And Sydney is no exception.
Eveleigh Market in Sydney is my favourite because it's covered, held weekly and is set in the historic precinct of old railway maintenance sheds, now a vibrant cultural hub. There are rehearsal rooms for theatre groups, a theatre, an Aboriginal centre, an art gallery, cafes, meeting spaces and of course the weekly farmers' market, which attracts thousands of local people during its short opening hours.
Every Saturday morning in this former warehouse you can find more than sixty producers and farmers from all over the state, with a truly impressive variety of products. In addition to the traditional stalls selling seasonal fruit and vegetables, various meats and dairy products, flowers and artisanal breads, here you can also find fine products such as smoked fish, oils and fine wines. And if you arrive at the market with a certain appetite, here you can choose from many dishes cooked on the spot, from hamburgers and egg and bacon sandwiches, to soups, ravioli and smoothies…all strictly organic. It must be said that because the products are of a much higher quality than those normally found at the supermarket the prices are much higher too.
Here the majority of market-goers are young people in search of genuine and unique products.
A couple of Sydney's top chefs have food stalls here, while lots of other stalls sell fresh juices, coffees, other breakfast specialties and of course fruit, vegetables and niche food products like Asian fruits. It's a great place to socialise and shop. Another reason I love it is because it attracts lots of food journalists and food bloggers and you'll even find passing film crews here.
I have heard an interview done by a film crew to a local fruit seller and it goes long these lines: “Our presence at this market is a great way to get in touch with people who are normally quite interested in new, exotic and unusual fruits. It allows us to give them a taste, show them how to open the fruits and explain how to make a healthy drink from the pulp or peels, we love answering any questions too. We often have long conversations and it teaches us a lot too about what people like and would like to find here.”
Do you wonder what fruits are the most popular in Australia?
I was especially curious about Durian as I had never seen it before moving here.
It smells funky but it tastes delicious.
The pulp of the durian is very creamy, and can be eaten natural, or added to a good ice cream cup, or yogurt. Inside the Durian there are seeds, which are edible and can be toasted or grilled, and eaten like nuts. But you probably know that as it is probably sold in Japan too.
The pawpaw is a really strange fruit with a funny name. It can also be called Asimina Triloba, but also northern banana.
It comes from a tree of the magnolia family and is one of the typical fruits consumed by the American Indians.
Popular here too along with papayas, mangoes, passion fruits, melons and bananas.
Australians love juices and most of them have juicers at home.
Local people make juices or smoothies on a daily basis and overall I think Aussies eat quite healthy when it comes to veggies and fruit intake.
MANGO AND PAW PAW FRUIT
