Flemington Markets
Flemington markets is about 20 minutes on an express from Central station. On a gorgeous Sydney spring day, we headed to what is probably the food market in Sydney, and, for that matter, Australia.
It's a busy gathering of hundreds of stalls, with a massive range of food. And the price! Compared to the price-gouging that goes on in Australia's supermarkets, this was a foodie's dream.
"Zuchinnis, 10 dollars a box, yesterday they were 30," yells one Greek stallholder, in that booming baritone that all Greek greengrocers seem to have (maybe it's a job requirement?). The outdoor stalls are just a small snapshot of what's going on inside. The warehouse is crazy with activity, with people pushing trolleys laden with fresh food, and occasionally their kids, up and down, stopping and starting at random. Somehow, everybody keeps their temper, which is nothing short of amazing. Wait till summer, when everybody's patience is shot, and this place would be mad.
A massive box of watermelons sits forgotten in the corner; boxes of apples, any variety you want, 10 bucks a box. Nashis, oranges, even durians are available. One corner is devoted to nurseries. Kebab trailers, one with demure, head-scarved Muslim women, another with white girls clad in skimpy T-shirts, are also around for chips, drinks and felafels.
A seafood smell becomes stronger - one end of the warehouse is where the fish are being sold.
We only bought some spices from an Indian bloke - not wanting to carry a heavy load back home. Besides, we couldn't very well carry an armload of fresh groceries into the Vietnamese noodle house across the road, could we?
If you ever think that there's something you need in an exotic recipe that you can't buy in Australia, this place is the place to go to be proven wrong.
When you go, though, don't drive - the car parks are crazy, and unless you get here at 7am, you won't get a park and will be stuck in the purgatory that belongs to drivers stalking for car spaces. That's a sure recipe for ruining your mood.
