Vegetable Markets!

When I was a young girl, I used to hate it when my parents used to ask me to go to vegetable market; of course to buy vegetables. Then, I felt it was one of the boring jobs on earth. To me then, market meant lots of people, rush, dirt, pollution, smoke from vehicles, noise etc., Most of the people I came across there were elderly and fragile who needed help (I had to manage with my vegetable loads and support them as well, then it was a question of good manners towards elders), mothers with their crying babies, some mad drunkards crossing across the market asking for some money (I was shit scared of drunkards). No good feelings at all. The heat also used to make me feel like I had to take bath again (I was pretty clean and tidy, cleaner than any other child of my age group).

Some pictures of Bangalore's Malleswarem's vegetable market(during night):

Then, after coming to Czech Republic, the scene completely changed. It was not because I had to do everything what my mother used to do which was cooking, cleaning, shopping etc all by myself (I do not have to do cooking all by myself, this is because even my hubby cooks quite well. Living alone has made him a better cook than I am. Me not complaining at all-serious), but for completely different reason.

Vegetable markets here in Europe are very seasonal. It starts in spring and ends before winter. During these seasons we make sure we go to vegetable markets every Saturday and get fresh fruits (fruits here are different, these includes some very good varieties such as Nectarines, peaches, apricots, pears, plums-yum yum). Also we can buy some fresh beans, cucumbers, eggplants (brinjal or Aubergine), spinach (in kannada ದಂಟು). Since majority of the time I am vegetarian, I usually use loads and loads of vegetables for curry and subzi's (ಪಲ್ಯ in kannada). If we are lucky enough, we can also find some fresh corianders (this is very very rare). During winter, we have to anyway depend on the “super” market for everything, including frozen beans, frozen spinach, frozen corns.

Nowadays(its still summer here), it has so happened that I will be eagerly waiting for Saturdays in order to buy fresh vegetables and fruits in vegetable markets. The necessity for good and fresh vegetables has indeed made me love vegetable markets (damned it is seasonal). I have started to love the fresh smell of vegetables/fruits, the sight of natural lives of the farmers who sell themselves, the crowd, women with their kids, but here in Europe it’s a different story than in India because while women buy, their men (with weird faces because it seems they think it is not a manly work to hold a baby in a pram, I guess) usually have to manage their babies, so lots of prams around (pram jams), elderly people muttering to themselves about the rise in prices of vegetables and some drunkards here and there.

So the vegetable market situation is almost the same (I think it’s the same everywhere), but my thoughts and perceptions on the vegetable markets have completely changed. I love it nowadays!! I have also decided when we visit India; I will buy vegetables from our famous vegetable markets all by myself!