Around My Neighbourhood 2 - The Richmond Saturday Market
-
This morning, I didn't plan on going to the Richmond market but after buying my newspapers, I felt hungry and was wondering what type of cheap fruits the market would have today, so I took a short walk over to the Richmond Saturday Market.
As its name suggests, this market exists only on Saturdays, where a street is closed for the market, which starts from 0700 (or earlier) to 12 noon. I didn't plan on taking photos, but halfway through my marketing, I thought, why not?
So out came my mobile phone, and here are a few snapshots, not very well-taken, but oh well...One of the largest fruits stalls there. When I first arrived in Melbourne about two years ago, a typhoon in Queensland had destroyed most of the crop of bananas for that year and bananas were selling at A$11.50 / kg at its peak!
The prices then steadily dropped as the months went by, and at one stage during the same season, it dropped to A$5 / kg.Today, the price of bananas - A$1.79 / kg!
In the photo, you can also see Nectarines, Peaches that look too pale, and ooh! Sultana Grapes!
I love how neatly-stacked the vegetables in this stall are! Amongst the pile, I can spot celery, carrots, cabbages, cauliflower, turnips, and the box of vegetables at the bottom left-hand corner I know not what!
And over here, fat carrots, broccoli, and dunno what leaves.
Here, half a shop of flowers.
Couldn't grab a shot of the entire stall because people kept getting in my way. This half of the stall had roses and lilies. The other half had tulips and... well, too many people were blocking my way and I couldn't see. Thank goodness I went there 'early' (0930hrs) because any later and you can forget about taking shots!
Several different types of Apples are in season. Sadly, they aren't in the habit of displaying the types of apples for sale, but as you can see, at A$1.50 / kg, it's really really cheap!!
Apples, apples, apples, mangoes and grapes!
This is a really amusing moment where doggie, doggie's owner, and doggie's owner's neighbour, all looked in the same direction at don't know what!
Starting from the far left : Blushing Mangoes, Ruddy Grapes, Carrots, Red Onions, Long Beans, Gigantic Eggplants (Brinjals), Broccoli, Zucchini, Gigantic don't know Tapioca or Sweet Potato, Yellow Onions, and Girl (Not For Sale).
Haiz... I had a clear shot, and then this man HAD to get in my way!
In this photo, Avocados (3 for A$3), Mangoes (3 for A$4), Cherries (A$7 / kg) and Bananas (A$1.79 / kg). Lelong! Lelong!! I didn't manage to snap photos of the Tasmanian Cherries - they are much larger and cost A$9 / kg. I bought about five handfuls today. 
The baby black grapes were so cheap today - A$1.99 / kg, that I simply HAD to purchase two bags for my neighbours as well! Sugar buzz! Sugar buzz!!
Today was quite a good day - no shoving, jostling, nor pushing. I think the earlier one heads to the market, the less crowded it is, meaning the less the chances of one getting poked, prodded, pushed, and shoved. Old Greek women (who are built stout like bulldogs and who are extremely masculine in their features) and Old Vietnamese folks are the biggest culprits of the pushing and shoving incidents.
I remember one incident where a Vietnamese man 'pretended' to shove his way to the front of the fish van and tried to cut everyone's queue! One Aussie man started to scold him, and then several others joined in, including me. 
Whilst queuing at the fish van, I often like to kaypoh and chat with others in the queue to see what they'd be buying and how they'll be cooking it.
A jolly Aussie family runs the fish van. It literally is a large van with a shelter built over it, and a canvas roof extension for the queue, and one side of the van opens up to show a display area with a counter at the top. It was too crowded to snap a good shot of the van, hopefully the next trip, I can! The fishmongers are very friendly and once, when I bought 1/2 kg of Jumbo Prawns, the lady asked how I'll be cooking it, and I said, my favourite way - Spicy Prawns, and she went, "Mmmm... yum yum! You have to cook for me someday!" 
-
OK, managed to get an old photo of my lunchbox with Spicy Prawns in it!
And another old shot of my Black Sauce Prawns.
Next week must go hunting for fresh Jumbo Prawns... Got a craving now...
-
i wish i stayed at your place.
i love shopping for grocery ...especially at these stalls...
so back to nature style..
-
cool
. the place looks fresh and clean and food looks good -
Originally posted by LOTUSfairy:
i wish i stayed at your place.
i love shopping for grocery ...especially at these stalls...
so back to nature style..
It's really quite endearing because week after week, you see the same few stallholders and a few of them start to recognise you and even tell you whether the strawberries are really sweet or not.
There's also an elderly Aussie man there who mans the eggs and honey stall and I buy from him so often that sometimes, when he gets preserved eggs, he'll whisper to me and ask if I want to buy them or not. Sometimes, we get the farmers themselves setting up stalls at the Richmond Market. These are usually stalls offering seasonal fruits, eg. Blueberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries, Strawberries, Apples, Mangoes, etc. They will usually display their farm names proudly too.
Alamak... forget to take photos of the mushrooms on sale. They are most commonly, the large button mushrooms, or the gigantic portabello. Sometimes, Cole's Supermart displayes these funny, toxic-looking mushrooms in weird orangey-red and yellowish tinges that make me doubt if they're really edible!
I'll try to snap pics of Victoria Street's Grocery Shops next.
-
Originally posted by 淋雨:
cool
. the
place looks fresh and clean and food looks goodIt's only clean early in the day, before the crowd arrives.
I like how people bring their dogs to the market.
There's a man who trains guidedogs for the blind and his dog is on a special harness with the words, "Please do not touch! Dog at work!" -
Originally posted by Rhonda:
It's really quite endearing because week after week, you see the same few stallholders and a few of them start to recognise you and even tell you whether the strawberries are really sweet or not.
There's also an elderly Aussie man there who mans the eggs and honey stall and I buy from him so often that sometimes, when he gets preserved eggs, he'll whisper to me and ask if I want to buy them or not. Sometimes, we get the farmers themselves setting up stalls at the Richmond Market. These are usually stalls offering seasonal fruits, eg. Blueberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries, Strawberries, Apples, Mangoes, etc. They will usually display their farm names proudly too.
Alamak... forget to take photos of the mushrooms on sale. They are most commonly, the large button mushrooms, or the gigantic portabello. Sometimes, Cole's Supermart displayes these funny, toxic-looking mushrooms in weird orangey-red and yellowish tinges that make me doubt if they're really edible!
I'll try to snap pics of Victoria Street's Grocery Shops next.
envy envy..
i love strawberries, mangoes, and portabello..
i am definitely moving to your place when i retire..
-
Originally posted by LOTUSfairy:
envy envy..
i love strawberries, mangoes, and portabello..
i am definitely moving to your place when i retire..
Well, the strawberries here are mostly sour. Of all the punnets I've bought, I've only been lucky once.
But when you do get lucky, sweet strawberries are lovely! If I get sour strawberries, I just slice them, put them in a container, sprinkle sugar over them, add a little Apple Vinegar, leave them in the fridge to chill, then when chilled, scoop them out into a glass, and pour Sprite / 7-Up over them. Lovely!
For a real treat, add a little Choya! I do like living here, especially in the cooler months, when I get to wear furry stuff!
The one big complaint I have is that property here is priced out of my reach at this moment. I hope that sometime in the near future, the high prices and interest rates will come a-crashing!