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Shanghai’s Taikang Food Market
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I’m always drawn to local food markets. The Foodie in me is always intrigued by foods I’ve never before seen, and there’s no better way to get a candid look at everyday people than in a market. The Taikang Food Market in the French Concession satisfies on both counts. While I’m no stranger to Chinese food, this market is chock full of never-beforeseen produce and seafood. It doesn’t hurt that on the day of this visit it’s also mercifully devoid of tourists. Just inside, a vendor be-
El Ojo del Lago / August 2017
Nothing goes to waste here
hind a deli counter is selling ready-to eat foods, but beyond her most of the booths are dedicated to fresh foods. The floors and tiled walls of the Taikang Market are well-worn and the market itself is dimly-lit, but the food stalls are immaculate. Carefully manicured fresh produce is vibrant beneath pools of low-hanging lights. This place would be the envy of the Stateside Whole Foods Market. Most of the vendors are middle-aged or older, and there’s a sense that they and their families have been working their booth for a lifetime, if not for generations. Like many Chinese their age, they’re emRice noodles, rice cakes, phatically camera-shy. DQG ULFH ZLQH DUH RQO\ D IHZ The Chinese put great emphasis on freshZD\V WKDW ULFH LV FRQVXPHG ness, so it’s not all that surprising to see sea-