Burrow your nose in Borough Market

"I just hated what I was doing, but I always loved to cook, and I knew this recipe was awesome".

That was a common phrase I heard when walking around London's famous Borough Markets. Located on the Thames near London Bridge, the market has been around since the 13th century, although the establishment that it is today was founded just over a decade ago. Filled with producers and importers from all over the UK and the world, it is the largest and coolest food market I have ever been to.

What makes Borough so awesome is not just the endless stalls of baked goods, preserves, meats, wines, and dozens of international specialties, it is the people behind the product. Their passion and knowledge of great food is infectious, and the stories they have behind their personal products are so fascinating that it is easy to go home with a new friend. If nothing else - some new friends for your pantry.




Take this one guy - we'll call him "Mushroom Man" - selling his family's recipe for a Wild Mushroom pate. His sister, a former finance adviser got tired of dealing with budgets with companies, so she decided to create a budget for selling her family's favorite appetizer. That was four years ago. Now with a stall at Borough, her brother Mushroom Man enthusiastically spreads the pate on fresh bread, giving passerby's not one, but two or three generous samples. Mushroom Man avidly talked about the ingredients used, the story behind the pate, and all the different ways it could be used. The pate, a mixture of herbs, raw cheese, and of course mushrooms, could easily be stuffed inside a chicken breast, melted on top of a steak, or spread on some baguette, like it was for us. Of course I realize that the enthusiasm is all in part to get you to buy the product, but it did not feel that way. This was not the usual corny sales-man pitch, Mushroom Man let the product speak for itself. Even if you could not buy it because your luggage was already too heavy, like mine was, he still happily spread some more on a baguette, and told me to enjoy it.

I ran into many more Mushroom Mans as I wandered the stalls of Borough. Whether it was Spanish chorizo, farm-fresh goat cheese, homemade granola, or this dynamite Thai green curry fish stew, the owners shelled out samples, and if you wanted to hear it, narratives of their product. The same was true of importers, mainly wine and beer carriers from a select few countries. Their knowledge of wine regions within a certain country was unfathomable, I doubt that anyone could stump them with a question. Beer lovers could look endlessly at the shelves holding hundreds of beers I have never heard of before, but I am sure that the importer has tasted them all. By the end of the morning, I was so stuffed with new knowledge, ideas, and food - and I did not pay a single pence.


It was amazing being in a place where everyone around you cares as much about good food as I do. If I lived in London, I am sure that the vast majority of my savings would be poured into Borough Market. If you are ever in London, you should really check it out. It is such a neat spot in such a fascinating city - and of course, you get lots of free samples!