J’adore aller faire le marché à Melbourne, mon préféré étant celui de South Melbourne. Article vu dans le journal de cette semaine.
To market, to Melbourne
October 7, 2007
MICHAEL MOW knows potatoes. At his stand at Prahran Market he sells a spectacular array of tubers, from purple-skinned royal blues to delicate kipflers and plump Dutch creams. He sources about 40 different varieties from around Australia and asks each customer, “What are you making with them?” before recommending the perfect potato. For a shopper who’s making mash, he recommends the Dutch creams and the Toolangi delights, which he also favours for gnocchi. “Mash them up and stir through some strips of smoked salmon,” he suggests. For a customer with a hankering for potato salad, he recommends a mix of kipflers, pink-fleshed pink fir apples, and the vivid lavender of the purple Congo, for a potato salad in three colours.
Shopping at any one of Melbourne’s stellar food markets is a culinary adventure. A trip to the market - with its dazzling array of fresh produce, gourmet goodies and stallholders who are endlessly knowledgeable about their product - transcends being a chore: it’s an experience.
Prahran Market
Even shoppers who pop into Prahran Market to pick up a loaf of bread tend to end up leaving with overflowing shopping bags. Almost every stall offers something irresistible, from the beautifully packaged organic flower teas at Tea Culture, to the exquisitely decorated musk cupcakes at the Crabapple Bakery and mushroom man Damian Pike, who has the best selection of mushrooms in town, including exotics such as Japanese snow fungus.
The Mornington Peninsula Produce stall has a great selection of the area’s best boutique producers, from goat’s cheese to chutneys to olive oil and organic naturopathic teas. At Jasper Coffee you can sample 37 types of coffee, including organic, Fairtrade and unusual blends. Try a delicate Mexican Chiapas (creamy and spicy, with a touch of cinnamon), or cafe feminino from Peru, which is grown, harvested, processed and roasted by women. Each of the stallholders is passionate about what they’re selling and eager to share their knowledge.
At the Cheese Shop Deli, for instance, you won’t just pick up fantastic cheese and olives - you’ll discover which of the 25 varieties of olives in stock is perfect for you, as well as the perfect wine to go with your cheese.
If you’re in the market for a drop to drink, make sure you stop in at Swords Select, the speciality wine and beer supplier that also has outlets at Queen Victoria and South Melbourne markets. It has a great range of well-priced cleanskins in returnable bottles so you can help the environment and grab a bargain at the same time. It also stocks an extraordinary range of boutique beers, including the Unibroue range from Quebec, a lovely Belgian-style unpasteurised brew. Even if you’re convinced you can’t carry a single thing more, you have to stop in at Devine D’lites’ tiny stall before you leave. Treat yourself to a perfect strawberry dipped in Callebaut chocolate.
Queen Victoria Market
With more than 1000 stalls covering seven hectares, the QV market is among the biggest in the world. Even figuring out where to start can be fraught, so it’s lucky the organisers offer a range of paid tours (see website for prices and booking details). Each tour lasts two hours and covers the market’s history - which is as fascinating as it is gruesome: some of the stalls cover what was Melbourne’s first cemetery and 10,000 bodies still lie buried beneath the ground. They also introduce you to various stallholders and include plenty of tastings.
In the meat and fish hall, for instance, your guide will introduce you to some of the 12 fishmongers and 22 butchers, explaining the different cuts and different aged meats on offer. The Italians sell mainly yearling beef, for instance, whereas the Macedonian butchers offer aged beef and goat. Vietnamese butchers will even distinguish between male and female pork - the female meat has a finer grain and is more tender. While the Queen Victoria Market is famous for its array of fruit and veg, for many visitors the highlight is the elegant deli hall.
Your guide will point out highlights such as the poultry shop that stocks an array of game meats including guinea fowl and possum. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to try some buffalo sausage. Then there’s the Traditional Pasta Shop, offering handmade pastas variously filled with marinated lamb and oregano, prawn and scallop, and Peking duck; and a number of delis stocking the best local Victorian specialties, including delicious butter from the Warrnambool Butter Factory.
South Melbourne Market
It’s easy to work up an appetite at South Melbourne Market, as you wander around the stalls selling clothing, furnishings, gifts and more. Fortunately, the food section offers plenty of tempting pick-me-up options.
The massive dim sims from Mama Tran are perennial favourites, as are the sausage rolls and gourmet pies from Sweetie Pies (try the honey chicken and mustard or chunky beef). The pies are gluten-free and 95 per cent fat-free, so you don’t have to feel guilty while indulging.
Once you’ve restored your strength, it’s time to pick up some grocery items. Rita’s Coffee and Nuts is easy to spot - it’s the stall with huge burlap bags of coffee, organic walnuts, brown rice, polenta and other goodies piled out front. You can also pick up an array of gourmet products, including fresh quince paste and pistachio halva. Theo’s Deli is the place to find quality cheese, olives and other treats, while K&L Fresh Poultry sells grain-fed chicken.
Whatever you do, don’t miss the Chocolate Lover, exquisite handmade choccies produced by a former head chef of Melbourne’s beloved Mietta’s restaurant. His delectable assortment of chocolate treats includes a sensational mousse made using dark Lindt chocolate and an irresistible range of truffles that come in flavours such as Cointreau, Galliano, raspberry, and chilli and raisin. A selection of designer chocolates makes a great gift, and includes unusual flavours such as lavender and plum, Moroccan mint tea and lemon rosemary.
AT A GLANCE
Queen Victoria Market http://www.qvm.com.au
* Best for: Getting lost in.
Melbourne’s biggest markets cover seven hectares, and offer meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, and plenty of deli delights. The competition keeps prices down, too: you’ll always find a bargain here. In the deli hall, look for tasty treats from Africa at Tribal Tastes, an extraordinary array of Victorian cheeses at Curds and Whey, and delicious continental meats at the Polish deli.
* Where: Corner Elizabeth and Victoria streets, Melbourne.
* When: Tuesday and Thursday, 6am to 2pm; Friday, 6am to 6pm; Saturday, 6am to 3pm; Sunday, 9am to 4pm.
Prahran Market http://www.prahranmarket.com.au
* Best for: Gourmet produce. The stallholders at Prahran will not only sell you the perfect ingredients for your next dinner party, they’ll tell you how to prepare them, too. Look for gourmet coffee, wild mushrooms and the most exquisite cupcakes ever. * Where: 163 Commercial Road, South Yarra.
* When: Tuesday and Saturday, dawn to 5pm; Thursday and Friday, dawn to 6pm; Sunday, 10am to 3pm.
South Melbourne Market http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au
* Best for: Snacking.
With more of a local market feel, South Melbourne is great for a spot of weekend browsing. There are also plenty of tasty snacks on offer, from the famous dim sims to gluten-free pies. Leave some room for the gorgeous handmade chocolates, too.
* Where: Cecil and Coventry streets, South Melbourne.
* When: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 4pm; Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Source: The Sun-Herald This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/10/04/1191091256675.html
- With the groupies 
