Turkey has the best markets!!

Imagine...bright, bold colors, plump shapes and sweet smells and you may be able to picture the scenes of a Turkish market. Of course you'll also find clothing, textiles, shoes, etc... but the fresh fruits and vegetables are the highlights. We are fortunate in the city of Chicago to have access to several farmers markets around the city but even the largest and best of those cannot compare to the Turkish markets. Jon and I have gotten lucky to stumble upon these weekly markets in three separate towns with the most recent being in Selcuk (Saturdays). We were equally impressed with the markets in Uchisar (every Wednesday) and in Kas (every Sunday), although the one in Selcuk was the largest of the three. Each town or city has a large outdoor market or bazaar once a week and they operate all year (another bonus!) with the selection of produce dictated by what is in season, so just ask around once you arrive anywhere.

Mostly you will be shopping shoulder to shoulder with the local Turkish women and it is a good idea to get a good grasp of the Turkish numbers before you shop as many stalls have no price signs and they may or may not speak English. Of course there is a dual pricing system in place but you are less likely to get totally scammed if you can show the vendor that you can speak a bit of Turkish and of course that you are not afraid to walk away if you feel the price is not right.

Not only does the quality of produce here surpass what we see in the farmers markets of Chicago but the price is also a bargain. For example, here are a few of the following deals we found:

1kg (2.2 lbs) of peaches: 1-3 YTL (lira)
1kg of cherries: 3-5 YTL
1kg oranges: 2-4 YTL
1kg tomatoes: 0.30-1 YTL

Rough exchange rate today: 1 YTL = 1.25 USD

I have no idea if the Turkish people realize how fortunate they are to have such amazing produce at their disposal but Jon and I are certainly envious!!