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How A Farmer’s Market Taught Me About Culture

Why going to farmer’s markets helped me appreciate cultures from around the world

By Soha SherwaniPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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How A Farmer’s Market Taught Me About Culture
Photo by Anne Preble on Unsplash

I remember waking up every warm Saturday in my quiet town in Vermont and immediately looking forward to one thing: the spring and summer outdoor Brattleboro Farmer’s Market.

The spring and summer Brattleboro Farmer’s Market is an outdoor farmer’s market with fresh produce (oftentimes harvested the morning of), handmade products, and food from all over the world. It was always bustling with activity and people enjoying food with their friends and family, looking at different products, or enjoying the live music. Every time I entered the farmer’s market, I immediately felt as if I entered a new world.

Located a little bit further from the main road, it felt like an alternate universe where everyone was enjoying themselves. I was never bored at the farmer’s market; sometimes I looked at the livestock and admired the handmade jewelry for sale. But mostly, I did what quickly became a life-long passion of mine: explore different cultures.

V. Kostov's image on Google reviews of the Brattleboro Farmer's Market

There were stalls of Thai food, French food, Indian food, Italian food, Chinese food, and Malian. Living in Vermont, I didn’t have many opportunities to try cuisine from all over the world. So, my family and I took full advantage and tried almost every stall from each country. We tried tangy gelato, ate spicy pad thai noodles and egg rolls, and delicious vegetarian Naboulou among many other dishes.

The food was just delectable. With each dish, flavors and spices and textures burst in my mouth. And because the food was made by someone of a specific culture, I truly got a taste of each country. Every dish was made fresh in front of us and it was fascinating to see how each culture made their dish and what ingredients they used. All of the ingredients were always fresh, often organic, and flavorful.

A line for the Thai food stall. Photo by David Shaw

Beyond just the delicious food, however, I also learned about the culture and itself. The great thing about Vermont is how friendly and open to conversation its people are. While waiting for our food, my family and I talked to the vendors and listened to their stories. My family really enjoyed talking to Anon Sengaloun and her family.

According to this VPR interview, Anon fled from the Vietnamese War in Laos in 1980 when she was just 22 years old. She came to Vermont and wasn't sure what to do to financially support her family when a friend of hers suggested she sell her food since it was so good. In 1983, she started selling just three items at the farmer’s market: egg rolls, rice cakes, and curry pies. It was a hit and years later, Anon’s food is enjoyed by many of Brattleboro’s residents; including me and my family when we lived there. We enjoyed catching up with her each time we visited and it was always a treat to hear her talk about how she made the food and what each ingredient contributed to the dish.

Every time I visited the farmer’s market, I always found something interesting; it was never a dull moment! I learned about how traditional Malian food is made in Mali, Irish music, and Chinese traditions. Talking to people from so many different cultures was beautiful and the exposure to so many beautiful cultures underneath the cool shade of willowy trees is something I’ll never forget.

I truly believe that the best way to learn about new cultures is to immerse yourself in them. If you have a local farmer’s market near you, give it a visit. You have no idea how many interesting people you’ll meet, how much yummy food you might eat, and how many amazing stories you’ll hear.

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About the Creator

Soha Sherwani

Hello everyone! You can find me @SherwaniSoha on Twitter and @SohaSherwani on Medium!

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