Normally I wouldn’t set out early on a Sunday morning for anything but Champagne and Sunday brunch but when the founder of Le Fromager de Pekin – LIU Yang – invited me to come sample some yummy cheese and meet local farmers at the original and {I believe} only Organic Farmer’s Market … well, who could say no to that! It turned out to be an amazing gold mine, with lovely vendors sporting big smiles and passing out a never ending supply of samples of everything from hard boiled eggs, buffalo milk and French cheese to carrots, tofu and baked goods.
The Organic Farmer’s Market has been going on for a few years now and LIU Yang told me that he believes it is really growing in popularity with the Chinese consumers because they are really looking to feed their families only the best. There are about 40 stalls that attract close to 2,000 people to the market. Some of the stalls measure only a metre in width while others seem a sizable three’ish metres! What I do understand is that all of these stall licenses are highly coveted, with artisans and farmers all vying for the next space to open up so they can start selling at their organic products in a location where it is all truly appreciated.
You can buy:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Dairy and tofu products
- Meats
- Bread and pastries
- Hand-made stationery supplies
- Noodles and pasta
- Beauty products
- Natural juices
- …and more!
One thing I found personally to be quite interesting was that I was there for over an hour interviewing artisans and speaking with farmers about their goods (and shopping!) and I was the only foreigner I saw during that time. Not sure why but that should be changing soon because the quality of the food and other items sold there is simply stellar!
Each week this wonderful and bustling market changes location on both Saturday and Sunday, out of necessity! They haven’t found a permanent home for whatever reason so mid week the locations are posted on their Facebook page and Weibo.
XOXO Angela
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I am Angela, a location independent single mom from California (AngelaCarson on YouTube). At 21, I dropped out of uni to travel Mexico solo. I’ve explored 37 countries, living in Spain and India with my daughter, then China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and currently Indonesia as an empty nester. For more, check out the About Me page.
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To shop at this organic farmers’ market sounds like a cook’s dream. What fun. I’m trying to imagine how many totes I would need to bring for all my purchases. Right now I’m thinking 5 may do it. What kind of natural beauty products do they offer? And what are some of the unique juices for sale? Did you try the buffalo milk? Loved the stall that had the chop sticks and coffee cups. Wish I were there!
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Yes, Mommy – 5 should be enough for you 🙂 I have no idea what the juices were because they didn’t speak English sadly. And as for the natural beauty products….they were always so busy that I couldn’t wedge in even for a photo! It’s on my list for next time but I did see natural lip balm and some creams! Ohhhh and I bought buffalo milk for home, it’s really yummy 🙂