"Arab" Market Haul

From the "Arab" market this morning

I don't know what the real name is for the market that's held over on Boulevard Barbes on Saturday mornings; I have always referred to it as the Arab market.  It's separate from the food vendors housed on Rue Verdun, up by Les Halles and of course, at Place Carnot.  The Arab market is a swirl of color and sounds--some of the vendors cry, "1 Euro, 1 Euro, 1 Euro," at the top of their lungs, the air is fulled with Arabic.  The stalls are full of colorful junk as well as knock-off handbags, rugs, tagines, bedding, bolts of fabric.  Scarves flutter in the wind, there are plenty of leather slippers offered for sale, and abayas hang from overhead wires.  The aisles are always clogged with strollers and "old lady" shopping carts as people stop wherever the opportunity presents itself to say hello to friends and neighbors.  It can be trying to get through, especially in warmer weather when there is an abundance of pink-skinned tourists who love to gawk but never seem to buy anything.

Whole nutmeg

Coriander

I have learned since moving here that this market is one of the BEST sources for spices.  It makes sense, right--these North 'African countries were major stops along the spice trade route.  And the cuisine of these countries relies on pungent, fragrant seasonings.  I have found the cinnamon and the ginger that I buy there to be stronger and to last longer than what I can get from the spice vendor at Place Carnot.  (Although, come to think of it, I hvenn't seen her in many months).  Her spices are in cloth sacks and are not airtight.  That makes for a pretty presentation, but the spices go stale faster.  

 

Cinnamon

Ginger

I haven't been able to get over to that market for a while--not to spend any time there, at least.  But this morning I made the effort....and came home with quite the haul.  I not only replenished my cinnamon and ginger, but came home with whole nutmeg, coriander, (each package was only 1 Euro a piece) and whole almonds as well as almond meal.  

Happy morning's haul

I also managed to snag some elastic to repair my favorite black skirt, which has become too big.  And for a whole 5 Euros, I came home with a new pair of--stronger-- reading glasses, which will make progressing on my current translation project a little easier (I hope). 

 

Paris-Brest

In the interest of full disclosure, I discovered a new-to-me bakery where I purchased a Paris-Brest...a creme-filled pastry, for later today.  And some beautiful pecans from my "nut" guy at Place Carnot to turn into spiced pecans for upcoming holiday aperos and gifts.  Never too early to get started.  I will use those wonderful spices I got at the Arab market in their preparation.  

 

Pecans--when did nuts get to be so expensive?

The thing that I saw this morning that brought a big grin to my face was a Catholic nun in full to-the-ground habit and hair-covering veil weaving her way through the crowd--made up principally of Muslim women wearing hijabs and to-the-ground abayas.  The two outfits aren't that dissimilar!

 

Reading help

I didn't have the camera with me, sorry to say.  But here's the haul!

Camo earpieces--oh yes, that';s me. alright!