World Food Markets Worth a Trip
May 29, 2004

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Anya Von Bremzer has a dream job. She travels the world covering the food scene for Travel & Leisure magazine and other publications. Here's her partial list of world food markets worth a trip.

Birmingham, U.K.: Selfridges Food Hall, with its futuristic design and thrilling contents, is a true 21st century shopping mecca. "Extreme sourcing" assures you'll find delicacies like Japanese Wagyu beef, the finest Scottish kippers, truffled foie gras, artisanal honeys, and hand-crafted Alpine cheeses. Refuel with a Modern-British lunch at the sleek Gallery restaurant.

Selfridges Food Hall
Upper Mall East
The Bullring
Birmingham, U.K.

Pisaq, Peru: The Pisaq Sunday Market on the Main Square turns this village in the Andean highlands into possibly the world's most vibrant indigenous market. Do as the villagers do and quaff chicha (Andean corn beer) while you haggle for brightly-colored alpaca wool, endless varieties of corn, beans, potatoes, and chilies.

Pisaq Sunday Market
Main Square
Pisaq, Peru

Manaus, Brazil: Situated on the banks of the Rio Negro in a remote Amazonian town is Mercado Adolpho Lisboa, a 1902 cast-iron replica of the now-departed Les Halles market in Paris. Watch vendors scale giant fish and hawk goods ranging from souvenirs and tropical fruit to potions used for macumba (an Afro-Brazilian religion).

Mercado Adolpho Lisboa
Rua dos Barés, nº 46
Manaus, Brazil

Singapore: Named after the water carts that used to deliver water, the Kreta Ayer Wet Market is a riot of Asian greens, curry blends, live snakes, turtles, and black-skinned chickens that matrons will buy for their family's dinner. Stop by the huge food center on the floor above the market for a breakfast of noodle soup or Hainanese chicken rice.

Kreta Ayer Wet Market
Chinatown, at Kreta Ayer and Keong Siak Roads
Singapore

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