Friday, February 3, 2012

Little Saigon Market - Footscray

Recently I've been doing a bit more food shopping in Footscray, in particular at Little Saigon Market. This market is smaller than the regular Footscray Market that's across from the train station, but no less intimidating. When you enter Little Saigon, you are magically transported to Vietnam. Everywhere you look, there's fruits and vegetables and herbs that you have never seen before. Hawkers are screaming repetitive calls in Vietnamese and persistently offering samples of their mangoes and avocados and peaches for you to try. The aisles of the shops are beyond narrow, yet 3 people are trying to get by you as you smash up against the products you haven't seen since your last trip to Asia. People shove you around and step in front of you on line, and you need to fight to keep your place. There's 20 brands of tofu in every shop, in styles you've never even heard of. And the prices make it allllll worth it. I once bought an avocado there for 25c, and it was one of the best tasting avocados I had ever eaten!! On my last trip to Little Saigon, I bought several avocados at $4.99/kg. Now when I see signs advertising $2.99 for ONE avocado, or salad mix for $17.99 in Coles, (usually around $6.99 at Saigon) I just laugh smugly and pity the fools who pay those prices.
I'm also really excited about trying all these different things that are completely foreign to me, once I figure out what they are and how to use them! Can anyone identify these two to start with?

2 comments:

  1. The one on the left is rambutan. The one on the right is possibly jicama?

    You can thank me with PAWS raw beetroot cheesecake :o)

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  2. hahah Thank you!! I need to hire someone to break in there and steal that recipe for me!

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