IMPORTANT NOTE:
THE FINAL PHOTO IS NOT FOR THE TENDER-HEARTED (NOR IS IT FOR VEGANS OR VEGETARIANS). IF YOU HAVE JUST BEEN MENTIONED, DON'T LOOK AT THE PHOTO BELOW THE YELLOW DOTTED LINE .
While San Geraldo stayed home Thursday morning, my visiting English family and this little piggy went to market. We took a walk to Triana and browsed the public market built atop the site of the Castillo San Jorge (Castle of Saint George), which is the castle that hosted the Spanish Inquisition beginning in the year 1481. The original castle was of Arab origin and built in 1171. The castle had mostly disappeared by 1823 after years of neglect and flooding (the river is right alongside), and a public market was built in its place. Then, in 1992, the market was modernized, and the remains of the castle were unearthed along with a 12th- to 13th-century cemetery. There is now a modern museum below the market, but I haven't had a chance yet to visit. Too busy eating churros and chocolate, I guess.
And that's the end of the history lesson. The rest of this post is simply pictures of delicious and beautiful things to eat and drink... followed by a photo many people, myself included, would not find very appetizing. Remember: Mind the yellow dotted line!
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| SAN GERALDO HATES OLIVES. FORTUNATELY, I DON'T FEEL THE SAME. FREE TASTES! |
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| PIEL DE SAPO (TOAD SKIN MELON) SECOND SHELF FROM TOP. DELICIOUS! |
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WE STOPPED FOR SOME REFRESHMENT AND SAT AT A TABLE JUST BELOW THIS POOR UNFORTUNATE.
NOTE THE ORIGINAL WALLS OF THE CASTILLO SAN JORGE IN BACKGROUND. |
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| BEANS, NUTS, AND DRIED FRUIT. MY IDEA OF HEAVEN (WELL, IF YOU ADD CHOCOLATE). |
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| A SWEET STOP. MORE PIEL DE SAPO. |
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| FRESH PRODUCE. GORGEOUS SPANISH TOMATOES. CLOTHING NEXT DOOR. |
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| A MICROBREWERY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MARKET. MORE FREE SAMPLES. |
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| CHOCOLATE. I DIDN'T BUY ANY BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HOT TO TAKE IT OUTSIDE. |
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CRAWLING AROUND THE MARKET.
ALSO CRAWLING AROUND MANY GARDENS IN FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN RIGHT NOW. |
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I ONCE HAD A SICILIAN FRIEND WHO WOULD SCOOP THIS (FOREGROUND) FROM THE SEA
AS WE SWAM AND SUCK THE CONTENTS FRESH FROM THE SHELL. NONE FOR ME, THANKS. |
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THE HEAD OF A PIG BELOW
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| AND THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT WEE WEE WEE... |
I always appreciate the history you provide. It's incredible to think that something built in 1171 is still standing, and my house is falling apart. They don't make them like they used to. The market looks great! Thanks for the warning about the last picture.
ReplyDeleteJo:
DeleteWell, it's only "a little" standing! Your house might make an interesting ruin in another 900 years.
I was with you right up until the snails and I lost sight of you completely at the final "road accident" with the pig ...
ReplyDeleteOlives - oh yes indeed, fabulous things!
I am forever chuffed in the name of variety - can you imagine if nature had seen fit to provide only one variety of fruit or veg?
The Owl Wood:
DeleteJerry just did research on the different types of olive oil: this for breakfast, this for lunch, this for frying, this for dressing, this for potatoes. I think he narrowed it down finally to five types that he could be concerned about using, but he found well over a dozen. I had no idea.
such a great post, history lesson and beautiful photos, what a grand market I think I could have some fun there :)
ReplyDeleteI took your word and closed my eyes once I saw the dotted line, thanks my friend
Monkey Man:
DeleteI didn't think the photo below the dotted line would be to everyone's liking. The markets here are absolutely amazing... even for a non-cook.
Oh, you did warn us! I looked anyway :(
ReplyDeleteIt must be amazing to live near such history. The only part of Spain I've been to is Barcelona. Enjoying your blog.
Cheers (still from DC),
Loi
Loi Thai:
DeleteAnd we still haven't been to Barcelona (except to change planes). Can't wait to visit there; so different from Sevilla. I hope I never get bored with the amazing history and beauty here.
Nothing to get grossed out...the process of making sausage is not pretty but sausage is delicious. If you get too fastidious about things you stop enjoying good food and end up eating potatoes and eggs - the least offensive of foods.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed how in America people are shielded from accidents or anything gory? Then we are surprised when we send our men and women to war and come back with some mental disorder...war like making sausage is not a pretty business...but I regress...lol
I would give anything to have any of those markets nearby.
saludos,
raulito
PS - you didn't tell me how you managed with the "verbo latir" post.
Raulito:
DeleteSome people don't have your sensibilities, so I didn't want to upset or offend with the pig's head. I myself am pretty shallow -- I don't want to be reminded how things are prepared (like sausage) but I enjoy the results.
The markets here are incredible and just about every old neighborhood has one, which means within 15 minutes of us are 5 or more!
I still haven't sat down to read/translate "verbo latir"; we've had visitors in town for two weeks and I want to really take my time and see how much i can read without help. I will do it in the next couple of days and can't wait!
