Vietnam‘s hill resort of Dalat is a horticultural wonderland. The cool tropical microclimate endows its market with the best of both worlds: tropical fruits from the lower hillsides combined with more European fare from the cooler climes. Fresh strawberries sit alongside avocadoes, artichokes, beetroot and dragonfruit; with vendors keen to foist strawberry jam, cashews and the grim local grape wine upon me. Where local markets tend to be the feature that orient me in any town, Dalat’s apparent lack of clear equatorial seasonality is bewildering.
Selling a more meagre array of vegetables in the stairwell.
Originally located on the top of Dalat’s central hill, the market’s earlier wooden structure burnt down in the late 1930s. In the late 50s, it was moved downhill with the market now stretching between two concrete buildings in the bottom of a steep ravine; a walkway linking the top of the hill to the second level of the market.
Globe artichokes arrive at the market fresh or dried as artichoke tea.
Arranging Bananas
October 18, 2007 6:26 pm
Dalat wine quite grew on me, at least with food.
November 13, 2007 9:35 pm
are those zucchinis that I see on the left of the sale person (in the second picture)? wow I thought this type of vegetable exists only in the West. I’ve never seen zucchini grow in VN (back then).
January 21, 2008 11:00 am
Yep – they’re zucchinis. I’m amazed at the variety of vegetables on sale throughout Vietnam – not just up in the highlands.