How do real Parisians do market?

It is no secret that all French people, whether they are residents of Paris or other cities in France, “do their market” regularly and especially on Sundays. Every town in France has its own markets, the number of which is determined by the size of the town (in a big city like Paris there are many markets, while in a village there will be one small market). Each market opens three times a week and when there are several markets in the same city, then the market days are planned so that on each day of the week there will be at least one open market in one of the corners of the city. The markets are usually open from 7:00 in the morning until 13:30 at the latest, and when the market ends the stalls are collected by the vendors. Shortly afterwards, the municipal cleaning services begin their work so that 5 minutes after the cleaning is finished, no one can imagine that a market was standing here a short time ago.

Why do the French like to have a market on Sunday?

As I said before, the French like to do their main shopping at the market, especially on Sunday morning, and the question arises as to why they do this.

This is a wonderful tradition associated with Sunday dinner shared with the family after mass on time. It is also the day when the French “really” rest at the end of the week, after dedicating their Saturday to all sorts of arrangements such as visiting the bank, visiting the doctor, etc. Contrary to the myth about the Frenchwoman who goes to the market and buys two tomatoes and a bunch of radishes, the French go to the market to stock up on fresh produce for the week, mainly fruits and vegetables. A true Frenchman prefers to buy directly from farmers who have brought their produce from the surrounding villages rather than from vendors who simply bought it at the wholesale market in Rungis . And the truth is that farmers don’t have to go that far to bring fresh goods to Paris because within about ten kilometers you can find farms that provide poultry, dairy products, fruits and vegetables of many kinds (for meat you have to travel about 150 kilometers from Paris).

France, as we know, is becoming more and more secular, and therefore a large part of the French use the time previously dedicated to listening to mass to continue their sleepless nights. However, they will never give up the traditional tour of the market and the “Sunday lunch” with the whole family. This is an age-old tradition, just like the Shabbat meal in Israel. Those who do not go to Sunday lunch will probably prefer brunch at a corner restaurant with children and friends, but that will be the subject of another article 😊

Which market do I buy in and where can I find a recommended list of markets?

Since I live in a cute little suburb of Paris not far from the Bois de Vincennes, I do my market there. However, since most of you will live in Paris itself, you will probably be looking for a market that is close to where you live. Fortunately, Francophile has already created a list of recommended markets, which, as someone who has lived in Paris for years, I definitely approve of. You can find it in his article Markets in Paris that I particularly like.

What and how much should you buy in the market in France?

Let’s go back to the market and see what, how, how much and why the French use to buy at the market. Before we begin, just a small clarification. I’m writing about a typical Parisian market here and of course markets in other cities can contain slightly different elements. However, by and large there are a number of things that are repeated at every market in France. The first thing you’ll notice is the peace and quiet. The French stand in line quietly in front of each stall and wait for the seller to serve them (they don’t really believe in “self-service”).

Vegetables are bought directly from the farmer.

The French start their market tour at the vegetable stand, where the best vegetables are found. Contrary to myth, they are not necessarily more expensive than those sold in the supermarket and are often even cheaper. The reason for this is simple. Once you buy directly from farmers, you cut marketing gaps between the wholesale market and the supermarket, and therefore prices are cheaper. However, in order to ensure the lowest price, you should not only buy vegetables directly from the farmer, but only seasonal vegetables, because this saves money on transporting the goods from greenhouses abroad and the money invested in storing the vegetables.

A true Frenchman will prefer to buy any product from the relevant seller, so if the vegetable seller also offers eggs, he will prefer not to buy them there but from the farmer who raises chickens. Along with vegetables, the French also buy garlic, onions, and herbs.

Fish and seafood

Then they will stand in line at the fishmonger where they buy all the best fish that comes either from the French canals or from the sea in Brittany or Normandy. I really like to buy cod or sole fish which I prepare according to the famous recipe of Sole Mounier. If it is a special occasion I also take a few crabs by weight, shrimps and Coquille Saint Jacques oysters. And if you make a large enough purchase then you will receive a bunch of parsley and lemon from the fishmonger as a gift along with the purchase accompanied by a smile 🙂

The Butcher and the Traiteur

After they finish with the fishmonger, they will go to the butcher, who often also functions as a Traiteur (a person who sells prepared food). There, you can buy delicacies by weight, such as grated carrot salad, leek vinaigrette, celery remoulade, and more. Unfortunately, the younger generation is less connected to these foods that have existed for centuries and is drawn to more “international” foods. If you have already stopped by the butcher, of course, don’t miss the rotisserie, which sells roasted poultry and potatoes dripping with fat, sometimes accompanied by caramelized pork chops.

Cheeses

And finally, we arrive at the cheese shop and buy the cheeses that will be served at the end of Sunday dinner. If you too want to serve a cheese platter that respects itself, here are the types of cheeses it should contain:

• Cheese With a soft crust, for example, brie or camembert
• A soft, flat cheese such as Pont l'Eveque
• Uncooked pressed cheese (Reblochon, Saint Nectaire, Cantal…)
• Cooked cheese (Emmental, Conte...)
• Blue cheese such as Roquefort
• Processed cheese (example: Cancaillotte)
• Goat or sheep cheese
• And for dessert, a fresh white cheese such as Brousse de Provence or Faisselle.

How do you eat cheese in France?

The cheeses you bought are usually eaten at the end of the meal or as an aperitif. For this purpose, we change the plate (we do not eat the cheese on the main course plate) and serve the cheeses with a green salad with vinaigrette sauce. And of course, we must not forget, but the cheeses are accompanied by a good glass of wine (usually red and the regions of Bordeaux , Loire, Côte du Rhône depending on the cheeses). And now that everything is ready, it's time for the "ritual" of eating:

• Take a slice of bread (cut into small, neat slices in a basket).
• Cut several pieces of cheese from a cheese platter and arrange them on your plate.
• Put a small piece of cheese inside a small piece of bread and in the same bite also put a little of the green salad. After you've chewed, share everything with a little wine.
• And there is a guaranteed explosion of flavors in your mouth!

So now it's clear that I don't need to mention that I'm not making a bread and cheese sandwich 🙂

What else can be found on the market?

And finally, if all this is not enough for you, in recent years you can find more and more “exotic” and very un-French foods in the traditional markets. An example of this are people selling Greek olives, dried fruits, Moroccan couscous, Italian food and even Chinese food. In addition to all these, you will also find sellers of shoes, clothes and all kinds of different types of “shmats” and of course flower sellers (after all, you can’t go home to your wife or mother without a bouquet). The Frenchman will load all the purchases on his shopping cart and drive them to his house where he will prepare a delicious meal.

What do the French do when they return from the market?

After the Sunday market, we will do a complete inventory during the week and buy fruits and vegetables by choosing more or less ripe products, so that we can consume them throughout the week (we will eat the ripe ones immediately and the less ripe ones later in the week).

• The French herbs will be washed, chopped, and frozen in small storage bags, or even in ice cube trays (!) to always have fresh herbs available and in the right quantity for preparing different dishes.
• Meats and other catering salads will be consumed quickly.
• The meat will be frozen and eaten later in the week.
• The cheeses will be stored in the cheese box, which every Frenchman worth his salt keeps in the refrigerator whenever he can!
• In the winter, we will leave the butter out of the refrigerator so that it does not become too hard.

More on the subject

• A Paris itinerary with small children and a few tips from Adva Klein
• Accommodation in Paris – Recommendations for a hotel or apartment that will suit you perfectly
• The 17th arrondissement of Paris: Batignolles, Rue Lévy and Parc Monceau