For a chef and a photographer, traditional food markets are a wonderland. We visit markets whenever possible and do our best to capture the scents, sounds and tastes through our words and photos. These markets are often messy, fragrant, hot and noisy, to say the least, but they capture a place and its people the way few other tourist attractions do.

P.S. If you’re in the Denver area, I’m teaching an incredible cooking class on exploring ethnic markets in June at the Botanic Gardens. Learn more here!

Chile paste, fresh chiles and ground turmeric.

This little piggy went to market…

The morning fish market in Hoi An.

Fresh herbs, delivered by bicycle.

Rice is the staple food for more than two-thirds of the world’s population, unsurprisingly, there is a lot available for purchase here.

Know where your meat comes from.

Siem Reap’s famous Night Market.

Fresh pineapples are often sold peeled and cut for an easy to-go snack. 

The “blackfoot chicken” is just one of the many poultry options available. Every conceivable type and size of bird is eaten here.

Lots of unusual fruit varieties that I’ve never seen before!

This is what chefs mean when they talk about “nose-to-tail” cooking.

Most markets we’ve seen are conducted primarily on the ground.

This is not the gluten-free section.

Spices ready to blend into fiery curry pastes.

Markets in southeast Asia aren’t just for food; Cambodia and Vietnam produce a great deal of the world’s “fast fashion,” typically in abysmal working conditions.

Everything you need to garnish pho.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to cooking again when we get home!