I am one of those crazy people who loves to visit grocery stores when traveling abroad. Yes, I love the museums, historic sites and natural attractions, but I often slip in a side trip to the supermarket.
France, Germany, Kenya, Japan or the Philippines, you never know what kind of interesting local cuisine you’ll find.
There can be an astonishing array of fish, meats and cheeses that you don’t necessarily see at home. And they are often presented in a much different fashion, which can be surprising. The first time I saw meat hanging on hooks in the Italian markets, I considered becoming a vegetarian.
Fresh Fruit Frenzy
I love European markets and the strange fruits and vegetables you find there. My personal favorite is the kaki fruit. Called the Sharon fruit or persimmon, they can be found seasonally in local markets for very reasonable prices. In the summer, there are white strawberries, which I saw for the first time in Belgium. And don’t miss the blood oranges, which I discovered in Italy about 25 years ago.
Making a Trip? Visit a Market!
Want to picnic in a park during your travels? Pick up some local cheese and nuts — or crusty bread with homemade pate.
Buy apples and pears in an open-air market, and the vendor may send you home with gratis leeks or lettuce.
You’ll get a chance to mix with the locals and, in many markets, sample some of the foods.
In Brussels, the market at Brussels Midi Station is the place to be. There are vendors selling fruit and vegetables. And there are hundreds of stalls with a wide variety of other things such as flowers and plants, garden items, food, candy, home goods, clothing, shoes, small appliances, luggage and more. Just be sure to bring along a portable shopping cart for all your finds — or pick one up at a luggage stall.
Traveling further afield? In the Philippines, I saw a bizarre shellfish in one of the markets. It looked like a black-striped spiny lobster.
In Beijing, look for fresh lychees, spiky durian, furry rambutans and dragonfruit (pictured on the left) with its white flesh and tiny black seeds.
Check out some unusual Chinese fruits here.
Want a Weird Vegetable?
Okay, I admit it. I was never much of a connoisseur of vegetables until I moved to Belgium. I had no idea what prei (leek), kohlrabi (a German turnip), knolselderij (celeriac) or swede (rutabaga) were. There’s zeekraal (samphire), a European succulent plant in the parsley family; broccolini; white asparagus; and black radishes. And you can even find giant white radishes!
Every week, I seem to discover something new. Take knolselderij, for example. This truly is the ugliest vegetable I’ve ever seen, but it’s delicious. A knobby ball with hairy roots extending from the base, it looks like it came from another planet. It arrived one week in my HelloFresh box. I had no clue what to do with it. Thank goodness there were recipe cards!
Known also as celeriac, celery root, knob celery and turnip-rooted celery, knolselderij is similar to a root vegetable. It may be ugly, but it sure is tasty! Try it pureed and mixed with potatoes or eat it mashed. You can grate it and add it to salads, or make a knolselderij soup.
I learned how to cook knolserderij/celeriac. I mash it with pureed potatoes creating a healthy and lower calorie side dish. You’ll be happy to know it’s a great source of vitamins B6, C and K. And it’s high in fibre and low in fat and calories!
Want to give it a try? Check out this chai-spiced carrot and celeriac soup recipe with roasted apples and walnuts from eattolivedaily.com. Yum! You can go for a classic French remoulade like this BBC Good Food recipe. You can even make celeriac tea!
Local Favorites
Living in Belgium, I’ve also found some regional favorites and Flemish recipes.
Legend says that a Belgian farmer discovered witloof (chicory) by accident in 1830. Americans know it as endive, and it’s become a national treasure here.The Flemish love to eat it with boiled ham, cheese sauce and grated cheese. It’s low in sodium and high in mineral content and nutritional value. And it’s just one calorie per leaf. You’ll often find it on the menu with chopped eggs, ham and a buttery sauce. So much for the low calories! Check out the Visit Flanders recipe.
Do you have some favorite weird fruits and vegetables? Where did you find them? Share your stories in the comments section.
Just to point out that celery root/celeriac is available at my local Sprouts market in the US. Not so exotic.