I loved the fabulous banana hat the produce dealer is wearing! Thanks for warning me about the pig head--that's not something I'd want to see. It's interesting that it's available in a shop like that. A friend decided she wanted her grandmother to teach her how to make an old-fashioned southern dish with a pigs head and steel-cut oats. She said they had a hard time finding one. Anyway, it was a gory, all-day process and she totally lost interest in ever doing it again!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I used REGRESS on purpose lol
DeleteIt's common to see pig's heads on display in markets in Mexico... also chicken feet. But the things I wasn't really sure about... and asked my Spanish tutor what they were so I took a photo and showed her... well, here's her answer.... "Well, in Spanish we call them testicles"... enough said?
ReplyDeleteas I said before and will say again Mitch....you are in heaven!!!
ReplyDeleteI noted the 3 varieties of garbanzo beans.....obviously having different flavours/textures?
Jim:
DeleteI don't know the difference in the garbanzo beans. Jerry and I are going to start browsing the markets together, asking questions and trying things out.
Olives, chocolate, hmmmm! Had once chocolate with olive oil, so it can be made.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if vegans and vegetarians only walk on plastic shoes, never eat something made with jelly and more of that stuff?
Peter:
DeleteLeave it to you to know about chocolate with olive oil! I wonder what olives dipped in chocolate would taste like; I don't know if I have the nerve to try it out on my own.
I've had vegan and vegetarian friends who don't wear any leather products... only vinyl and woven shoes and belts, no jello products, etc.
Slugs and periwinkles are next too disgusting...now the chocolate stop is my kind of world along with java of course. Loving the olives...tell San Gerald that to learn to love olives...eat 10 in a row with your martinis and that will convert you...my Mom taught me this...and guess what?...it worked...give me some olives please!
ReplyDeleteRon:
DeleteThere's no olive-hope for San Geraldo. He isn't big on martinis either.
One local restaurant serves an extremely mild olive -- the mildest I've ever tasted. I told Jerry if he didn't like them he would never like olives. To his credit, he tried one... and didn't like it.
Love the colorful fruit, micro brewery and chocolate. I closed my eues as I went past the yellow line. I'm what they call a "sensitive viewer".
ReplyDelete...that would be "eyes" : )
ReplyDeleteLadyCat:
DeleteI'll be share to always include a warning on those photos that might be upsetting. Meanwhile, I'll pick up some strawberries and chocolate and I'll meet you at the microbrewery (but there was also a little winemaker, too)!
Well, jeez, I think the funky banana hat that produce man is wearing (lol) is much more shocking that some pork. But I live in France. Tout est bon dans le cochon !
ReplyDeleteUm... "than"
DeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteI'm glad you noticed the banana hat. I didn't notice it until I downloaded the photos. I think the guy's name was Carmine Miranda.
I will have one of everything please, including the ugly stuff!
ReplyDeleteDi
xoxo
YONKS:
DeleteI couldn't do ALL the ugly stuff, but some would be fine. Right now though, I'm craving fruit.
Beautiful market....I'd like to shop there.
ReplyDeleteKristi:
DeleteThere was also a few amazing pastry shops and two cafe/bars. A really wonderful way to spend a few hours.
What lovely market fare!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing fresh fruits and vegetables for sale.
The pig's head only made me wonder (rather than retch) - what does one do with a pig's head?
Spo:
DeleteI had so many more pictures. We need to start shopping this way and trying everything. As for the pig's head, nothing is wasted. If you're a carnivore, pig's cheeks are very popular here and are tender and delicous.
After a few days on the beach follow you again.
ReplyDeleteI love to see the reaction that you have over food, which are for me more than normal, I like a lot of snails, and furthermore, small snails, which eat into spring, the bars of Seville.
Regarding the pig's head, it is not so normal to see them whole, but cut into the distinguished all its parts, nose, ear .... all so rich (Del cerdo hasta los andares).
Unlike me, I found it very unpleasant to see in New York, prawns and fish had no head, as if poor ien. cultural things
SOONKS:
DeleteI wish I had just spent a few days on the beach! Sevilla is sure quiet on weekends right now (except for the tourists).
It's wonderful to see our own cultures through the eyes of others. I have a hard time seeing fish fish in markets and restaurants WITH their heads; you have a hard time seeing them WITHOUT their heads. But I love the markets here and can't believe how lucky I am to be able to experience all this.
I want to go to the market with you. xox
ReplyDeleteNubian:
DeleteYou name the day!!!
Fritz hates olives as well. There are three things he won't eat: Olives, tripe and coconut. It's pretty easy to work around, although I have to substitute chopped dries apricots for olives in tagines.
ReplyDeleteWill:
DeleteI'm with Fritz on the tripe... blech! And Jerry also hates coconut (I love it). I had to look up what a tagine was (cooking!), but substituting with dried apricots sounds wonderful anyway!
All of that -- but the pig head -- looks wonderful.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if I had just the right recipe...
Pearl
Pearl:
DeleteWell, I have enjoyed pig "cheeks" since being in Spain. And Jerry cooked some himself one evening and they were perfect. As for the rest of the head... I don't think so.
Beats Stop and Shop (or Piggly Wiggly or Shoprite or Price Chopper or..)
ReplyDeleteFrank:
DeleteI've never been to a Piggly Wiggle or Price Chopper! Maybe Piggly Wiggly should take the pig's head as their mascot.