In Paris, shopping in open-air street markets is as traditional for the French as wearing striped shirts and colorful scarfs. It is simply what they do. And for good reason: the food is locally sourced and often more affordable and fresher than what can be found in supermarkets. Join us on a slow stroll through a Paris food market on Boulevard du Port Royal, next to the Luxembourg Gardens.
When shopping in Paris, it is important to bring two things with you: cloth shopping bags and a sense of humor. The bags are self explanatory. The sense of humor is so you can join in on the laughter when the French guffaw, chuckle, chortle or howl at your pitiful attempt to speak to them in their own language.
Start early for the best selections
Paris markets open early and typically buyers are sniffing the melons for ripeness and discussing the best cheese to go with a Pouilly Fuissé wine by 8 a.m. At the Port Royal market, green stalls heavy with fruits and vegetables line both sides of the wide sidewalk. To the right, a vendor selling an assortment of antique chairs and rugs is in deep conversation with a young man. Both are relying on wide gestures to emphasize their point. To the left, an older woman in a white shirt, gray sweater and matching gray scarf stands in front of a flower stand, carefully putting together a bouquet of small pink and purple flowers.
Paris Food Market: What is that strange vegetable?
We stroll by these stands in search of the star attraction, the food, and we are not disappointed. Fruits and vegetables line the walkway. Bin after bin is filled with fiery red tomatoes, bright yellow lemons, dusty pink and green artichokes, and blue, green, yellow and purple grapes. We spot a long, thin purplish vegetable and try to guess what it is. Perhaps squash, we decide. The vendor overhears us and tells us it is a type of eggplant. He understood us and we understood him. This is a victory for us in overcoming the language barrier. Yes, he did answer in English, but it was heavily accented. We take our victories where we can.
Good to know at a Paris food market: Cheval means horse meat
Our stroll continues past a variety of cheeses on our left and a fishmonger on the right. Next to the fishmonger is a butcher selling cuts of locally sourced beef (bouef), ham (jamon), and chicken (poulet). Horse (cheval) may have also been available, though we did not look for it. Horse meat was once quite popular in France and can still be found on the occasional menu. Harv is a vegan so he is not concerned about accidentally eating horse. Diane, however, is a meat lover and consumed with fear that she will accidentally eat someone’s pony. Since she is not particularly good at memorizing French words she pictures Maurice Chevalier riding on a horse to remind her that cheval is the word for horse.
Shop like a Parisian at the Paris food market
Our shopping bag slowly begins to fill with blueberries, figs, potatoes, squash, and carrots. We want to keep buying but we remember that is not the French way to shop. They do not stuff an SUV full of enough premade and and heavily processed food to last a week. Typically, the French have small refrigerators and shop meal by meal. Walking to the market, talking with vendors, buying fresh ingredients, greeting neighbors, this is how you shop in France. Shopping for the food is savored as much as the meal that will be created.
We stroll back to our flat discussing what we will make for dinner. And already dreaming about what we will buy on our next visit.
You might also enjoy reading about what you’ll see when you tour the trendy Marais, Paris, neighborhood here, visit a classic film lovers’ Paris bookstore here, or a step-by-step guide to making European travel insanely affordable here. And remember to subscribe to our newsletter via the sign-up box on this page for insider tips, pictures and recipes. Thank you for visiting! We are glad you are here! Happy travels!
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Ann Crawford says
I can smell it from here!
Thank you so much for taking us all along for the journey.
xoxoxoxoxo
Ann
Diane Bishop says
Hi, Ann, Food markets are the perfect place to stroll. We like to watch what the locals buy and go from there.