Valencia's Mercado Central

[docsconz]

When traveling there is almost nothing I enjoy more than visiting the local markets as they tell so much about a culture and its people. The Mercado Central of Valencia was one that I absolutely had to visit. I wasn't disappointed.

The Mercado Central of Valencia has been undergoing renovations for over a year. While I had not seen it prior to the renovations, it is truly a magnificent building - the finest market architecture that I have seen. The modernist building designed by local architects, Soler March and Guardia Vich and opened in 1928 became the space for this market, one of the oldest continuing markets in Europe.

My sense is that the Mercado Central is neither as large nor as varied as the Boqueria in Barcelona, its most obvious point of comparison. The day my wife and I visited was a day after it was closed for a holiday. We visited on May 2nd, which may explain a relative lack of quantity in the seafood stalls. Even so, the quantity and quality still far surpassed almost anything available in the United States.

The photos will be presented as I took them, which is as we walked through the market and visited various stalls as opposed to groupings by type. I will let the photos speak for themselves. Explanations will be given where I think they are necessary. Otherwise, I will try to do my best to answer any specific questions.

The nuts in the center of the photo are chufas or tiger nuts. These are used to make the Valencian specialty horchata.

More to come...

[docsconz]

...some seafood

These cigalas (langoustines) were very much alive and wriggling on the ice.

still more to come...

[docsconz]

More seafood...

Galician percebes.

razor clams

Is it any wonder that the Spanish eat so much seafood?

[molto e]

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Perhaps you should have asked if they wanted to be photographed?

[docsconz]

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Perhaps you should have asked if they wanted to be photographed?

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I did. Can't you tell by their smiles?

[docsconz]

Moving on to meats and offal...

I wish that knew how the faces are used.

[butterfly]

The face/snout (careta de cerdo/morro) can be used for all sorts of things: making stock, stews, beans, and also a la brasa.

[docsconz]

The face/snout (careta de cerdo/morro) can be used for all sorts of things: making stock, stews, beans, and also a la brasa.

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Thanks. I am happy that all elements of an animal are used. Though we are using more of the animal in the US than we have in the past, we remain very far behind other cultures in this area. Perhaps this is one reason I am so fascinated by the presentations of offal in the markets when I travel.

[Richard_D]

Great pictures. It's a fantastic place and it's a great reason to go self-catering if you're visiting Valencia.

A word of warning, it's definitely not the place to go when it 30c outside and you've got a hangover from the previous night's festivities

Edited May 28, 2007 by Richard_D (log)

[docsconz]

Thanks, Richard. Buying and cooking would indeed have been much fun if I had access to a kitchen there. OTOH, the restaurants are so good there that I would hate to forego any opportunities to utilize them!

[docsconz]

Moving on …

We stopped for a little snack at a kiosk towards the back. I ordered a tortilla that was absolutely delicious. That along with our lunch later at Ca Sento and dinner at Monastrell in Alicante made for a sensational day of eating from top to bottom.

This stall reminded me of my trip to Peru.

[docsconz]

...and finally....

'

The tomatoes were similar to the wonderful ones we had at Casa Montaña the night before.

It was off to the Lonja across the street for sightseeing and then shopping in the area beforelunch at Ca Sento.

[butterfly]

The tomatoes sold for salad in any market are almost always light green streaked with red (or even a deeper green/red, like tomates raf). These tomatoes have the best texture and flavor for eating raw (they are entirely ripe). If I ever found myself living in the US again, these tomatoes (especially tomates raf) are one of the foods that I would miss the most.