Friday night - Adelaide Central Market

 Ooooo pineapple! Friday nights are my favourite night. They of course signal the beginning of the weekend but there is another reason I like them so much. You see, the Adelaide Central Markets are opened until 9pm (that is late for Adelaide!) on a Friday night. This means, on my super fast power walk to my bus stop, I make a detour to the Adelaide Central Market.

 Now that is what you call an attractive looking fruit/vegetable display!

The Adelaide Central Market was officially opened in 1870 and the building of today's building started in 1900. Unlike most markets I visited in Europe, the Central Market is undercover. This means even if it is raining, hailing or there is a heatwave, you can still shop for your rhubarb and Bierwurst. German markets usually put plastic cafe style blinds around the stalls and have heaters inside when it is minus a million degrees outside. It kind of worked...no...I still froze! The Central Market is also Adelaide's most popular tourist attraction. Sydney may have a bridge and an opera house - Adelaide has a market!

 

 Some stalls are dedicated to selling one item, whether it be cheese, olives or lollies. I bought some mushrooms form the Mushroom Man's Mushroom shop, for something I will make on the weekend.

As the market is open until 9pm, this means you can first have a tea/hot chocolate/coffee to avoid the 5pm-5.45pm after work crowd rush. Or you could walk next door to Adelaide's China Town for a big bowl of laksa or dumplings. The downside of visiting the market in the afternoon/evening/night, is that there is no yum cha -> no chicken feet. Or, does anyone know where I can buy some chicken feet outside of yum cha hours?

 There's always time for some cheese tasting at the Say Cheese. They sell a very good truffle cheese and a French horseraddish cream cheese.

 A lady from Marino Meats slicing up some meat for the waiting customers.

 Yay the Polish shop, Sevenhill Fine Food! Here you can also buy German, Dutch and Scandinavian foods. They have a good selection of European style meats and some cheeses too. If you're ever after German yeast, baking powder, baking essences etc, they sell the Ruf brand.

 Yes, fresh SAUERKRAUT! I once tried to make it myself but failed miserably. So, now I buy it from here. Oh, Polish juices, cherries in jars, those Dutch honey cakes, DAN CAKES...yes, all can be purchased here! I do like this shop:)

A selection of a selection of dips at Jagger Fine Foods. I have purchased picnic ingredients from here. The sun dried tomatoes are very tasty; they taste like tomatoes!

Oooo proper pastries at Breadz N More.

At Providore, you will find muffins, chocolates, cakes and chocolate fountains:) I can recommend the apple plum semolina cake.

The last thing you want to buy during your time at the Central Market are flowers. You don't want them to be squashed under a pumpkin! Central Market Flowers always has a pretty display.

At this stage, after a walk around the market, your environmentally friendly shopping bag is likely to have become very heavy. This happens to me most Fridays. For me, this indicates it is time to go home...and so does my watch if I am going to make the bus...if it decides to turn up. For some reason, my bus is one of those strange 'mystical' buses; it just disappears.... and I wait and wait...I'm like Rory from Dr Who...yes I do like to watch Dr Who. I have nothing to do on Saturday nights anymore as Dr Who finished for the season! I don't want to be sociable pfft (that would involve attempting to travel on a mystical bus)!

What you need to know:

Where: Between Gouger and Grote Street, just west of Victoria Square

When: Monday-closed, Tuesday 7-17.30, Wednesday *limited stalls opened* 9-17.30, Thursday 9-17.30, Friday 7-21.00, Saturday 7-15.00, Sunday-closed

Other: There are some good specials on fresh fruit and vegetables near closing time, especially on Tuesday and Saturday

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