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| The Produce Exchange |
From the hummus at Holy Land to the beef pho at Pham's Deli to the pulled steak tacos at Taqueria Los Ocampo, I found one common recipe: real ingredients, home made, and delicious.
A mere 13 minute drive from my doorstep and I am transported to another world. No, I am not talking about Epcot's World Showcase, I am talking about The Midtown Global Market, located on Lake St. & 10th Avenue in Minneapolis. The beauty of The Midtown Global Market lies in its very name. This expansive floor of various ethnic vendors is the closest thing I've experienced in the United States to the street markets of Taiwan (my Ba's home country) and yet, it encompasses an even more diverse array of food and merchandise than I could find at a street market abroad.
A mere 13 minute drive from my doorstep and I am transported to another world. No, I am not talking about Epcot's World Showcase, I am talking about The Midtown Global Market, located on Lake St. & 10th Avenue in Minneapolis. The beauty of The Midtown Global Market lies in its very name. This expansive floor of various ethnic vendors is the closest thing I've experienced in the United States to the street markets of Taiwan (my Ba's home country) and yet, it encompasses an even more diverse array of food and merchandise than I could find at a street market abroad.
Upon entering and after feasting my eyes on the Scandinavian pastry case, I move along to The Produce Exchange where I spend a half an hour happily browsing. I end up with two bags full of organic blueberries, sugar snap peas, hearts of romaine, spinach, tomatoes, Greek yogurt, nectarines, and peaches. This harvest costs me under $20.00. (A word of warning: I opted to try out a package of nectarines and peaches on super sale. I wouldn't do it again. It turned out that there was mold I couldn't see on the bottom sides of the fruit. I am looking forward to buying more fresh White Nectarines, next time, though!)
The adjective "global" in Midtown Global Market really means global. The people working here, as well as the goods they sell, represent countries from all over the world. As a Chinese American, I have a tendency to stand out, but here I feel perfectly welcome. Everybody seems to work and shop in perfect harmony. It's quiet here, but not for lack of business; there are quite a lot of people milling about the stalls. I think that the peace more has to do with the mutual respect and appreciation shared by people who have found themselves in Minneapolis providing or seeking a taste of something different, yet familiar; a taste of home.
"Food is the quickest way to the heart and home is where the heart is"--Me
"So food is the quickest way home?"--Kyle
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| Pho from Pham's Deli |
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