe, most produce one buys from the supermarket is not that good, usually from varieties selected for long shelf life rather than taste, which are usually picked before ripening and ripened in crates. I am one of the unlucky ones, as I grew up in the country side and am accustomed to the taste of good fruit and vegetables, as such I rarely like anything found in a supermarket. People who grew up in Bucharest don’t know any better, and so they enjoy the stuff more, ignorance being bliss and all that. Fortunately for me, I can get the good stuff from my mom’s garden and sometimes from the market.

The market has good and bad produce, you need to know how to pick. I generally do, but not everyone does, otherwise the bad stuff would not sell. The old rule of if it looks to uniform and beautiful it probably is not that tasty applies to most produce. Late summer early autumn are the best times, as the largest variety of vegetables are ripe and tasty. For fruit I like most of them not fully ripe, so I prefer early summer.

Back in the day – that can mean anything, but in the case of Romania it can be narrowed down to from 20 years ago down to times immemorial – there was little produce to buy during winter, so Romanians stocked up and pickled a lot. Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis. For many things, this is no longer necessary. And younger people, understandably, can’t be arsed anyway. I mean who has the time? Potatoes and carrots and onions, for example, you can buy anytime. In the previously mentioned past, autumn mean you had to stock up on these for the winter. There are still potatoes sold by sacks for those who still do. And onion in large “ropes” as they are called here by the roadside in Buzau county, famous for red onion.

I have few pantry staples myself. My mom has more, because of the idea of not going out in inclement weather due to the need to buy a small thing or other. Also my mom pickles, because we just don’t like the taste of the purchased stuff. This is one thing I will probably continue, as I have pickled some myself.

The market, in this case, is one of the older and better in Bucharest. It has a large covered hall with stalls for plant stuff and a separate one for cheese and meat. Outside the entryway, there are the sellers of melons and squashes and cabbage, these are generally more voluminous than other things.

Inside there is the rest of the stuff.

 

There are fresh and dry herbs, along side with all sorts of pickled things, jams, zacuscă , borș, and other staples of the Romanian kitchen.

 

There all all sorts of vegetables (yes, in Romania tomatoes count as vegetables)

 

 

And various fruit.

 

In the autumn, presses appears in the market pressing fresh grape must which people like to drink, for reasons unknown to me as it is way to sweet.

And to end things here is the cheese market.