The Ceret Market

Saturdays in Ceret, France

Living in Istanbul, I am used to the weekly market where fresh vegetables, meats, cheeses, olives, clothes, kitchen gadgets, and anything else you might need are spread before you as far as you can see. The market in Céret is the French version. It is a bit smaller than I am used to but delightful with the colors, the vendors, and the food.

Oh, and that mountain of bread below? It was gone the first hour. There was a line of customers down the street.

The best part of the market is the cheese. That black cheese (would you eat black cheese?) was delicious, as was everything else we bought from the very helpful ladies who ran the cheese wagon. I’ll admit, having French speakers along was extremely helpful. Even though one of the cheese ladies spoke English, it was clear they preferred to have these long discussions of cheese taste and quality in their language.

Imagine this wonderful smell as you walk by. I love rotisserie chicken, and these smelled fabulous.

Have you ever seen a white eggplant? This was my first. Now I’m intrigued to know if they taste the same. Roasted eggplant in almost anything is my first choice at every Turkish restaurant. Now, I have to find them in Istanbul or grow them myself.

Céret is in French or Northern Catalonia. Most of the population of this part of Catalonia lives in Perpignan. (See the next post.) The food and some of the local French language show this cultural difference. Escargot, mussels, paella, and things I could not name were available throughout the market.

Yes, more cheese. I brought three types home, and I'm thankful I landed at the small airport in Istanbul and not the U.S., where the dogs would have picked up the smelly Roquefort cheese immediately.

If you visit Céret, include a Saturday for a market day visit. Also, check the calendar for any festivals, and if you are attempting to book around Bastille Day, the town may be packed, but still enjoyable.

Happy shopping!