London's Borough Market is foodie mecca, but like Mecca, it gets dangerously crowded on certain days.
Like gorgeous Saturday afternoons, I discovered yesterday. Last time I visited during the week, when the crowds were manageable, but yesterday it was just about impossible to move.
I was hoping to get some great food photos, like the one of the bread at the top of this page, taken about two years ago at Borough Market. But with human bodies outnumbering the bread loaves, it was difficult to get any photos that didn't involve reaching hands or talking heads.
I did see some interesting mushrooms. Several places were selling thick slices of giant puffball mushrooms, which I was too chicken to try. (Click below for the photo.) And for £15 a kilo, you could get a wild mushroom mix, but again, with the exchange rate not in my favor, that didn't seem like a good idea either.
More affordable, and practical, was the produce—smoked garlic, rocket, sage, chiles, Comice pears, smoked tomatoes. An intriguing loaf of twisted olive and thyme bread I bought turned out to be so oily it seeped through the paper wrapper and the paper bag. I also got a cupful of a lentil and bulgur salad, which I'm now determined to recreate at home.
One thing I noticed, since I was primarily looking for Asian ingredients: the market, like London's food scene in general, is very Euro-centric. Olive oil from Spain, Italy, Greece; breads from all over; meats from England and Germany; and the place positively reeked of cheese. But there were no Asian foods except for a couple of Turkish and MIddle Eastern stands. I did see a lonely little stand selling fresh tofu. Compared to the farmer's market in Madison, Wisconsin, where many local Asian farmers sell much more exotic produce than mushrooms, Borough Market is a cultural disappointment.
Take that, London foodie snobs!
The best part of the day was actually visiting Southwark Cathedral next to the market. It was uncrowded, an oasis of calm. An organ was playing, and for the most part, the visitors were respectfully quiet. Such a contrast to the bustling market in its shadow!
More photos below.
Portions of giant puffball for sale.
Pumpkins and squash and carotes, from Italy
Tomatoes take such great photos; shame about the taste though!