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YEREVAN: COVERED FOOD MARKET
by Alex Robertson
Gadling.com
Nov 2 2011
Markets are great places for getting a sense of what makes a place
tick, for grasping both the local agricultural bounty of a place and
its culinary inclinations. Yerevan's covered food market presents no
exception to this general principle.
It's physically a very impressive site, looking for all intents and
purposes like an ornate Jugendstil airplane hanger. It is lively
and fascinating, a great place for observing life in the capital of
Armenia as well as for shopping for fruits, vegetables, and spices.
Stall owners at the covered food market have perfected the art of
the medium sell, occupying that fantastic space between insouciance
and overbearing intensity. Visitors are invited to inspect and taste
products by salespeople, who in turn know how to read cues and back
off when appropriate. My half-hour stay resulted in a dozen offers to
try samples of nuts, dried fruit, and various spices. One fellow was
so rapid-fire with his offerings of dried and candied fruit that I
had to bow out. There is, after all, only so much dried stone fruit
that a person can eat in 90 seconds. The entrepreneurial instinct
turns the market into a hands-on place. At one point, a salesman
dipped his finger into a bag of cardamom and brought it to my lips.
Pricing at the market is pretty reasonable, which makes it a great
place for picking up food for immediate consumption and gifts alike.
My wishlist was short: saffron and honey.
Saffron is particularly well represented at the market, with many
stands offering the very pricey spice. A small cup of saffron costs
1000 drams (about $2.65); a special rare saffron of identical weight
was priced at 5000 drams ($13.20). Iran currently produces most of
the world's saffron, and Iranian saffron can be purchased all over
the market. The Iranian saffron on offer is professionally packaged
(in distinction to the local variety, which is very informally enclosed
in lidded plastic condiment cups) and also considerably more expensive.
The ubiquity of Iranian saffron here can be explained by proximity.
Armenia's border with Iran is just five hours by car from Yerevan.
My honey needs were easily met. Several vendors sell the stuff in
old soft drink bottles among other repurposed containers. For anyone
wanting to purchase a labeled jar of honey, there is a stall under
the arcade on the right side of the market (entering from Mesrop
Mashtots Avenue) that sells delicious honey by Multi-Agro, a local
brand. A small 150 gram jar costs 550 drams ($1.45).
The market's visitors are mostly residents, with a handful of tourists
wandering through. If you don't look like a local you will probably
attract a fair amount of attention from stall operators.
http://www.gadling.com/2011/11/02/yerevan-covered-food-market/
by Alex Robertson
Gadling.com
Nov 2 2011
Markets are great places for getting a sense of what makes a place
tick, for grasping both the local agricultural bounty of a place and
its culinary inclinations. Yerevan's covered food market presents no
exception to this general principle.
It's physically a very impressive site, looking for all intents and
purposes like an ornate Jugendstil airplane hanger. It is lively
and fascinating, a great place for observing life in the capital of
Armenia as well as for shopping for fruits, vegetables, and spices.
Stall owners at the covered food market have perfected the art of
the medium sell, occupying that fantastic space between insouciance
and overbearing intensity. Visitors are invited to inspect and taste
products by salespeople, who in turn know how to read cues and back
off when appropriate. My half-hour stay resulted in a dozen offers to
try samples of nuts, dried fruit, and various spices. One fellow was
so rapid-fire with his offerings of dried and candied fruit that I
had to bow out. There is, after all, only so much dried stone fruit
that a person can eat in 90 seconds. The entrepreneurial instinct
turns the market into a hands-on place. At one point, a salesman
dipped his finger into a bag of cardamom and brought it to my lips.
Pricing at the market is pretty reasonable, which makes it a great
place for picking up food for immediate consumption and gifts alike.
My wishlist was short: saffron and honey.
Saffron is particularly well represented at the market, with many
stands offering the very pricey spice. A small cup of saffron costs
1000 drams (about $2.65); a special rare saffron of identical weight
was priced at 5000 drams ($13.20). Iran currently produces most of
the world's saffron, and Iranian saffron can be purchased all over
the market. The Iranian saffron on offer is professionally packaged
(in distinction to the local variety, which is very informally enclosed
in lidded plastic condiment cups) and also considerably more expensive.
The ubiquity of Iranian saffron here can be explained by proximity.
Armenia's border with Iran is just five hours by car from Yerevan.
My honey needs were easily met. Several vendors sell the stuff in
old soft drink bottles among other repurposed containers. For anyone
wanting to purchase a labeled jar of honey, there is a stall under
the arcade on the right side of the market (entering from Mesrop
Mashtots Avenue) that sells delicious honey by Multi-Agro, a local
brand. A small 150 gram jar costs 550 drams ($1.45).
The market's visitors are mostly residents, with a handful of tourists
wandering through. If you don't look like a local you will probably
attract a fair amount of attention from stall operators.
http://www.gadling.com/2011/11/02/yerevan-covered-food-market/