New Hope Plaza Farmer's Market
I've found the local equivalent of my farmers' market at home. It's different from the regular wet markets, in that most of the produce is certified organic AND the people selling it are the farmers themselves.
It hasn't achieved the same type of popularity that the wet markets experience- perhaps slightly too expensive for typical Taiwanese shoppers who don't yet care about the organic label. Another reason is each stall is equipped with a sink and running water, so it feels sparkling clean in contrast. I like it enough to keep going back. I'd love to promote it so that the farmers can start making some money off this effort. It's just behind the Guanghua Computer Street (computer related shopping done, cell phones, mp3 player accessories etc) in a converted parking lot. where Songjiang Lu intersects with Ba De Lu and Xinsheng Jie MRT Blue line Zhongxiao Xinsheng station Exit #1.
The first thing I had was the fresh squeezed orange juice. Mmm sweet with a little hint of orange oil from the rind. Then I walked past the Bee Lady's table. As well as the live comb with little fuzzy bees working hard at building cells, she has a honey "vodka" (distilled white alcohol anyway), if you need more spice added to that she also has it flavored with bees.
In between the Tea guy and the Purple Corn Lady, sits the Medicine Man. He makes a traditional cough medicine of >19 ingredients that are ground into a paste and dried inside the hollowed out rind of a pomelo.
After it has cured, you cut it into small cubes and suck on it when you have a cold or cough. I'm not sure what else there is in the mix but menthol is definitely a major player.
Another must is the mushroom table. The Mushroom Man makes a mean mushroom stew. It's got 5 or 6 different kinds of mushrooms. Abalone mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, Enoki mushrooms, Woodear, Shitake, Giant white mushrooms. The texture is amazing some are chewy or succulent, others are flavorful, or slippery.
The Mushroom Man also makes the Chili sauce. Add vinegar and Hot chili pepper sauce and you've got a hearty snack to last you for the afternoon.
Then it's on to the pickle stand where you can buy anything pickled. I definitely want to learn how.
Walk past the fun flavored vinegars, honey and cabbages to the sugarcane stand. You can get the juice or a couple of blocks to gnaw on as you wander around.
I'll be back again next week.