Appearances Can Be Decieving

How does the context of a market, the overall appearance, affect the overall taste and enjoyment associated with purchases from the market? I have been thinking about the appearance of market goods today as our class investigated two markets that were in close geographic proximity to each other, but were staged very differently. We started this morning by visiting the first of the two markets, Torvhallerne, or "the glass halls." Torvhallerne consists of two glass walled buildings filled with different stands. There are heaps of gelato, cases of beautiful chocolates, high shelves of liquor, expensive cheeses, and seafood garnished with flowers. Outside, there are bundles of beautiful flowers and crates of the most beautiful produce I've ever seen. Our second market located not too far away was the "green market." Local makers set up tents and tables to sell their goods, from produce to baked goods to alcohol. It is much less formal and lavish than Torvhallerne, but I thought it was a lot more personal when I interacted with vendors and their samples were equally, if not more so, delicious compared to the first market.

At Torvhallerne, I bought a small box of frog-shaped chocolates. I was initially drawn to purchase them because I love frogs and, since they were from a high-end market, that it would be exquisite chocolate. However, my purchasing experience begin with a rather impersonal and bland interaction. The vendor did not engage with me until I came to the register whereas other vendors greeting me enthusiastically. When I later sampled the chocolates, I was disappointed in the flavor and did not find the taste to be anything different from what I could buy in the United States. 

My experience at the second market, the green market, was very different. Every stand I approached included an immediate and warm greeting from the vendor.  They were eager to get to know their prospective customers and they were excited to share their knowledge about the products. The vendors were sharing recipes, explaining the ideas behind their products, and answering even the most redundant of questions that were certainly asked by others approaching their stands prior to me. One particularly memorable experience was when I stopped at a brewery stall and the employee took the time to ask questions about my preferences in order to assist me in finding which beer that I would enjoy the most since I was unfamiliar with the different flavors. I ended up purchasing a Belgian-style witbier and it was amazing!

Today reinforced the adage "appearances can be deceiving". From all outward appearances, I initially assumed that the first market would be a more enjoyable and tasteful experience.  However, the green market ultimately provided a better experience despite the initial outward appearance.  From this experience of the two markets, I would recommend that we not judge good food based on the location, but rather through interactions with the producer selling it.